ThatIsAFact
Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2004
- Messages
- 44
Current West Virginia law explicitly says that any valid permit "issued by" a reciprocal state renders the holder immune from the West Virginia prohibition on carrying a concealed firearm. Since Virginia is a reciprocal state, permits issued by Virginia to residents of other states (i.e., "Virginia nonresident permits") are valid in West Virginia, under the plain language of the current West Virginia law (even though West Virginia authorities have been reluctant to come out and say so).
That would change, however, under a bill passed unanimously by the West Virginia House of Feb. 27. The bill, HB 3074, makes a number of changes in the West Virginia reciprocity law. A March 3 NRA alert presents the House vote as a win, so apparently it is believed that some of these changes will result in more reciprocity agreements with WV in the future. But buried among the revisions is a new limitation, which is this: Permits issued by reciprocal states would be recognized only if "the permit or license holder is a resident of the issuing state."
I hope that this senseless requirement will be stricken in the WV Senate. It makes no sense at all to discriminate against nonresident holders of Virginia-issued permits. The nonresident applicants must meet all of the same qualifications as Virginia residents. In fact, nonresident applicants must meet one substantial requirement that neither Virginia nor West Virginia demands of residents: Virginia law does not require fingerprinting for residents, but any applicant for a NONRESIDENT Virginia permit is required to submit police-administered fingerprints for the purpose of an FBI background check. So why disqualify only those who have met that requirement?
You can read the bill here (look at the "committee substitute" version).
That would change, however, under a bill passed unanimously by the West Virginia House of Feb. 27. The bill, HB 3074, makes a number of changes in the West Virginia reciprocity law. A March 3 NRA alert presents the House vote as a win, so apparently it is believed that some of these changes will result in more reciprocity agreements with WV in the future. But buried among the revisions is a new limitation, which is this: Permits issued by reciprocal states would be recognized only if "the permit or license holder is a resident of the issuing state."
I hope that this senseless requirement will be stricken in the WV Senate. It makes no sense at all to discriminate against nonresident holders of Virginia-issued permits. The nonresident applicants must meet all of the same qualifications as Virginia residents. In fact, nonresident applicants must meet one substantial requirement that neither Virginia nor West Virginia demands of residents: Virginia law does not require fingerprinting for residents, but any applicant for a NONRESIDENT Virginia permit is required to submit police-administered fingerprints for the purpose of an FBI background check. So why disqualify only those who have met that requirement?
You can read the bill here (look at the "committee substitute" version).
