Carrying a firearm in West Virginia

What state law requires, and what federal law adds on top of it. Every fact below shows where it came from and how far we have verified it.

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Permit required to carry concealed
No — West Virginia allows permitless carry from age 18.
Where permitless carry is narrower than a permit
  • Without a permit West Virginia issues or honours, a loaded or stored firearm may not be kept in a vehicle in K-12 parking areas.
Duty to inform law enforcement
Not yet established for this state.
Permits West Virginia recognises
We have not yet ingested West Virginia's published recognition list. That is a gap in our data, not a statement that it recognises nothing.
Restricted areas mapped in this state
  • Federal school zones (1,000 ft)801
  • Corps of Engineers areas99
  • Military installations12

The federal layer applies regardless

Federal law bars possession within 1,000 ft of a school, and the exemption requires a licence issued by the state the school sits in — a permit West Virginia merely honours through reciprocity does not satisfy it. Carrying permitlessly satisfies it even less, because there is no licence at all. This is the trap that catches travellers who correctly concluded their permit was good here.

18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)

Sources and how far we have verified them