West Virginia State Requirements

State	Minimum Liability	PIP?
West Virginia	25/50/25	N/A

If you are looking for the cheapest West Virginia motorcycle insurance rates, we are here to help. But make sure when looking to insure your car or motorcycle, you at least understand the state minimum requirements, so you are driving legally.

West Virginia requires motorcyclists to have at LEAST the following coverage:

$25,000 coverage for bodily injury per person

$50,000 coverage for bodily injury per accident

$25,000 coverage for property damage liability

West Virginia Motorcycle Insurance: How Do You Get a Motorcycle License?

Now that you hopefully have your West Virginia motorcycle insurance required by the state, you need to also go through the complete process of getting a motorcycle license.

You can do this either one of two ways:

Add an endorsement to your existing driver’s license

Obtain the motorcycle-only license

You can accomplish either of these things by:

• Take and pass a written test and road test
• You also have the choice of doing the written test and completing a motorcycle training course ($100 for the course)
• Pay the Fee: The standard 5-year license fee in WV is $12.50

For more details, check out West Virginia’s Division of Motor Vehicles Site.

West Virginia Motorcycle Insurance: Laws You Need to Know

Based on the information above, you can rightly assume that West Virginia law requires you to have the proper liability insurance and have completed the proper motorcycle licensing steps.

You must also familiarize yourself with other West Virginia motorcycle requirements, so you don’t get stuck with a hefty fine…or worse thrown in a West Virginia jail.

Some things to remember:

• You must wear goggles, a face shield, or shatter-resistant safety glasses
• Your windshield must have shatter-resistant material in compliance with DOT
• A protective helmet is REQUIRED for ALL riders and should have a functional neck/chin strap.
• Passengers are allowed, ONLY IF, the motorcycle is equipped with a passenger seat or sidecar. Sidecar must have a seatbelt.
• Headlamps are required to be on at all hours, tail lamps are also required.
• Lane Splitting is ILLEGAL
• Sharing a lane is permitted.

West Virginia Motorcycle Insurance: Discounts to ask Your Agent About

One of the many reasons why it’s a good idea to use an insurance broker or agent is because they can tell you about a discount that you might qualify for…ones that you had no idea about!

Did you know about half of these discount types are listed below?

Motorcycle Insurance Discounts
Advanced Quote
Multi Lines Discount
Married Discount
LoJack Device
Years of Riding Experience
Prompt Payment
Operators Safety Course
Association Membership
Vehicle Usage & Mileage
Continuous Insurance Discount
Motorcycle Rider Group Discount
Multi-Policy
HOG Discount
Prior Insurance
EFT Discount
Garaged or Locked Storage
MC Endorsement on License
Anti – Lock Brakes
Homeownership Discount

Cheapest Insurance Rates by City

A surprising rating factor that underwriters take into consideration when setting insurance premiums, is the city you live in/zip code.

While this can be something slightly out of your control, it’s simply due to statistics. If a city is highly populated, there’s a higher chance of traffic accidents…and unfortunately, the insurance rates will be higher.

However, we have done some work for you and researched some of the best places to get motorcycle insurance in your city. These specific insurance companies are known for their affordable rates and options for your specific zip code:

Cities in West Virginia	Most Affordable Insurance Company for Motorcyclists
Kingwood	The General
Hinton and Winfield	The General
Belington	Progressive
Bluefield	Farmers
Shady Spring and Philippi	Progressive
Hurricane	Progressive
Parkersburg	Geico
Oak Hill	The General
Huntington	Dairyland
Ranson	Dairyland
Lewisburg	The General
St. Albans	Progressive
Clarksburg	Progressive
Point Pleasant	Progressive
Martinsburg	Farmers
Wellsburg	Geico
Weston	The General
Kenova	Geico
Crab Orchard	Dairyland
Star City	Geico
Vienna	Progressive
Petersburg	Geico
Buckhannon	Geico
Harrisville	Dairyland
Ravenswood	Progressive
Keyser	Dairyland
Dunbar	Geico
Grafton	Progressive
South Charleston	Progressive
Shannondale	The General
Charles Town	Progressive
Charleston	Progressive
Morgantown	Dairyland
Barboursville	Geico
Moundsville	The General
Brookhaven	Geico
Bridgeport	The General
Milton	Geico
Weirton	Progressive
Richwood	Geico
Fayetteville	Dairyland
Cheat Lake	Geico
Cross Lanes	Progressive
New Martinsville	Dairyland
Elkins	The General
Pinch	Dairyland
Madison	Progressive
White Sulphur Springs	Dairyland
Wheeling	Dairyland
Sissonville	Geico
Paden City	Geico
Princeton	Geico
Bethlehem	Progressive
Westover	The General
Williamstown	The General
Pea Ridge	Dairyland
Williamson	Geico
Pleasant Valley	Progressive

Rating Factors

We mentioned zip code being a huge rating factor, and though it pains us to say it, there are a few other rating factors that you might not be able to control. Some of those include:

• age, marital status, gender, zip code, vehicle characteristics

Other rating factors that you can and SHOULD try your best to control, since they have an extremely big impact on your rates are:

• driving record, credit score, and insurance score

Insurance Rating Factors (aka Why your Rates are high)
Coverages
Marital Status
Rider Age
Gender
Location
Driving History
Year / Make / Model
Riding Frequency
Type of Bike (Engine Size)
Education Level
Occupation
Credit Score
Rider Experience

West Virginia Motorcycle Insurance: Motorcycle Safety Tips

The Division of Motor Vehicles has some great motorcycle safety tips that are worth your time to look over.

Not only should you be concerned about your own safety, and that of the safety of others on the road, but when it comes to insurance…each and every violation or accident can cause your insurance rate to skyrocket. So try to do everything in your power to prevent hurting yourself or others by doing the following:

• Avoid any alcohol and drugs…even at the legal limit…you want to have as clear a head as possible.
• Have the required protective gear, and even if your state does not require it, be sure to wear a helmet, gloves, eye protection, sturdy shoes, long pants, and a jacket.
• Make sure your bike is in good condition
• Avoid overusing the throttle, and fast and harsh braking.
• Pay attention to the space around you and leave plenty of space between you and other vehicles.
• Slow down whenever visibility is compromised
• Make sure you practice before getting on the open road.

Liability Only Rates (by City)

The great thing about carrying liability-only coverage is that you are carrying what the state requires and driving legally. The other thing that is great about liability only is that it is the cheapest insurance option out there for you if you are just needing the bare minimum requirements.

City in West Virginia	Average Annual Rate
Moorefield	$128.00
Martinsburg	$115.00
Hooverson Heights	$104.00
St. Albans	$101.00
Shady Spring and Philippi	$112.00
Harrisville	$111.00
Barboursville	$105.00
Williamstown	$120.00
Culloden	$99.00
Petersburg	$113.00
Pea Ridge	$104.00
Parkersburg	$130.00
South Charleston	$123.00
Brookhaven	$130.00
Nitro	$118.00
Williamson	$103.00
Point Pleasant	$122.00
Follansbee	$120.00
Huntington	$116.00
Star City	$127.00
Lewisburg	$117.00
Weirton	$128.00
New Martinsville	$100.00
Bethlehem	$122.00
Welch	$114.00
Weston	$121.00
Wellsburg	$129.00
Clarksburg	$99.00
Oak Hill	$101.00
Craigsville	$126.00
Kenova	$110.00
Summersville	$127.00
Charleston	$126.00
Hinton and Winfield	$133.00
Morgantown	$114.00
Dunbar	$111.00
Shannondale	$111.00
Moundsville	$134.00
Cheat Lake	$106.00
Granville	$135.00
Vienna	$96.00
Buckhannon	$133.00
Shinnston	$116.00
Bluefield	$106.00
Teays Valley	$126.00
Ranson	$122.00
Richwood	$116.00
Crab Orchard	$109.00
Charles Town	$127.00
Kingwood	$102.00
Paden City	$121.00
Elkins	$111.00
Bluewell	$96.00
Sissonville	$113.00
Westover	$103.00
Fayetteville	$114.00
Princeton	$114.00
Inwood and Blennerhassett	$128.00

Full Coverage Options

While it’s good to save money and go for the cheapest insurance options, there are some instances where you might want to consider having more than the minimum coverage.

If you are financing your motorcycle, chances are, your lienholder will require you to carry full coverage (comprehensive and collision).

Even if no one is requiring you to carry full coverage, think about the benefits of carrying extra coverage.

If your motorcycle is blown away in a windstorm, or if you hit a deer, a telephone pole, or anything…full coverage will help prevent you from having to shell out thousands of dollars in damages.

Consider the fact that in West Virginia, weather conditions are involved in 22% of all traffic accidents. And truthfully, adding comprehensive and collision might not dramatically increase your premium in some cases.

Ask your agent, or fill out our online quote to see what full coverage looks like for you.

City in West Virginia	Average Annual Full Coverage
St. Albans	$216
Crab Orchard	$186
Princeton	$232
Beckley	$211
Culloden	$227
Shinnston	$177
Moorefield	$215
Granville	$212
Morgantown	$208
Bethlehem	$184
Weston	$209
Williamson	$210
Hinton and Winfield	$189
Paden City	$195
Martinsburg	$203
Wheeling	$185
Weirton	$181
Shannondale	$224
Grafton	$192
Moundsville	$195
Bridgeport	$231
White Sulphur Springs	$221
Cheat Lake	$210
Dunbar	$186
Star City	$181
Sissonville	$179
Brookhaven	$217
Summersville	$212
Westover	$215
South Charleston	$233
Kenova	$208
Williamstown	$234
Shady Spring and Philippi	$184
Charleston	$194
Belington	$230
Follansbee	$191
Pinch	$235
Bluefield	$187
Pleasant Valley	$233
Lewisburg	$209
Huntington	$194
Vienna	$225
Elkins	$207
Keyser	$201
Hooverson Heights	$232
Barboursville	$227
Pea Ridge	$184

West Virginia Motorcycle Insurance: Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Helpful Links
SR-22 Insurance West Virginia
Cheapest West Virginia Auto Insurance
Homeowners Insurance West Virginia
West Virginia DMV

Last Updated on November 14, 2023 by Marlon Moss