West Virginia law requires all registered vehicles to be insured. The minimum amount of coverage required is $20,000 for one accident, one injury, $40,000 for one accident, two or more injuries, and $10,000 for property damage. This is known as 20/40/10 coverage. All vehicle insurance policies must be issued by a company licensed to sell insurance in West Virginia.

So if you just have a driver's license and do not own a car you are not required to carry insurance to maintain your license. You are not required to show proof of insurance to get a driver's license in WV but you are if you are registering a vehicle.

As for your second question, yes most insurance companies will require you to place the non-relative household member on your insurance policy as a driver if he is licensed. All licensed household members are normally required to be listed as a driver or excluded on an auto insurance policy by the insurance provider not by state laws.

If you have a licensed household member, whether a relative, roommate, etc, the insurer believes that the person will have access to your vehicle and thus is a rating factor that should be on your insurance policy. If this person is never going to use your car then you can see if your insurer will allow you to exclude him. When a person is excluded from a policy it means that they will not be extended any insurance coverage even if they are using your car in an extreme emergency they would not be covered by your policy coverages.

When a person is using your vehicle you will want to make sure they are covered by your insurance. If they are not and are in an accident normally both that person as the driver as well as you, the car owner, can be held personally responsible for any damages they caused. Also they could be cited for being uninsured if the insurance coverage on the car does not cover them if an accident.

Several penalties are in place for motorists who fail to present proof of insurance during a verification or are found driving without insurance by any law enforcement agency. These administrative penalties affect the car owner's vehicle registration, as well as the driver’s license. This does not include any criminal penalties that could result from a conviction in magistrate court. Criminal penalties include fines and jail time and have no bearing on the administrative penalties. Dismissal of the ticket through the court system does not release you from any obligation to provide insurance to the division upon request.

If you have more questions regarding the laws of West Virginia surrounding motor vehicle insurance you can contact the WV Insurance Commission, the insurance regulator for the state. To shop for the best car insurance rates, click here for a quick quote.