West Virginia

Every law and rule change USCLI tracks for West Virginia, across the professions, on one page. Each entry links to its full write-up and official sources.

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Licensing Law Tracker

West Virginia licenses private investigators and investigative firms through the Secretary of State under W. Va. Code chapter 30, article 18, which has not been amended since 2021. Since 2023 the State has labeled stalking separately from harassment, added a drone offense for critical infrastructure, and let public officials have their home addresses removed from government websites, and a federal court held the private-disclosure ban in the State’s Daniel’s Law unconstitutional.

Full West Virginia page: every change, its sources, and what has not changed (6 entries).

  • Permitless concealed carry extended to ages 18 to 20

    HB 4106 (2026)

    Allows a person at least 18 who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident and is not prohibited from possessing firearms to carry a concealed deadly weapon without a license (W. Va. Code 61-7-7(c)); permitless carry for those 21 and older already existed.

  • Public officials may have home addresses removed from government websites

    HB 5528 (2026), new W. Va. Code 5A-8-24a

    Lets current or former judicial officers, prosecutors, public defenders, law enforcement officers, elected officials, campaign treasurers, and their household family members ask a state or local agency to remove or redact their home address and personal…

  • Federal court holds Daniel’s Law private-disclosure ban unconstitutional

    Jackson v. Whitepages, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-80 (N.D. W. Va.)

    Held facially unconstitutional under the First Amendment W. Va. Code 5A-8-24(e), which bars any person or business from disclosing, without permission, the home address or unpublished phone number of current or former judicial officers, prosecutors, public…

  • Health care workers’ personal information protected

    SB 477 (2024), new W. Va. Code 61-3C-14d and 5A-8-25

    Makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly post a health care worker’s or family member’s home address, phone numbers, or photos of the home online with intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite violence, or with the intent and knowledge that it will be used that…

  • Drone offense for critical infrastructure

    HB 3479 (2023)

    Creates an offense of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle over critical infrastructure to conduct surveillance or gather information with intent to harm, or to obtain trade secrets (W. Va. Code 61-16-2(b)). The same act added exceptions that apply to the…

Officer Certification Tracker

The Officer Certification Tracker has not published a West Virginia page yet. See the states it covers.

Forensic Science Tracker

The Forensic Science Tracker has not published a West Virginia page yet. See the states it covers.

Last updated October 18, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & Investigation