Uninsured Motorist Coverage — West Virginia
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West Virginia Requires Uninsured Motorist Coverage
You're adding a second or third vehicle to your policy and reviewing the coverage breakdown. You notice uninsured motorist coverage listed on every vehicle and wonder whether you can remove it to lower your premium. In West Virginia, you cannot. The state mandates uninsured motorist coverage on every auto insurance policy, and the requirement applies to the policy itself, not to each individual vehicle.
This distinction matters when you insure multiple cars. The uninsured motorist coverage you carry protects every vehicle on the policy under a single set of limits. You do not pay separately for uninsured motorist protection on each car the way you do for collision or comprehensive. Understanding how the mandate works across a multi-vehicle household helps you structure coverage correctly and avoid paying for protection you think is optional when it is not.
“The uninsured motorist coverage you carry protects every vehicle on the policy under a single set of limits.”
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West Virginia Uninsured Motorist Rate
Uninsured motorist protection covers your household when one of those drivers hits you.
Insurance Information Institute, 2023
The Mandate Applies to the Policy, Not Each Vehicle
West Virginia law requires every auto insurance policy to include uninsured motorist coverage with limits at least equal to your liability limits. If you carry the state minimum liability of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, your uninsured motorist coverage must match those limits. If you carry higher liability limits, your uninsured motorist coverage must rise to match.
The mandate attaches to the policy, not to each vehicle. When you insure three cars on one policy, you carry one set of uninsured motorist limits that covers all three vehicles. You do not triple the cost of uninsured motorist protection by adding a second or third car. The coverage follows the policy structure, and every vehicle on that policy benefits from the same limits.
This structure differs from collision and comprehensive, where each vehicle carries its own coverage and its own premium. Uninsured motorist protection is a per-policy coverage, and adding vehicles to the policy does not multiply the uninsured motorist premium the way it multiplies collision premiums. Carriers price uninsured motorist coverage based on the limits you select and the number of drivers on the policy, not the number of vehicles.
You cannot remove uninsured motorist coverage from a West Virginia auto policy unless you reject it in writing, and rejection requires a signed waiver acknowledging you understand the risk.
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What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pays For
Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries you and your passengers sustain when an at-fault driver has no insurance or when a hit-and-run driver flees the scene. It also covers you when the at-fault driver's liability limits are too low to pay for your injuries, though that scenario falls under underinsured motorist coverage, which West Virginia also mandates alongside uninsured motorist protection.
The coverage applies to every vehicle on your policy and to every household member listed as a driver. If your teenager drives one of your three insured vehicles and is hit by an uninsured driver, your uninsured motorist coverage pays for their injuries up to your policy limits. If you are driving a friend's car and are hit by an uninsured driver, your own uninsured motorist coverage can provide secondary protection if the friend's policy does not cover you.
Uninsured motorist coverage does not pay for vehicle damage in West Virginia unless you purchase uninsured motorist property damage coverage, which is optional. The mandatory uninsured motorist coverage covers bodily injury only. If an uninsured driver totals your car, you file a claim under your own collision coverage, not under uninsured motorist. Collision coverage is optional, so if you carry liability-only coverage and an uninsured driver destroys your vehicle, you have no coverage for the vehicle loss unless you added optional uninsured motorist property damage protection.
$25,000 / $50,000
West Virginia Minimum Uninsured Motorist Limits
Your uninsured motorist coverage must match your liability limits, and West Virginia's minimum liability requirement is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury. If you carry higher liability limits, your uninsured motorist limits must rise to match.
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles
How Limits Work Across Multiple Vehicles
When you insure multiple vehicles on one policy, your uninsured motorist limits apply per accident, not per vehicle.
This structure means that if two of your vehicles are hit by the same uninsured driver in separate incidents on the same day, each incident is a separate accident and each triggers the full per-accident limit. Higher limits cost more, but they provide more protection when multiple household members are injured in one accident.
Compare Carriers That Write Multi-Vehicle Policies in West Virginia
Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory, but the cost of that coverage varies by carrier. When you insure multiple vehicles, the difference in uninsured motorist premiums between carriers can add up across the policy. Some carriers price uninsured motorist coverage as a flat per-policy charge; others calculate it as a percentage of your liability premium. The structure matters when you carry higher liability limits or insure several drivers.
Compare quotes from carriers that write multi-vehicle policies in West Virginia and ask each carrier how they price uninsured motorist coverage. Carriers writing in West Virginia include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Nationwide, Allstate, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, USAA, Erie, Travelers, and others. Request quotes with identical liability and uninsured motorist limits from at least three carriers to see how pricing differs. The mandate ensures you carry the coverage, but it does not dictate what you pay for it.
How to Reject Uninsured Motorist Coverage
To reject uninsured motorist coverage in West Virginia, you must complete a written rejection form provided by your insurance carrier. The form states that you understand uninsured motorist coverage is available, that you decline it, and that you acknowledge the financial risk of driving without it. Both you and your spouse, if you are married and both reside in the household, must sign the waiver. The carrier cannot remove uninsured motorist coverage without this signed document on file.
Once you reject uninsured motorist coverage, the rejection applies to the entire policy. Every vehicle on the policy loses uninsured motorist protection. You cannot reject coverage for one vehicle and keep it for another. If you later decide you want uninsured motorist coverage back, you can add it at any renewal or mid-term by contacting your carrier. The rejection is not permanent, but it remains in effect until you affirmatively request the coverage again.
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Get My West Virginia Car Insurance QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Can I remove uninsured motorist coverage from one vehicle on my West Virginia policy?
No. Uninsured motorist coverage applies to the policy, not to individual vehicles. If you reject it, every vehicle on the policy loses the coverage. You cannot reject coverage for one car and keep it for another.
Does adding a second car to my policy increase my uninsured motorist premium?
Not directly. Uninsured motorist coverage is priced per policy, not per vehicle. Adding a second car increases your liability premium, and because uninsured motorist limits must match liability limits, the uninsured motorist premium may rise slightly, but you do not pay double for uninsured motorist protection the way you do for collision.
What happens if an uninsured driver totals my car in West Virginia?
Mandatory uninsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injuries only, not vehicle damage. If an uninsured driver totals your car, you file a claim under your own collision coverage. If you carry liability-only coverage, you have no coverage for the vehicle loss unless you purchased optional uninsured motorist property damage protection.
Do I need uninsured motorist coverage if I already carry collision and comprehensive?
Yes. Collision and comprehensive cover your vehicle; uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and your passengers' injuries when an at-fault driver has no insurance. The coverages serve different purposes, and West Virginia requires uninsured motorist protection on every policy.
Can I carry higher uninsured motorist limits than my liability limits in West Virginia?
No. West Virginia law requires uninsured motorist limits to match your liability limits. You cannot carry lower uninsured motorist limits, and carriers will not sell you higher limits than your liability.