West Virginia Inland Marine Insurance and the Rate Exemption

West Virginia's marine definition includes cargo connected with transit, marine builders' risks, and personal property floaters. Bridges and tunnels are included unless fire, windstorm, sprinkler leakage, hail, explosion, earthquake, riot, or civil commotion are the only hazards covered. Commercial inland marine is exempt from the article's rate-filing requirements whether it is endorsed to another policy or sold stand-alone, subject to the competition findings in the same section.

What Is Inland Marine Insurance?

If your business moves equipment between sites or ships goods, inland marine can cover those property exposures; installation and other forms address different property categories. Match the quote to what you own, rent or hold for others. Read the national Tools, equipment and inland marine guide.

What to Watch for With Inland Marine in West Virginia

Named-Peril-Only Bridge Cover Falls Out of the Marine Clause
Section 33-1-10(d)(4) covers bridges, tunnels, and other instrumentalities of transportation and communication, excluding buildings, their furniture and furnishings, fixed contents, and supplies held in storage, unless fire, windstorm, sprinkler leakage, hail, explosion, earthquake, riot, or civil commotion, or any or all of them, are the only hazards covered. Windstorm is in West Virginia's list. If the form covers only those hazards, it is not in this clause. ¹
The Commercial Inland Marine Rate Exemption Covers Stand-Alone Policies
Section 33-20-4(a)(3)(B) exempts commercial inland marine from rate-filing requirements under that article, whether endorsed to another policy or sold stand-alone, subject to the exceptions and competition findings in § 33-20-4(a)(4) and (a)(5). Ask whether a competition finding has pulled your class back into filing. The exemption is not a coverage term. ²
Fire and Marine Filings Still Except Non-Manual Inland Marine
Section 33-20-4(a)(2) requires fire and marine rate filings except as to inland marine risks which by general custom are not written according to manual rates or rating plans, and it requires filing of specific inland marine rates on risks specially rated by a rating organization. A manually rated class is not in the custom exception. ²

Which Inland Marine Providers Have West Virginia License Records?

These providers publish a national listing for Tools, equipment and inland marine; the license records below name the licensed entities and roles. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in West Virginia. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

TechInsurance
Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28
Specialty Program Group LLC
TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map. ¹³
TechInsurance arranges inland marine coverage for contractors’ tools and equipment.

Who Regulates Insurance in West Virginia?

West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner

The West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner administers West Virginia insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals. ^3,^4,⁵

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in West Virginia

Reported tax rate. 4% of premium plus 0.55% surcharge ^6,⁷

The NAIC's state chart lists a 4% of premium plus 0.55% surcharge charge for surplus-lines coverage for West Virginia (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Inland Marine in West Virginia

If the property is a bridge or tunnel, does the form insure hazards beyond the named list?
Is commercial inland marine being written stand-alone, and has any competition finding removed the rate-filing exemption?
Are buildings and stored supplies on the project outside the instrumentalities clause?

Inland Marine Insurance in West Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions

Does West Virginia’s commercial inland marine rate exemption apply only to endorsements?

No. Section 33-20-4(a)(3)(B) exempts commercial inland marine whether it is endorsed to another policy or sold stand-alone, subject to the competition findings in subsections (a)(4) and (a)(5). ²

Are bridges inland marine in West Virginia if windstorm and fire are the only perils?

No. They are in the marine clause unless fire, windstorm, sprinkler leakage, hail, explosion, earthquake, riot, or civil commotion, or any or all of them, are the only hazards covered. ¹

Sources for Inland Marine Insurance in West Virginia

1
W. Va. Code § 33-1-10. West Virginia Legislature; § 33-1-10(d) marine insurance, including bridges unless only listed hazards are covered. Accessed 2026-09-29.
2
W. Va. Code § 33-20-4. West Virginia Legislature; Commercial inland marine rate-filing exemption and non-manual exception. Accessed 2026-09-29.
3
West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner. West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
4
Insurance Department Directory. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
Licensing Center. National Insurance Producer Registry; State producer licensing and lookup resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WV row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
Guaranty Associations & Funds. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
9
Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
10
Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
11
About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
12
Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
13
Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
14
Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

West Virginia Inland Marine Insurance and the Rate Exemption

What Is Inland Marine Insurance?

What to Watch for With Inland Marine in West Virginia

Named-Peril-Only Bridge Cover Falls Out of the Marine Clause

The Commercial Inland Marine Rate Exemption Covers Stand-Alone Policies

Fire and Marine Filings Still Except Non-Manual Inland Marine