West Virginia car insurance

Full coverage car insurance in West Virginia runs about $183 a month, and state-minimum liability runs about $52. Overall, West Virginia falls in the middle of the pack for affordability.

West Virginia also leads the country in deer collisions, which makes comprehensive coverage worth considering.

This guide covers how West Virginia auto insurance laws work, what the minimum liability insurance requirements are, and how to shop for a West Virginia car insurance policy.

A typical West Virginia driver pays about $183 a month for full coverage and about $52 a month for state-minimum liability.

Full coverage adds collision and comprehensive, which pay to repair or replace your vehicle after a crash, theft or vandalism, fire, flood, or a deer strike.

Is car insurance cheap in West Virginia compared to other states?

West Virginia’s full coverage car insurance premiums are about average, with the national average full-coverage costing about $187 per month, or $2,245 per year.

West Virginia is relatively rural, with few large metropolitan areas, which tends to lower costs. On the other hand, West Virginia's mandatory uninsured motorist coverage and high number of deer collisions both tend to nudge costs upward.

West Virginia requires a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury liability protection per individual, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage liability coverage (25/50/25 in insurance industry shorthand).

West Virginia also requires drivers to carry the same amount in uninsured motorist coverage.¹ The state is one of the few that make uninsured motorist coverage mandatory.

Your insurance company must also offer underinsured motorist coverage, which pays when an at-fault driver carries insurance but not enough to cover your losses. However, unlike uninsured motorist insurance, you can decline underinsured motorist coverage in writing. 

Is West Virginia a no-fault or at-fault state?

West Virginia is an at-fault, or tort, state. The driver who causes a crash is responsible for the resulting injuries and property damage, and their insurance company is first in line to pay damages.

West Virginia does not require personal injury protection (PIP). If another driver hits you, you pursue that driver, or their insurance company, for your medical bills and repairs. If that driver has no insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage steps in.

USAA charges the lowest average full-coverage rate in West Virginia at about $114 a month, followed by State Farm and Progressive.

West Virginia's market includes regional carriers like Erie and Westfield alongside the national names. Luva compares regional and national insurers with your details in one place.

While every insurance company sets prices a little differently, the most significant factors are your driving record, your age, credit history, location, annual mileage, carrier, vehicle, and the coverage you select.

Driving record

Any speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, or DUI convictions will cause your future premiums to increase. See below for how much they may affect a West Virginia driver, on average.

Location

Carriers consider your area’s traffic density, crime rates, history of natural disasters, repair and medical costs, and frequency of animal collisions when setting premiums.

Credit history

West Virginia drivers with bad credit pay $386 a month on average, while drivers with excellent credit pay about $137 a month.

Age

Teenage drivers face much higher rates than older drivers. Nationally, full coverage modeled premiums for a 16-year-old average about $757 a month, versus about $191 per month for a 35-year-old.

Vehicle

Insurers consider your vehicle's year, make, model, and repair costs in setting premiums. 

Coverage level and deductibles

Higher liability limits cost nearly nothing in most cases. But adding collision and comprehensive is pricey compared to a liability-only policy with the same limits.

Yes, if you carry comprehensive coverage.

Animal collisions fall under comprehensive coverage, not collision. So a deer strike won’t increase your rates the way an at-fault crash does. If your car is damaged or totaled in a deer collision, you’ll pay your comprehensive deductible, and the insurance company pays the rest.

Each year, about 1 in 40 West Virginia drivers file an animal collision claim – the highest rate in the country, according to State Farm’s 2025 report.²

The real odds of an animal collision are somewhat higher than that: Drivers who don’t carry comprehensive coverage won’t file a claim, and therefore won’t show up in the data.

Animal strike claims can be substantial. According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the average animal strike claim was $5,447 in 2022.³ If you can’t afford to write a check for that much tomorrow, or replace your car after totaling it in a deer collision, full coverage is worth considering.

Here are a few tips to find cheap car insurance in West Virginia:

• Compare five or more companies, using identical limits and deductibles. Luva pulls personalized quotes from competing insurers on matching coverage, for a true apples-to-apples comparison.

• Include regional carriers, such as Erie Insurance and Westfield, as well as the national names.

• Explore discounts such as multi-policy (bundling), multi-car, safe-driver, honor roll/good student, low-mileage, telematics, and paperless statements. Stack multiple discounts to lower your premiums.

• Choose the highest deductible you can afford. Going from a $500 deductible to $1,000 can reduce premiums significantly.

• Buy additional liability insurance. The state minimum isn’t enough to protect you, and higher limits cost almost nothing.

• Don’t lapse. Carriers typically charge higher premiums if you’ve had a break in coverage.  

• Shop around again each renewal, and after each life change, such as marriage, a move, improving your credit score, buying a new car, or paying off a loan.