How To Register A Gun In A Person Name In Wv

Concluding Updated: June 2, 2018

Disclaimer: While the information provided here is legal in nature, it is not to exist construed as legal advice, and is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

With the number of gun laws constantly that are being proposed and changed at the federal and state levels, it can get confusing trying to go along track of the ones that affect you and your gun rights.

Luckily, as a freedom-loving state, West Virginia does non have too many laws keeping law-abiding citizens from getting firearms and defending their freedoms.

This guide volition go over everything you need to know how to buy a gun and be a responsible gun owner!

Flag of West Virginia — Flag of Due west Virginia

Buying a handgun

Just grab 1 off the shelf! Well, almost. Unlike the poor saps in California and New York, the process for purchasing a handgun in the Mountain Country is relatively straightforward, and basically but follows the federal requirements, with no purchase permit required.

In order to buy a handgun, y'all must:

Exist 21 or older;
Provide State ID; and
Have a background check performed by a licensed firearms dealer.

Even better, the background cheque is only required when you are buying from a licensed firearms dealer similar the one at your local gun shop. If y'all are buying a handgun from a private seller, no background check is needed.

However, there are situations where you lot are prohibited from owning a firearm, even if yous meet all the other requirements above. You cannot own a firearm if y'all:

Accept been bedevilled of a law-breaking punishable by imprisonment for over a yr;
Are a fugitive from justice;
Illegally abuse controlled substances;
Have been adjudicated as mentally lacking or incompetent, or accept been committed to a mental institution;
Are an illegal alien;
Are a former US citizen who has renounced his citizenship;
Were dishonorably discharged from the United states Armed Forces;
Are subject area to a restraining order; or
Were convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

If none of those situations use to you, you're good to go! All you demand to practice now is to determine which handgun to purchase!

Don't forget about long guns!

Rifles need love too! Fortunately, the requirements to buy a long gun are almost the aforementioned as those for handguns, with no purchase allow required either. In fact, it's actually slightly easier to purchase a long gun than a handgun.

In social club to buy a long gun you must:

Be 18 or older;
Provide ID; and
Have a background check performed past a licensed firearms dealer.

Say hello to her little friend — Say hello to her petty friend

Only similar with handguns, y'all tin can avoid the groundwork check if you make the buy through a private seller, instead of your local gun store. The downside, of course, is that you won't get that new gun smell. Priorities.

Don't forget that the conditions that would prohibit you lot from owning and buying a handgun also apply to long guns. That'south it! Easy peasy.

Carry on

One time you go through the very simple buy process, yous'll want to show off your shiny new toys in way. Thankfully, West Virginia is a permitless comport state. This means that anyone who is non prohibited from owning a firearm may carry a firearm openly or curtained.

That's right! As long equally you are legally allowed to ain a gun, y'all can deport it however you want! It might be a little tricky trying to conceal a shotty, but you're certainly welcome to endeavour!

There is one thing to note, withal. While you don't need a allow to comport concealed, the state does effect CCW permits, for those of you would want to behave concealed even when travelling outside of the land, or in the car (more below!). There are a good number of states that recognize a West Virginia CCW permit and allow you to carry concealed while visiting. If you're interested in applying, head on over to our West Virginia CCW Laws section to find out what you need to exercise to become that permit, and the additional laws that go along with information technology.

Keep on truckin'
Even though you don't need a permit to carry openly or concealed, at that place are separate rules when riding in the motorcar with your guns.

In order to carry a concealed handgun while in the car, you'll actually demand to have a concealed carry permit, and tin can only acquit the firearm for self-defense force purposes. If yous don't have a concealed acquit permit, you can nevertheless have handguns in the automobile, but they'll demand to remain in obviously view. Putting your pistol on the dash would be legal, only y'all'll want to make sure it doesn't go flying when you have to brake suddenly.

If you have any firearms that used for hunting, they must be unloaded and in a case while existence transported. In fact, the West Virginia Country Police really recommends keeping firearms unloaded and in a case when you are transporting them in your vehicle, fifty-fifty if you aren't going hunting. If you lot are e'er pulled over by the police for whatever reason and they see an unconcealed firearm, they volition probably describe their weapon, order y'all from the vehicle, or perform a pat-down search, none of which sound very fun. Unless you're into that kind of thing.

Pistol in Glove Compartment — Meliorate keep that glove compartment the whole time!

If you decide to go along your firearms by your side while in the automobile, just make sure you follow the instructions of the officers that y'all come up across and you should be fine. And possibly no sudden moves.

When to use your guns

All the time! But really, just at the range and when you lot're out hunting. And sometimes at home. Due west Virginia, like the many other liberty-loving states in the United states, has laws on the books that allow for the apply of deadly force in self-defense force situations.

Defending the castle

Under the law commonly known as the "Castle Doctrine", West Virginia allows you to use mortiferous forcefulness to defend yourself and others when you are in your home.

Specifically, every bit long as you accept a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or nifty bodily damage to yourself or someone else, y'all are justified in using deadly strength to finish the threat.

You are considered to have a reasonable fearfulness if you knew or reasonably believe an unlawful and forcible entry or act was occurring/had occurred, and:

The person you are using the deadly force confronting was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had already unlawfully and forcibly entered your domicile or occupied vehicle; or
If someone removed or is attempting to remove another person confronting their volition, from the domicile or occupied vehicle.

It'south important to continue in mind that you lot have to actually be in the home or vehicle in gild to be justified in using mortiferous force to stop an unlawful and forcible entry. If someone breaks into your house while y'all're sleeping, and yous reasonably believe they intend to cause you harm, and then y'all can utilise deadly force to keep that harm from happening.

If, nevertheless, someone breaks into your car in the driveway while yous're sitting on the couch watching Telly, you cannot start shooting at your car to stop the person. There was no reasonable way to think that a person stealing your motorcar would cause you lot harm inside your domicile. And no, you can't jump into your motorcar and and so claim self-defense.

Standing your basis

Besides being able to defend yourself and others while at home or in your vehicle, West Virginia too has a "stand your ground" police force that allows yous to use mortiferous strength in self-defense if y'all are outside the dwelling house, and believe it is reasonably necessary to prevent decease or great bodily harm to yourself or someone else. Similar all "stand your ground" laws, you are not required to retreat to rubber before using deadly strength to defend yourself or others.

Of class, there are some conditions on the police force. You are allowed to defend yourself as long as you are somewhere you are legally allowed to be, and not breaking the law yourself. Then, if you lot're out at a eatery, you tin engage the bad guy who just came rushing in with a gun, but non if you are in an employees-only expanse.

Of course…

Fifty-fifty with these laws permitting self-defense, it is important to go along in heed that just because yous are justified in using deadly forcefulness does not mean it is required. Taking a life is a serious decision, and you should always use your best judgment to determine what type of force is appropriate, or if it is necessary to stand your ground, when retreating may be the safer pick for you and others around you.

Fin!

And with that, we're done! You now know everything there is to know well-nigh gun laws in the great state of West Virginia! If you are interested in getting that CCW let so you can carry concealed in your motorcar or on your side by side trip out of state, be certain to check out our West Virginia CCW section.

If you don't need to know about the carry permit laws merely yet, that's ok likewise! Y'all can work on your gun collection instead! You might want a squeamish safety to keep all your new toys though. A sturdy prophylactic tin also go along your guns from prying eyes and curious kids.

They can sleep on the bed at night though, right — They can slumber on the bed at dark though, correct

If you desire to start smaller, a gun cabinet or fifty-fifty just a decent handgun safety may be a good investment, and then all those rifles tin have a quiet place to rest after a busy solar day at the range. Now become out there and pew pew!