West Virginia Reciprocity could be a reality

[gbrown221]

Attention Brother and Sister:

Great News from West Virginia front!

Please see and I quote the reply from the West Virginia Attorney General. I wrote both PA and West Virginia Attorney General inquiring if a potential agreement could be reached to honor each states permits.

reply is as follows from West Virginia

----- Dear Mr. Brown:

Thank you for your letter of August 8th, 2007.

West Virginia is attempting to reach a reciprocity agreement with Pennsylvania. Last week we sent a proposed agreement to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office which we hope will be entered into by the states. Both West Virginia and Pennsylvania have particular statutory requirements which must be met and this has slowed the progress. We hope that the technical problems have been worked out.

May I direct you to our website (www.wvago.gov). Once an agreement is reached it will be osted thre.

I hope this answers your question.

Sincerely,


Thomas W. Smith
Managing Deputy Attorney General

TWS/jd

[theshadow]

Going off memory, WV, has a Statutory Training Requirement, and PA doesn't. This may be the "technical problem" he's talking about, and I hope this proposition he has don't mean we have to go get training, etc. Otherwise, this is very encouraging.

[NineseveN]

Going off memory, WV, has a Statutory Training Requirement, and PA doesn't. This may be the "technical problem" he's talking about, and I hope this proposition he has don't mean we have to go get training, etc. Otherwise, this is very encouraging.

You're correct, they do have a mandatory training requirement:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/61/masterfrmFrm.htm

§61-7-4. License to carry deadly weapons; how obtained.

.....

(d) All persons applying for a license must complete a training course in handling and firing a handgun. The successful completion of any of the following courses fulfills this training requirement:

(1) Any official national rifle association handgun safety or training course;

(2) Any handgun safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by an official law-enforcement organization, community college, junior college, college or private or public institution or organization or handgun training school utilizing instructors duly certified by such institution;

(3) Any handgun training or safety course or class conducted by a handgun instructor certified as such by the state or by the national rifle association;

(4) Any handgun training or safety course or class conducted by any branch of the United States military, reserve or national guard.
A photocopy of a certificate of completion of any of the courses or classes or an affidavit from the instructor, school, club, organization or group that conducted or taught said course or class attesting to the successful completion of the course or class by the applicant or a copy of any document which shows successful completion of the course or class shall constitute evidence of qualification under this section.

.....

My understanding was, from the reply to a letter I sent the AG of WV a couple of years back is that they (West Virginia) won't enter into any reciprocity agreements with a state that has looser requirements than they do, which included the mandatory training requirement as a sticking point. So what gives? Have they changed their tune, or are we heading towards mandatory training in PA for an LTCF? This is one to keep an eye on and perhaps contact the PA Attorney General about.

[WhiteFeather]

What most people have missed is WV just passed a law recently that changed the reciprocity agreement for the better,
see press release below

EDITED - promised, I can't tell details at this time

It sure will be nice to have a reciprocity agreement with at least one contiguous state.

http://www.wvago.gov/press.cfm?ID=350&fx=more

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
DARRELL V. MCGRAW, JR.
CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION
1-800-368-8808 or 304-558-8986 Press Release

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Saunders
Phone: (304) 558-2021


Release Date: June 8, 2007
Attorney General Darrell McGraw Announces Concealed Handgun Reciprocity Agreements With Other States and Raises the Awareness of Gun Safety


Charleston - Attorney General Darrell McGraw today announced concealed weapon reciprocity agreements with other states.

“West Virginians with valid concealed handgun permits are allowed to carry concealed handguns in KY, VA, NC, OH, FL and SD pursuant to existing and new reciprocity agreements. We are currently in active discussion with other states. We have received recognition by Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Vermont, but we do not have a reciprocity agreement with the states,” stated Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

In conjunction with this announcement in order to raise awareness of gun safety, today consumers can receive a free gun lock from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the state police detachments in, Beckley, Elkins, Logan, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, South Charleston, and Sutton. Consumers can also receive free gun locks from some of the local gun shops in these regions. These locations include Flat Top Arms Inc. in Beckley, B & J Pawn and Sport in Elkins, Marstiller’s Gun Shop in Morgantown, Hartley’s Gun Shop in Moundsville, Carl’s Gun Shop in Parkersburg, and Mack & Dave’s in Huntington.

“We have added a new section to our website detailing handgun reciprocity agreements with other states. This information can be a reference guide to the West Virginia concealed handgun reciprocity agreements with other states for consumers, business owners and visitors. For more information log on to www.wvago.gov/gunrecep.cfm or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-368-8808,” stated Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

During the 2007 legislative session House Bill 3074 was passed and signed by Governor Manchin on March 9, 2007. This law transfers the authority from Governor Manchin to Attorney General McGraw to negotiate concealed weapon reciprocity with other states.

In order to enter into concealed weapon reciprocity agreements with other states certain criteria must be met to ensure their licensing requirements for their applicants are as stringent as West Virginia’s. Additionally the other state must have a database that is readily available 24/7 that can verify the continuing validity of a concealed weapons permit. For example, law enforcement officers need to be able to prove a person’s concealed handgun permit is not void due to a recent felony or other legal disability. The states having concealed handgun reciprocity agreements with West Virginia must notify the state if and when their state concealed handgun laws change.

Attorney General Darrell McGraws’s staff has been researching and negotiating diligently with states over the last couple of months preparing for the reciprocity law to go into effect. “There are five different categories of states concerning reciprocity agreements. We have focused on the contiguous states first. There are states who match us and there are five or six states interested in reciprocity with us, but questions exist as to whether West Virginia’s requirements meet theirs. There are about fifteen states that appear to recognize any valid concealed weapons permit. Then there are states that don’t meet our criteria. The last category of states are very strict about concealed weapons and do not have reciprocity laws with other states. These would include New York, California and Illinois,” stated Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

“If West Virginia wants to maximize concealed weapon reciprocity with other states the scope of a background check needs to be clarified and updated. We hope to have recommendations for the legislature to consider at its next regular session. The database needs to cover the entire state and include all information about possible disabling behaviors. In the states where there is some type of statutory problem that prevents West Virginia from granting reciprocity, we are actively seeking West Virginia’s recognition of concealed weapons in their state,” stated Attorney General Darrell Mc

[WhiteFeather]

My understanding was, from the reply to a letter I sent the AG of WV a couple of years back is that they (West Virginia) won't enter into any reciprocity agreements with a state that has looser requirements than they do, which included the mandatory training requirement as a sticking point. So what gives? Have they changed their tune, or are we heading towards mandatory training in PA for an LTCF? This is one to keep an eye on and perhaps contact the PA Attorney General about.

WV has changed their laws.
No, PA is not heading to mandatory training.
Both Attorney Generals are working on it, can’t say more at this time.

As a side note does anyone know why the office is called Attorney General?

Always seems strange to have a legal and military name in political office.

[Skuggi]

You know what, this could be true, at my school my buddy just told me that the sheriff's office was just looking for database programmers for internships. Or wait it could have been the PSP, not positive I'll have to confirm it, but I'm damn sure it was the sheriff's office

[mrwildroot]

WV and Ohio both joined NC with reciprosity in June '07.
NC has the training requirement, yet has reciprosity with PA. Looks like they can work it out!
Good luck!
mrwildroot

[NineseveN]

WV and Ohio both joined NC with reciprosity in June '07.
NC has the training requirement, yet has reciprosity with PA. Looks like they can work it out!
Good luck!
mrwildroot

Yep, so long as WV has changed its stance on the training requirement part, there aren't too many objections left really, because, as you said, they wouldn't be the only state to ignore the lack of a similar training requirement for reciprocity. So long as nothing gets taken away from us here in PA in order to get it, reciprocity is a great thing, especially when it concerns a border state.

[mrwildroot]

Yep, so long as WV has changed its stance on the training requirement part, there aren't too many objections left really, because, as you said, they wouldn't be the only state to ignore the lack of a similar training requirement for reciprocity. So long as nothing gets taken away from us here in PA in order to get it, reciprocity is a great thing, especially when it concerns a border state.

Personally, I enjoyed the day of training. My class was taught by a great guy..."Fat Jack". ( a real piece of work.)
Met some fine folks, got to talk and pass around guns, got to shoot (always a plus day for me!).
The worst part of the entire thing was having to screen a video produced by the state. It was hosted by orville reddenbacker's evil twin. After an hour+ of that, I was ready to go home and watch paint dry!

Of course, I get the point of not increasing the load of beaurocratic BS/fees already included in the process.
I am very glad that NC and PA agree on reciprocity!
Happy shootin'!
mrwildroot

[Mtbkski]

This makes some of you crazy, I know. But if all I have to do is to take a training course and I am allowed to carry in W.V. Well, Tony sign me up for the next class you have that qualifies me. Espcially if it would allow me to carry in Ohip too. I would have no problem doing a little on my end to earn the right to carry in another state.

Just my opinion.

If we are lucky, they will work around it and we won't have to.