State
Life insurance in West Virginia
West Virginia life insurance rules: $300,000 guaranty protection, a 10-day free look (30 on replacements), a 31-day grace period, interest from date of death.
Guaranty association protection
| Guaranty association | West Virginia Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefits | $300,000 |
| Cash surrender value | $100,000 |
| Annuity benefits | $250,000 |
| Health benefits | $500,000 health benefit plans; $300,000 disability income; $300,000 long-term care; $100,000 other health (W. Va. Code 33-26A-3) |
| Overall limit | $300,000 per life ($500,000 for health benefit plans) |
| Notes | Structured settlements and governmental 401, 403(b) or 457 plan participants $250,000; the association's FAQ still lists an older $100,000 health limit, so the statute's figures are used here |
| Website | wvlifega.org |
Policy rules
| Free-look period | 10 days from receipt (W. Va. Code 33-6-11b); 30 days for replacement policies (W. Va. Code R. 114-8-6, per the NAIC disclosure chart) |
|---|---|
| Grace period | 31 days for every premium after the first (W. Va. Code 33-13-3) |
| Interest on delayed claims | Death proceeds not paid when due carry interest from the date of death at the insurer's rate on proceeds left on deposit, for insureds who lived in West Virginia (W. Va. Code 33-13-14a) |
| Community property state | No |
Taxes
| State estate tax | No state estate tax |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax | No |
Lost policies and unclaimed money
| Unclaimed property office | West Virginia State Treasurer's Office Unclaimed Property |
|---|---|
| Search unclaimed property | wvunclaimedproperty.gov |
Regulator
| Insurance regulator | West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner |
|---|---|
| Consumer hotline | 888-879-9842 |
| Website | wvinsurance.gov |
| File a complaint | sbs.naic.org/solar-web/pages/public/onli… |
| Address | P.O. Box 50540, Charleston, WV 25305-0540 (office: 900 Pennsylvania Avenue, Charleston, WV 25302) |
West Virginia's life insurance rules are straightforward: standard guaranty limits, a 10-day free look that stretches to 30 days for replacement policies, a 31-day grace period and interest on death benefits from the date of death. There is no state estate or inheritance tax.
How your policy is protected if an insurer fails
The West Virginia Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association was created by the legislature in 1977. Insurers licensed to sell life insurance, health insurance or annuities in West Virginia must belong to it. If a member company is found insolvent and ordered liquidated, the association continues coverage, transfers policies to a sound insurer, or pays claims, funded by assessments on the other members.
The limits below come from W. Va. Code 33-26A-3, as checked on October 4, 2026. The association's own FAQ lists the same life and annuity limits but an older $100,000 figure for health insurance claims; the statute now sets higher health limits, and the statute controls.
| Coverage | Limit |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefit | $300,000 per insured life |
| Life insurance cash surrender and withdrawal value | $100,000 per insured life |
| Annuity (present value) | $250,000 |
| Structured settlement annuity | $250,000 per payee |
| Health benefit plans | $500,000 |
| Disability income | $300,000 |
| Long-term care | $300,000 |
| Other health insurance | $100,000 |
| Governmental 401, 403(b) or 457 plan participants (unallocated annuity) | $250,000 |
| Overall cap | $300,000 per life, or $500,000 for health benefit plans |
The limits apply per life regardless of how many policies you held with the failed company; three $100,000 annuities with one insolvent insurer are protected only up to $250,000, and the rest becomes a claim against the company's estate. Policies from unlicensed insurers, the non-guaranteed parts of variable products, self-insured employer plans and fraternal benefit certificates are generally not covered.
Guaranty coverage is a backstop, not a reason to choose a weak insurer. The association is a private entity made up of member insurers, not a state agency, and West Virginia law prohibits agents and insurers from using it in advertising. Keep paying premiums if your insurer is in receivership. More in state life and health guaranty associations and what happens if your life insurance company fails.
Who regulates life insurance in West Virginia
The West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) license insurers and agents, review policy forms, monitor insurer finances and run Consumer Services and Consumer Advocate units that help with questions and complaints, including a dedicated life and health consumer services line.
Free look, grace periods and policy rules
- Free look: W. Va. Code 33-6-11b requires every life policy issued in the state to say on its first page that you can return it within 10 days of receipt for a premium refund, for any reason. According to the NAIC's state disclosure chart, the state's replacement regulation extends that to 30 days for a policy that replaces existing life insurance. See the free-look period: returning a policy for a refund.
- Grace period: 31 days for any premium after the first, with the policy in full force (33-13-3). An overdue premium can be deducted from a claim that arises during the grace period.
- Interest on death claims: under 33-13-14a, proceeds are due on the date of death, and if they are not paid according to the policy terms, the insurer must pay interest from the date of death at its current rate on proceeds left on deposit. The rule applies when the insured lived in West Virginia at death. See interest on late life insurance claims.
Taxes, estates and community property
West Virginia has no estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, with a $15,000,000 per-person exclusion in 2026, according to the IRS. West Virginia is not a community property state. See state estate and inheritance taxes and life insurance.
Finding a lost policy or unclaimed benefits
Use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator and the steps in how to find a lost life insurance policy. Benefits that go unclaimed are eventually turned over to the West Virginia State Treasurer's Office, whose unclaimed property search is free at wvunclaimedproperty.gov. If the insured lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia or Kentucky, search those states too. More in unclaimed life insurance money and state unclaimed property.
Where to get help
- West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner: Consumer Services 304-558-3386, toll-free 888-879-9842; life and health consumer services 304-720-8584; Consumer Advocate 304-558-3864; P.O. Box 50540, Charleston, WV 25305-0540; office at 900 Pennsylvania Avenue, Charleston; wvinsurance.gov.
- Complaints: ask the insurer for a written explanation first. If that fails, use the OIC's online consumer complaint form (it runs on the NAIC's complaint system) or the paper life and health complaint form on the OIC website. See how to file a complaint against a life insurer.
- Guaranty association: West Virginia Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association, P.O. Box 816, Huntington, WV 25712, 304-382-1367, wvlifega.org.
Sources
- wvlifega.org/FAQ
- wvlifega.org/About
- wvlifega.org/Contact
- code.wvlegislature.gov/33-26A-3/
- nolhga.com/policyholders/how-youre-protected/
- wvinsurance.gov/
- wvinsurance.gov/Portals/0/pdf/ContactList_.pdf
- code.wvlegislature.gov/33-6-11B/
- code.wvlegislature.gov/33-13-3/
- code.wvlegislature.gov/33-13-14A/
- content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-chart-li-30-life-insurance-disclosure-pro…
- wvunclaimedproperty.gov/
- irs.gov/publications/p555
Rules and limits were checked against these sources on the review date below. Laws change - confirm with the state insurance department or guaranty association.
Profile last reviewed October 4, 2026