(a) Every owner or registrant of a motor vehicle required to be registered and licensed in this State shall maintain security as hereinafter provided in effect continuously throughout the registration or licensing period except in the case of a periodic use or seasonal vehicle, in which case the owner or registrant is required to maintain security upon the vehicle only for the portion of the year the vehicle is in actual use. As used in this section, a periodic use or seasonal vehicle means a recreational vehicle, antique motor vehicle, motorcycle or other motor vehicle which is stored part of the year and is used seasonally.
(b) Every nonresident owner or registrant of a motor vehicle, which is operated upon any road or highway of this City, and which has been physically present within this State for more than thirty days during the preceding three hundred sixty-five days, shall thereafter maintain security as hereinafter provided in effect continuously throughout the period such motor vehicle remains in this State.
(c) No person shall knowingly drive or operate upon any road or highway in this City any motor vehicle upon which security is required by the provisions of this section unless such security is in effect.
(d) Such security shall be provided by one of the following methods:
(1) By an insurance policy delivered or issued for the delivery in this State by an insurance company authorized to issue vehicle liability and property insurance policies in this State within limits which shall be no less than the requirements of 17D-4-2 and 17D-3-5 of the Code of West Virginia, or
(2) By any other method approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Highways of this State as affording security equivalent to that offered by the policy of insurance, including qualification as a self insurer under the provisions of 17D-6-2 of the Code of West Virginia.
(e) The requirements of this section shall not apply to any motor vehicle owned by the State or by a political subdivision of this State, nor to any motor vehicle owned by the federal government.
(f) Every person convicted of a violation of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned in the county jail not less than fifteen days nor more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned. (1-15-91.)