State Coverage Requirements
Coverage Type
West Virginia Requirements
Bodily Injury Liability
$20,000 limit per person / $40,000 limit per accident
Property Damage Liability
$10,000 limit
Collision
Not required, but recommended
Comprehensive
Not required, but recommended
Medical Expenses
Not required, but recommended
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Not required
Uninsured Motorist
$20,000 limit per person / $40,000 limit per accident (bodily injury), $10,000 limit (property damage)
Underinsured Motorist
Not required, but recommended
Property Protection (PPI)
Not required
Average rates vs National Average
Cellphone/Texting
West Virginia
Explained
Hand-Held Cell Phone Ban:
Yes
In West Virginia, an officer can give a driver a citation for holding a cell phone even if no other driving offenses are taking place.
All Cell Phone Use Ban for Novice Drivers:
Yes
Drivers under the age of 18 with a Learner or Intermediate License cannot use a cell phone at all while driving.
Texting Ban:
Yes
Text messaging is banned for all drivers in West Virginia.
DUI Laws
West Virginia
Explained
The legal limit for a blood alcohol concentration (BAC):
0.08
The legal limit for a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) while driving is 0.08. It is a crime to drive with a BAC at this number or above it.
Increased penalty for high BAC:
0.15
There's an increased penalty for drivers with a BAC of 0.15 or above.
1st offense Suspension:
6 months
Administrative license suspension on the 1st offense: In Virginia, law enforcers can confiscate a first-time offender's driver's license for 6 months if he or she exceeds the legal limit. Limited driving privileges, such as to and from work, are permitted after 30 days.
Ignition Interlocks:
Mandatory for offenders with BAC .15 or higher and repeat offenders
These are devices installed in the cars of convicted drunk drivers, which analyze the breath or the driver before starting the vehicle and disable the ignition if alcohol is detected. West Virginia made ignition interlocks mandatory for all offenders with a BAC of .15 or above and repeat offenders.
Repeat Offenders:
Yes
Minimum penalties for repeat offenders include suspension of driving privileges for at least one year, impoundment or immobilization of offender's vehicles, or the installation of ignition interlocks to all vehicles owned by the offender, mandatory alcohol assessment and treatment, and imprisonment or community service for a second-time offender. Third-time and further offenders can see longer imprisonment or community service sentences.
Open Container Law:
None
None in West Virginia.
Graduated Drivers License
West Virginia
Explained
Learner Stage:
Min. Age: 15
Min.
Duration: 6 months
Required Supervised
Driving Hours: 50 (10 at night); 0 if taking driver's ed
(Supervised driving, to be completed with a driving test): At 15 years of age, individuals can begin driving with supervision for a period lasting a minimum of six months. In this stage, the new drivers are required to get 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of which need to be at night. If a driver is taking driver's education, then zero hours or supervised driving are required.
Intermediate Stage:
Min. Age: 16
Night Driving Restriction: 10pm-5am
Passenger Restriction: No passengers under 20 (first 6 months), no more than 1 passenger under 20 (following 6 months)
(Some limits are applied to unsupervised drivers in high-risk situations): Drivers who passed the driver's test at 16 are now unsupervised drivers in the intermediate stage. These drivers are not allowed to drive between the hours of 10pm and 5am and cannot drive with any passengers under 20 for the first six months and no more than one passenger under 20 for the following six months.
Full Privilege Age:
Age: 17
(Full driver's license): At the age of 17, West Virginia drivers can now get a standard driver's license without any restrictions.
Speed Limit
Rural Interstates:
SPEED LIMIT
70
MPH
SPEED LIMIT
70
MPH
Urban Interstates:
SPEED LIMIT
60-65
MPH
SPEED LIMIT
60-65
MPH
Other Limited Access Roads:
SPEED LIMIT
65
MPH
SPEED LIMIT
65
MPH
Page Source: ghsa.org
West Virginia
Department of Insurance
Website: www.wvinsurance.gov
Address: 1124 Smith St., Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-558-3386 or 1-888-TRY-WVIC (1-888-879-9842)
West Virginia
DMV Information
Website: www.transportation.wv.gov/dmv/Pages/default.aspx
Phone: 304-558-3900 or 1-800-642-9066 (WV Residents Only)
