West Virginia Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in West Virginia

West Virginia has no separate wipers-on statute, but you still need lights in the rain: § 17C-15-2 names fog, smoke, and rain directly and adds a 500-foot low-visibility catch-all. Night rule is sunset to sunrise. A violation is a misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty — up to $100 first, $200 second within a year, $500 third (§ 17C-18-1). DRLs don't count; switch to full headlamps so your tail lamps light.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• Night: sunset to sunrise. The statute also directly names fog, smoke, and rain as triggers, plus a low-visibility catch-all when persons or vehicles aren't clearly discernible at 500 feet ahead.
• No standalone work-zone headlight statute; posted signs and the I-77 tunnels (East River Mountain, Big Walker) require lights. DRLs aren't required and don't satisfy § 17C-15-2 — front lamps only, tail lamps dark. Use full headlamps. Dual lens: there's no wiper-specific law, but because § 17C-15-2 lists rain and fog by name, headlights are legally required whenever it's raining or foggy — exactly when your wipers are running — so the practical duty is the same as an explicit wiper state.

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