West Virginia Carry Laws

Prohibited Places - Where You Cannot Carry

West Virginia: Carry prohibited on school buses, on the grounds of primary/secondary schools, and at school-sponsored functions (felony, 2–10 years; concealed-permit holders 21+ may keep a handgun concealed in a vehicle in school parking areas), and on the premises of courts of law including family courts (misdemeanor), per W. Va. Code § 61-7-11a. Federal law separately restricts K-12 school zones and federal facilities.

PROHIBITED PLACES - WHERE YOU CANNOT CARRY
West Virginia

West Virginia: Carry prohibited on school buses, on the grounds of primary/secondary schools, and at school-sponsored functions (felony, 2–10 years; concealed-permit holders 21+ may keep a handgun concealed in a vehicle in school parking areas), and on the premises of courts of law including family courts (misdemeanor), per W. Va. Code § 61-7-11a. Federal law separately restricts K-12 school zones and federal facilities.
Authority: W. Va. Code § 61-7-11a (deadly weapons on educational facilities and court premises).

Constitutional Carry - No Permit Required

West Virginia allows permitless concealed carry for anyone 18+ who can legally possess a firearm (age lowered from 21 by HB 4106, effective June 12, 2026).

West Virginia enacted SB 347 in 2016 (permitless concealed carry at 21+). HB 4106 (2026), effective June 12, 2026, extended it to ages 18-20: under W. Va. Code §61-7-7(c), any person at least 18 who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident and is not prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry concealed without a license, and the former under-21 offense (§61-7-3) was repealed. Provisional licenses for ages 18-20 (§61-7-4a) remain available but are no longer required to carry concealed. Open carry also legal. Prohibited places: courthouses, schools, state capitol. W. Va. Code §61-7-7. CWP available for reciprocity.

Duty to Inform - No Statutory Requirement

West Virginia: No statute requires you to tell an officer you are carrying, to answer questions about carrying, or to display a license on demand - the license statute (W. Va. Code § 61-7-4) imposes no officer-interaction duty, and West Virginia's 2016 permitless-carry law adds none.

DUTY TO INFORM LAW ENFORCEMENT
WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia: No statute requires you to tell an officer you are carrying, to answer questions about carrying, or to display a license on demand - the license statute (W. Va. Code § 61-7-4) imposes no officer-interaction duty, and West Virginia's 2016 permitless-carry law adds none.

Authority: Absence of any duty in W. Va. Code § 61-7-4 (license statute - no display/inform duty) and §§ 61-7-3, 61-7-7 (swept, none); West Virginia has permitless carry (2016).

No Magazine Capacity Limit

West Virginia has no state-level magazine capacity restrictions. Standard and extended magazines are legal.

MAGAZINE CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS
WEST VIRGINIA LAW
No state restrictions on magazine capacity.
FEDERAL FACILITIES
Note: Some federal facilities may have their own restrictions regardless of state law.

No Red Flag Law

West Virginia: No red flag (ERPO) law is in effect as of February 2026.

RED FLAG / EXTREME RISK LAW
West Virginia

West Virginia: No red flag (ERPO) law is in effect as of February 2026.

Authority: no extreme-risk (ERPO) statute in the state code as of February 2026; Johns Hopkins National ERPO Resource Center state tracker.

No-Carry Signs - Not Criminal to Ignore

West Virginia: a property owner may prohibit firearms on premises under their domain (W. Va. Code 61-7-14(b)), but the misdemeanor (fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months) attaches only when a person REFUSES either to temporarily relinquish the weapon or to leave the premises after being asked (61-7-14(c)) — carrying past a posted sign is not by itself the offense, and lawfully possessed firearms locked out of view in a parked vehicle cannot be prohibited (61-7-14(d)).

"NO FIREARMS" SIGN LAW
WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia: a property owner may prohibit firearms on premises under their domain (W. Va. Code 61-7-14(b)), but the misdemeanor (fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months) attaches only when a person REFUSES either to temporarily relinquish the weapon or to leave the premises after being asked (61-7-14(c)) — carrying past a posted sign is not by itself the offense, and lawfully possessed firearms locked out of view in a parked vehicle cannot be prohibited (61-7-14(d)).

Authority: W. Va. Code § 61-7-14(b)-(c).

Stand Your Ground - No Duty to Retreat

West Virginia: Stand Your Ground state. No duty to retreat before using force in self-defense anywhere you have a legal right to be.

STAND YOUR GROUND - NO DUTY TO RETREAT
West Virginia

West Virginia: Stand Your Ground state. No duty to retreat before using force in self-defense anywhere you have a legal right to be.
Authority: West Virginia Code §55-7-22 (Civil relief for persons resisting certain criminal activities).

Vehicle Carry - Loaded Firearms Allowed

West Virginia: Constitutional carry state. Adults may carry loaded firearms in vehicles without permit.

VEHICLE CARRY - LOADED FIREARMS ALLOWED
West Virginia

West Virginia: Constitutional carry state. Adults may carry loaded firearms in vehicles without permit.

Authority: West Virginia Code §61-7-7 (right of nonprohibited persons over 18 years of age to carry).