West Virginia

No. West Virginia does not have magazine capacity restrictions.

No. West Virginia does not have ammunition restrictions.

West Virginia is a shall-issue state.

No. A concealed carry license in West Virginia does not allow you to carry weapons other than handguns.

Yes. There is no statute prohibiting the purchase or use of pepper spray in West Virginia.

Yes, without a license for persons at least 21 years old (18 years old for members of the United States Armed Forces, Reserve or National Guard) and legally entitled to have a firearm under state and federal law.

[W. Va. Code Ann. § 20-2-5(9)][W. Va. Code Ann. § 61-7-7]

On March 9, 2022, Gov. Jim Justice signed HB 4048 into law, which permits individuals to lawfully possess loaded or uncased long guns in their vehicles. It will go into effect on May 24, 2022.

Yes, without a license.

[WV DNR State Parks Rules]

West Virginia statutes don't specifically address firearms at hotels. Please note that each hotel develops their own policies and the individual hotel should be contacted to inquire about it's concealed carry policy. See the Handguns at Hotels page for additional information.

Yes, as of July 6, 2021.

No. Your West Virginia driver’s license is not linked to your West Virginia concealed handgun license (CHL). Therefore, a law enforcement officer (LEO) will not be notified that you are a concealed carry license holder immediately when they run your driver’s license. However, WV State Police have a CHL database and they can access your information there.

No. West Virginia does not enforce "No Weapons Allowed" signs.

No. West Virginia does not have a red flag law.

Not addressed in state statutes.

As a responsibly armed American, regardless of the laws in your state, it is unwise to carry while under the influence of any substance that could impair your judgement, slow your reaction times or impact your decision-making abilities. Any decision you make while carrying a firearm could have life-altering consequences.

No. Private firearms transfers are not subject to a background check requirement, although federal and state purchaser prohibitions, including age restrictions, still apply. It is recommended that you retain any sales receipts to prove ownership of the gun.

Yes. Permitless carry is allowed for anyone legally entitled to carry a firearm in West Virginia.

Yes.

No. Handguns do not need to be registered in West Virginia.

An applicant must:

• Be 21 years of age or older (individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 may apply for a provisional license to carry);
• Have completed a training course in the handling and firing of a handgun that meets the requirements of state law;
• Be a bona fide United States citizen or legal resident;
• Not be addicted to alcohol or a controlled substance or drug, and is not “an unlawful user thereof,” as evidenced by either of the following within the 3 years immediately prior to the application: residential or court-ordered treatment for alcoholism or alcohol detoxification or drug treatment; or two or more convictions for driving while under the influence or driving while impaired;
• Not have been convicted of a felony, (unless the conviction has been expunged or set aside or the applicant’s civil rights have been restored or the applicant has been pardoned for the offense);
• Not have been convicted of a “misdemeanor crime of domestic violence,” as defined under federal law;
• Not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of violence within the 5 years immediately preceding the application;
• Not have been convicted of a misdemeanor offense of assault or battery under any state law against a current or former spouse, intimate partner, person with whom the defendant  cohabited, a parent or guardian, child or member of the household;
• Not be under indictment for a felony offense or is not currently serving a sentence of confinement, parole, probation or other court-ordered supervision imposed by a court of any jurisdiction, or is the subject of an emergency or temporary domestic violence protective order, or is the subject of a final domestic violence protective order entered by a court of any jurisdiction;
• Not have been adjudicated mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed to a mental institution, unless the person presents a court order reflecting that the person is no longer under the disability and the applicant’s right to possess or receive a firearm have been restored;
• Not be otherwise prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm by state law; and
• Meet federal law requirements.

*Consult with an attorney if you have any questions about your eligibility. If you don’t have an attorney, you can find one by contacting the State Bar of West Virginia.

Moving to West Virginia and interested in applying for a resident license? How soon can you apply?West Virginia issues licenses to residents and members of the military permanently posted in WV only. You can apply for your license to the sheriff of your county once you have established your residence in that county.

Moving from West Virginia and have a West Virginia resident license? Does that license transfer to your new state? Is there a grace period during which your West Virginia license remains valid?If a person with a West Virginia concealed handgun license establishes residency in another state, the license expires upon the establishment of residence in the other state.

5 years

Link to application

Link to Provisional CHL application

You must complete the Change Notification Form within 20 days, have it notarized and submit it to your local Sheriff's office. Pay the $5 fee.

West Virginia issues provisional concealed handgun licenses to applicants that are 18-20 years old. Provisional CFPs expire on the holder’s 21st birthday and in order to change over to a standard license after age 21, a complete application, including fingerprints, photo, and fees must be submitted for a standard license.

• Any public primary or secondary education building, structure, facility or grounds including a vocational education building, structure, facility or grounds where secondary vocational education programs are conducted or at a school-sponsored function, or in or on a private primary or secondary education building, structure or facility (except possession of an unloaded firearm in a motor vehicle and leaving an unloaded firearm in a locked motor vehicle);
• Any school bus; and
• County courthouses or any facility housing a court of this state.

[W. Va. Code § 61-7-11a]

On March 1, 2023, Gov. James Justice signed SB 10, which permits concealed carry on college campuses, into law. It will go into effect on July 1, 2024.

• The State Capitol Complex (except permittees may keep a firearm in his or her motor vehicle upon the State Capitol Complex if the vehicle is locked and the weapon is out of normal view) [W. Va. Code § 61-6-19(b)];
• Regional jails, detention facilities or State Division of Corrections facilities [W. Va. Code § 61-5-8(c)(1)];
• Any building or area limited by municipal code. Certain municipalities may have further handgun restrictions in municipal code. Before carrying a weapon in a West Virginia municipality, it is recommended that you inquire as to such laws with the appropriate city attorney’s office [W. Va. Code §8-12-5a(c)(1)];
• Any property where firearms are prohibited by the owner, lessee or other person charged with the care, custody and control of the real property [W. Va. Code § 61-7-14(b)];
• Wherever signs are posted indicating weapon restrictions; and
• Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law or state law or regulation.

It is legal to own and openly carry any type of knife in West Virginia. It is legal to concealed carry a dirk dagger, poniard or stiletto with a blade more than 3.5 inches long, a switchblade, gravity knife, butterfly knife or any instrument capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing or tearing wounds, as long as you are not prohibited from carrying a firearm, are a U.S. citizen and are older than 21 years of age. Any knife, including a pocketknife with a blade 3 ½ inches or less, is prohibited on school property and in court facilities. Municipalities may have additional restrictions, including Charleston where the possession of switchblades is illegal and dirks and Bowie knives are not permitted in City Hall or other city-owned properties.

[W. Va. Code § 61-7-3, 61-7-7(c) and 61-7-11a]

Yes. Individuals who possess a valid concealed carry license may carry a concealed handgun while afield hunting, hiking, camping, fishing or in or on a motor vehicle for purposes of self-defense only.

[WV Dept of Nat Resources General Regulations]

Yes. A person may not willfully obstruct or impede the participation of any individual in the lawful activity of hunting, fishing or trapping. 

[W. Va. Code Ann. § 20-2-2a]