West Virginia Car Insurance
West Virginia drivers must carry 25/50/25 liability under the West Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law (W. Va. Code § 17D-4-2)1 plus compulsory UM at 25/50/25 under W. Va. Code § 33-6-312. UIM is must-offer up to 100/300/50 under the same section. West Virginia is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP4.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
UM required, UIM must-offer at a higher ceiling. UM at 25/50/25 is compulsory on every West Virginia policy, including $25,000 property damage. UIM is a different animal: insurers must offer UIM up to 100/300/50, and the named insured may reject UIM in writing2.
Traditional tort state. West Virginia does not require PIP. First-party medical bills typically flow through health insurance or optional MedPay4.
How to make a real decision. Treat 25/50/25 as the liability floor and the compulsory UM level. For how to think about UIM, see how to choose coverage limits.
State requirements at a glance
What West Virginia car insurance law requires
Minimum liability limits
25 / 50 / 251
$25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage per accident, under the West Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law (W. Va. Code § 17D-4-2).
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Not required4
West Virginia is a traditional tort state. No PIP is required on personal auto. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on insurers typically offer.
Uninsured Motorist (UM)
25 / 50 / 25 required2
W. Va. Code § 33-6-31 requires UM coverage at 25/50 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage on every West Virginia personal auto policy. UM is compulsory, not merely must-offer.
Underinsured Motorist (UIM)
Must offer up to 100 / 300 / 502
W. Va. Code § 33-6-31 requires insurers to offer UIM up to 100/300/50; the named insured may reject UIM in writing. UIM is not required at the floor.
Coverage verification
West Virginia DMV insurance verification3
The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles administers insurance verification. Confirmed lapse under W. Va. Code § 17D-2A-6 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus SR-22 filing requirements.
Rate approval regime
WV OIC oversight4
West Virginia does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age as personal-auto rating factors.
25/50/25 compulsory liability
The West Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law (W. Va. Code § 17D-4-2) compels every registered West Virginia vehicle to carry 25/50/25 liability1. Many West Virginia drivers carry higher limits.
PIP: not required in West Virginia
West Virginia does not require Personal Injury Protection. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on that insurers typically offer. For how MedPay compares to PIP in states that require it, see our medical payments coverage guide.
UM required at 25/50/25; UIM must-offer up to 100/300/50
W. Va. Code § 33-6-31 requires UM coverage at 25/50 bodily injury plus $25,000 property damage on every West Virginia personal auto policy2. The same statute requires insurers to offer UIM up to 100/300/50; the named insured may reject UIM in writing.
DMV verification and lapse enforcement
The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles administers insurance verification5. A confirmed lapse under W. Va. Code § 17D-2A-6 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus SR-22 filing requirements3. For a general lapse treatment, see our after-a-lapse guide.
Rating-factor landscape
West Virginia does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age4.
Where the West Virginia situation rules live on YesWeSure
This State Guide owns the West Virginia pricing and legal framework. Situation-specific mechanics live on the sibling Situation guides:
- After an accident. See our after-an-accident guide.
- After a DUI. West Virginia SR-22 and reinstatement mechanics are treated in our after-a-DUI guide.
- After a lapse. DMV consequences of a lapse are treated in our after-a-lapse guide.
- Moving into West Virginia. New-resident registration is treated in our moving-to-another-state guide.
What we verified for this page
- Strong25/50/25 minimum liability under W. Va. Code § 17D-4-2 verified against the statute.
- StrongWest Virginia is a traditional tort state (no PIP) verified against the WV OIC consumer guide. Consistent with the frozen YesWeSure medical-payments guide; no conflict.
- StrongUM compulsory at 25/50/25 under W. Va. Code § 33-6-31 verified against the statute.
- StrongUIM must-offer up to 100/300/50 under W. Va. Code § 33-6-31 verified against the statute. The named insured may reject UIM in writing.
- StrongWV DMV insurance verification under W. Va. Code § 17D-2A-6 verified against the statute.
- LimitedDeliberately omitted from V1. A West Virginia modeled cost anchor; carrier-specific WV underwriting; the exact SR-22 duration (deferred to the after-a-DUI guide); and telematics program detail.
- LimitedNamed author and expert reviewer. V1 attributes to "YesWeSure Editorial." A West Virginia-licensed reviewer is tracked as a pre-launch YMYL item.
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Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in West Virginia?
25/50/25 liability under W. Va. Code § 17D-4-21 plus compulsory UM at 25/50/25 under W. Va. Code § 33-6-312.
Is West Virginia a no-fault state?
No. West Virginia is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP4.
Is UIM required in West Virginia?
No. UIM is must-offer up to 100/300/50 under W. Va. Code § 33-6-31 but not required at the floor. The named insured may reject UIM in writing2.
Sources & methodology
- W. Va. Code § 17D-4-2: West Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law; 25/50/25 compulsory liability. (West Virginia Legislature, TIER 1)
- W. Va. Code § 33-6-31: Uninsured Motorist compulsory at 25/50/25; Underinsured Motorist must-offer up to 100/300/50; written rejection of UIM required. (West Virginia Legislature, TIER 1)
- W. Va. Code § 17D-2A-6: compulsory motor vehicle insurance; penalties and license/registration suspension for operation without insurance. (West Virginia Legislature, TIER 1)
- West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner: Automobile Insurance consumer page. (West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, TIER 1)
- West Virginia DMV: Insurance Requirements consumer page. (West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after an accident (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a DUI (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a lapse in coverage (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when moving to another state (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: What is medical payments coverage? (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How to choose coverage limits (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How insurers calculate rates (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (West Virginia Code, West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, West Virginia DMV). Every legal number traces to a West Virginia primary source: W. Va. Code §§ 17D-2A-6, 17D-4-2, 33-6-31. This page is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or insurance advice. Last reviewed .