West Virginia lets you carry a concealed deadly weapon without any state license once you turn 18, as long as you are a United States citizen or legal...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
West Virginia lets you carry a concealed deadly weapon without any state license once you turn 18, as long as you are a United States citizen or legal resident and you are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under W. Va. Code § 61-7-7 or under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) or (n). That age floor moved from 21 to 18 on June 12, 2026, the effective date of HB 4106. The Attorney General's On the Mark guide states the rule in the same terms: "any person who is (1) at least 18 years of age, (2) a United States citizen or legal resident, and (3) not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm may carry a concealed handgun in West Virginia without a license."
Two things changed together.
There is no longer a West Virginia offense for a qualifying adult who carries concealed without a license, at any age from 18 up. The remaining criminal exposure comes from being a prohibited person, from where you carry, from how you carry, and from being under 18.
The Attorney General's guide also states that "West Virginia allows permitless open carrying of firearms." See OPEN_CARRY.
West Virginia Constitution, Article III, Section 22 provides that "A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state, and for lawful hunting and recreational use." That provision was ratified in 1986. Permitless carry itself is statutory, not constitutional, so the operative text is § 61-7-7(c).
West Virginia adopted permitless concealed carry for adults 21 and over before extending it to 18. The July 2024 edition of the On the Mark guide records the older rule, which ran to persons "21 years of age or older."
Age 18 or older. Under W. Va. Code § 61-7-8, a person under 18 who is not married or otherwise emancipated may not possess or carry a deadly weapon, concealed or openly, with narrow provisos for the minor's own family premises, another's premises with parental and owner permission, lawful hunting, and travel to and from a hunting site. A violation puts the minor before the circuit court under the juvenile provisions at W. Va. Code § 49-4-701 through § 49-4-725, handled as if it were an adult violation of § 61-7-7(a).
United States citizen or legal resident. Section 61-7-7(c)(2) states the requirement without further definition.
Not prohibited under § 61-7-7. Subsection (a) bars firearm possession by a person who has been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, is habitually addicted to alcohol, is an unlawful user of or habitually addicted to any controlled substance, has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed to a mental institution, is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, has been discharged from the armed forces under dishonorable conditions, is subject to a qualifying domestic violence protective order meeting the notice, restraint, and credible-threat elements in subdivision (7), or has been convicted of a qualifying misdemeanor assault or battery under § 61-2-28 or § 61-2-9(b) or (c) against a domestic victim. Subsection (b) reaches a narrower and more serious group: a felony crime of violence against the person of another, a felony sexual offense, or a felony controlled substance offense involving a Schedule I controlled substance other than marijuana, or a Schedule II or Schedule III controlled substance.
Two recovery paths exist. Under subsection (f), a person prohibited by subsection (a) may petition the circuit court where he or she resides, and the court may restore the ability to possess a firearm on clear and convincing evidence of competence and capability, provided possession would not violate federal law. A proviso routes one group elsewhere: a person prohibited under subdivision (a)(4), for mental incompetence or involuntary commitment, petitions under § 61-7A-5 instead. The subsection (f) path is expressly unavailable to persons covered by subsection (b). Under subsection (g), an expungement, a set-aside, or an unconditional pardon of the disqualifying conviction lifts the state bar.
Not prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) or (n). The federal categories run independently of the state list. Section 922(n) makes it unlawful for a person under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year to ship, transport, or receive a firearm in interstate commerce. A state-court restoration order under § 61-7-7(f) does not by itself clear a federal disability, and the statute says as much by conditioning relief on possession that "would not violate any federal law."
Turning 18 gets you the carry right. It does not get you the purchase. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1), a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector may not sell or deliver a handgun, or any other firearm "other than a shotgun or rifle," or ammunition for it, to anyone the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under 21. Long guns and long gun ammunition drop to 18 under the same paragraph.
These limits apply to licensed and unlicensed carriers alike.
Schools and courts, under W. Va. Code § 61-7-11a. Possessing a firearm or other deadly weapon on a school bus, in or on the grounds of any primary or secondary educational facility, or at a covered school-sponsored function is a felony punishable by a definite term of not less than two nor more than 10 years, or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both. The subsection carries a list of exceptions. One is age-gated in a way that matters here: the parking-lot exception at § 61-7-11a(b)(2)(L) is available only to a person "21 years old or older, who has a valid concealed handgun permit," and only with the storage conditions the subparagraph spells out. An 18-year-old carrying on permitless status is outside it. A separate exception at § 61-7-11a(b)(2)(G) covers a person who, as otherwise permitted by the provisions of article 7, possesses an unloaded firearm or deadly weapon in a motor vehicle or leaves one in a locked motor vehicle, and that subparagraph carries no age or license condition of its own. Possessing a firearm or other deadly weapon on the premises of a court of law, including family courts, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, or confinement in jail for not more than one year, or both, and doing so with intent to commit a crime is a felony carrying two to 10 years, or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
Higher education campuses, under W. Va. Code § 18B-4-5b. A person holding "a current and valid license to carry a concealed deadly weapon" may carry a concealed pistol or revolver on the campus and in the buildings of a state institution of higher education. Subsection (i) defines that term to include a license issued under § 61-7-4 or § 61-7-4a, or a license or permit recognized under § 61-7-6a. That authorization is itself bounded. Subsection (a) reaches only areas of the campus and buildings under the custodial possession of the institution, and does not include areas rented, leased, or under an exclusive agreement for the full-time occupancy and use of a private entity. A permitless carrier is not covered. The section applies on or after July 1, 2024, and preserves institutional authority to regulate listed sensitive locations.
Private property, under W. Va. Code § 61-7-14. Any owner, lessee, or other person charged with the care, custody, and control of real property may prohibit the carrying openly or concealing of any firearm or deadly weapon on property under his or her domain. Refusing to temporarily relinquish the weapon on request, or refusing to leave while still in possession, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, or confinement in jail for not more than six months, or both. Subsection (d) protects a customer, employee, or invitee who keeps a lawfully possessed firearm out of view and locked inside or locked to a motor vehicle in a parking lot.
Municipal property, under W. Va. Code § 8-12-5a. Municipalities are broadly preempted, but subsection (c) gives ground back. A municipality may prohibit or regulate carrying in municipally owned or operated buildings, may restrict open or unlawfully concealed carry in a municipally owned recreation facility, and, on other municipally owned or operated property, "may prohibit persons who do not have a valid concealed handgun license from carrying or possessing a firearm." That last clause is aimed squarely at permitless carriers. Subsection (d) makes it an absolute defense to an action for an alleged violation of an ordinance authorized by this section that the person, on request, left the premises with the firearm or, on being informed that the possession was contrary to the ordinance, temporarily relinquished it, and that but for the ordinance he or she was lawfully in possession. Subsection (e) adds a posting duty, but it runs to "each entrance to all applicable municipally owned or operated buildings or municipally owned recreation facilities," not to the other municipally owned or operated property that subdivision (c)(4) reaches.
Brandishing, under W. Va. Code § 61-7-11. It is unlawful for any person armed with a firearm or other deadly weapon, "whether licensed to carry the same or not," to carry, brandish, or use the weapon in a way or manner to cause or threaten a breach of the peace. The offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000, or confinement in the county jail for not less than 90 days nor more than one year, or both.
Prohibited persons who carry concealed. Section 61-7-7 grades this separately from simple possession. A person barred by subsection (a) who possesses a firearm commits a misdemeanor with a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, or 90 days to one year in county jail, or both. As a separate and additional offense under subsection (d), that person carrying a concealed firearm commits a felony punishable by not more than three years or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both. A person barred by subsection (b) who possesses a firearm commits a felony punishable by not more than five years or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both, and under subsection (e) the additional concealed-carry offense is a felony punishable by not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
Alcohol and drugs. These reach a carrier through the prohibited-person categories at § 61-7-7(a)(2) and (a)(3): habitual addiction to alcohol, and unlawful use of or habitual addiction to any controlled substance. The deadly weapons article at chapter 61, article 7 does not spell out a separate offense for carrying while under the influence. See UNDER_INFLUENCE, and take any impairment question to the Attorney General's office.
The optional CHL under W. Va. Code § 61-7-4 is open to applicants 21 and older, and the provisional CHL under W. Va. Code § 61-7-4a is for residents at least 18 and under 21. Both remain in force after HB 4106.
An FAQ answer in the On the Mark guide tells readers that "Additional exemptions from the state's licensing requirements are set forth in W. Va. Code § 61-7-6." The same booklet reproduces the section, and that reproduction matches the legislature's current text: "Exemptions from licensing fees," which relieves listed judicial officers and prosecutors of application and licensure fees while still requiring them to apply and to satisfy all licensure and handgun safety and training requirements. Read § 61-7-6 directly rather than the FAQ line.
See PERMIT_BASICS and APPLICATION_PROCESS for the license process and RECIPROCITY for recognition.
This page covers one part of our West Virginia concealed carry guide.
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