West Virginia now has full reciprocity/mutual recognition agreements with 29 states.
CHARLESTON – Attorney General Patrick Morrisey today announced that the Office of Attorney General recently entered into reciprocity/mutual recognition agreements regarding concealed handgun licenses (CHLs) with the states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
“These new agreements are great news for legal gun owners in West Virginia who wish to practice their Second Amendment rights when they travel to and through other states,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “The State of Iowa previously agreed to recognize concealed handgun permits issued by West Virginia, but with this new mutual recognition agreement, Iowans with concealed carry permits will have the same rights in West Virginia.”
Under a full reciprocity/ mutual recognition agreement, other states recognize West Virginia concealed carry permits, and West Virginia recognizes similar permits issued in those states. Iowa and New Hampshire are the 28th and 29th states, respectively, to enter into agreements with the State of West Virginia.
“These agreements are the culmination of many weeks of discussion and negotiation with other states, and we look forward to securing even more agreements with other states in the months to come,” Morrisey said.
Since this summer, the Office of the West Virginia Attorney General has added five states – Idaho, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa and New Hampshire – to the list of states with which it has full reciprocity or mutual recognition agreements. In addition, the state of Alabama also agreed to recognize valid West Virginia concealed carry permits; however, West Virginia does not yet recognize similar permits issued in Alabama.
Under the new agreements and pursuant to W. Va. Code § 61-7-6a, a valid Iowa or New Hampshire permit or license to possess or carry a handgun is valid in West Virginia for the carrying of a concealed handgun so long as the following conditions are met:
1. The permit or license holder is twenty-one years of age or older;
2. The permit or license is in his or her immediate possession; and
3. The permit or license holder is not a resident of the State of West Virginia.
West Virginia residents with a valid concealed handgun license may legally carry a concealed handgun in states with full reciprocity agreements as well as states that formally recognize West Virginia permits. West Virginia has full handgun reciprocity agreements with twenty-nine (29) states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Furthermore, West Virginians with a valid CHL also may legally carry in the following seven (7) states, subject to the limitations of each particular state’s laws: Alabama, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Vermont, and Wisconsin. It is worth noting Vermont law does not restrict who may carry a firearm, and Wisconsin only recognizes West Virginia concealed handgun licenses issued after June 8, 2012. Any concealed handgun license issued by these seven (7) states may not be honored by the State of West Virginia until further agreements are reached.
For information regarding West Virginia concealed handgun licenses, please visit the Attorney General’s website at www.wvago.gov/gunrecep.cfm.
