West Virginia boat insurance

West Virginia is home to a host of beautiful lakes, which any outdoor enthusiast and boater will relish. Progressive offers customized and affordable protection for you and your boat, on and off the water. Learn about boat insurance in West Virginia, including coverages, discounts, and cost information.

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Is boat insurance required in West Virginia?

Boat insurance isn't required by West Virginia law, but some marinas may mandate boat liability coverage. In addition, if you lease or finance your watercraft, your lender may require comprehensive and collision coverages for your boat, which may pay to repair or replace your damaged or stolen watercraft.

Coverage	What it covers
Bodily injury and property damage liability	What it coversInjuries you're liable for and damage you cause to another boat or property while boating
Comprehensive	What it coversTheft, vandalism, fire, glass breakage, collisions with animals, and weather-related issues
Collision	What it coversCollisions with another watercraft, docks, or objects

If you own your boat outright and aren't required to carry liability coverage, protecting your watercraft investment — as well as your assets if you cause an accident on the water — can still be important for boaters in West Virginia.

How much is boat insurance in West Virginia?

In 2023, the average annual cost for a Progressive boat insurance policy in West Virginia was $339.84.^* However, Progressive offers boat insurance in West Virginia for as little as $100/year for a liability-only policy.^** Your cost for boat insurance depends on several factors, such as:

Type of watercraft: From pontoon boats to PWCs, your boat's unique features may influence your rate
Boating experience: Experienced boaters may pay less for boat insurance than boaters new to operating a watercraft
Claims history: If you've filed an insurance claim in the past, regardless of fault, you may pay more for a boat policy
Horsepower: A powerboat with a large engine may cost more to insure than a sailboat with a smaller engine

Boaters in West Virginia can save on boat insurance by bundling insurance policies with Progressive. Get a multi-policy discount when you combine boat insurance with auto, homeowners, renters, or motorcycle.

How to lower the cost of boat insurance in West Virginia

If you live in Charleston, Wheeling, Morgantown, or anywhere else in the Mountain State, there are multiple ways to get cheap boat insurance in West Virginia. Progressive lets you start saving immediately with a variety of discounts that can be automatically added to your policy, such as:

Multi-policy
Original owner
Paid in full
Responsible driver
Safety course

Find out more about boat insurance discounts.

What's the best boat insurance in West Virginia?

No matter where you live in the state of West Virginia, the best boat insurance policy offers the coverages you need at an affordable price. Progressive offers dependable and cost-effective protection that's personalized to you and your boat. Plus, unlike some boat insurers, we don't require a marine survey in order to secure a policy.

PRO TIP

Auto insurance may pay for injuries or damages you cause while towing your boat trailer, but it won't pay for damage to your trailer. However, a boat insurance policy can pay to repair or replace your damaged boat trailer up to your policy's limits.

Additional boat coverages in West Virginia

Sign & Glide®: If your boat is stuck on the water, Sign & Glide® towing assistance^†† can help with on-water towing, jump starts, fuel delivery,^† and more.
Propulsion Plus® mechanical breakdown coverage: In the event of a mechanical breakdown, Progressive can pay to repair or replace the lower unit of an outboard motor or the upper and lower units of an inboard/outboard motor (coverage doesn't apply to jet drives or inboard motors).
Wreckage removal: If your boat sinks, we can pay to remove your boat from the water.
Fuel spill: Progressive covers the cost of legally required cleaning that comes with spilled fuel.
Watersport coverage: If your guests are injured from water-tubing, water-skiing, and other related sports, we may cover their medical expenses up to a certain limit.
Fishing equipment or carry-on items: If your fishing equipment or other gear is lost or stolen, you can receive the full replacement cost up to $10,000 for fishing gear, scuba gear, phones, and other items. There’s a $1,000 limit per item.

See all Progressive boat insurance coverages.

West Virginia boating information

No person born on or after December 31, 1986, may operate a motorboat or other personal watercraft without obtaining a certificate of boating safety education in West Virginia.
In West Virginia, no one can operate a boat with children under age 13 aboard unless such children are wearing life jackets approved by the Coast Guard or they are below deck or in an enclosed cabin.
West Virginia law requires navigational lights to be displayed from sunset to sunrise and during times of low visibility.