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 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 used seasonally.
Every nonresident owner or registrant of a motor vehicle, which is operated upon any road or highway of this State, 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 within this State.
No person shall knowingly drive or operate upon any road or highway in this State any motor vehicle upon which security is required by the provisions of this article unless such security is in effect.
Such security shall be provided by one of the following methods:
(a) By an insurance policy delivered or issued for 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 West Virginia Code 17D-4-2; or
(b) By any other method approved by the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles of West Virginia as affording security equivalent to that offered by a policy of insurance, including qualification as a self-insurer under the provisions of West Virginia Code 17D-6-2; or
(c) By depositing with the State Treasurer such cash or other securities in the manner set forth in West Virginia Code 17D-4-16.
The requirements of this section apply to every registered and licensed vehicle; provided, that this section shall not apply to any motor vehicle owned by the State or by a political subdivision of West Virginia, nor to any motor vehicle owned by the Federal government. (WVaC 17D-2A-3; Ord. 10967. Passed 3-19-96.)