CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey recently sent a letter to all West Virginia county sheriffs advising them of a new state law that provides free concealed handgun licenses to many military veterans and changes the rate structure for other applicants.
The law exempts any honorably discharged veteran of the nation’s military from paying fees and costs associated with a West Virginia concealed handgun license. A similar exemption already exists for honorably retired peace officers from state and local law enforcement.
“We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our nation’s veterans as their selfless sacrifice protects the freedoms we hold dear, including those found in the Second Amendment,” Morrisey said. “This new law will provide gun owners an even greater incentive to obtain their concealed carry permit, which demonstrates that the owner is responsible and knows how to handle and fire a handgun.”
Morrisey
Additionally, the statute reduces the application fee for non-veteran applicants from $75 to $25. The application fee for a provisional concealed carry license now sits at $15, down from $25.
An additional fee – $25 for a standard license and $15 for a provisional license – is due at the time of issuance and remains unchanged.
The AG's office says it stays in regular contact with every state to ensure continued recognition of West Virginia’s concealed handgun licenses and explore the potential for expansion.
To date, well more than half of states nationwide recognize concealed handgun licenses issued to West Virginians who are age 21 and older, with many of those same states also recognizing West Virginia’s provisional licenses as issued to ages 18 to 20.
The AG's office says such recognition underscores the benefit of having a concealed carry license, as many states that allow West Virginians to carry concealed within their borders do so only on the basis of the person having a West Virginia concealed carry license.
Anyone wishing to obtain a concealed handgun license can do so by contacting their local sheriff’s office.
For a full list of states and more information regarding West Virginia concealed handgun licenses, visit the Attorney General’s Gun Reciprocity page at www.wvago.gov.