West Virginia Is Once Again Best Virginia for Right to Carry

While Virginia lawmakers are busy slicing and dicing our right to keep and bear arms, their counterparts in West Virginia have taken another big step forward in protecting our Second Amendment rights. 

The state already has a permitless carry law in place, and the number of “gun-free zones” are few and far between. Even public colleges and universities are open to lawful carry (with a valid permit) as of 2024. One quirk in state law, though. says that while adults 21 and older can lawfully carry without a permit so long as they can legally possess a firearm, adults under the age of 21 have still needed a carry license; specifically a “provisional” carry permit issued to 18-to-20-year-olds. 

That could soon change, after the state House gave its stamp of approval to a bill that lowers the age to carry without a need for a government issued permission slip to 18. 

The House on Monday voted down an amendment from Del. Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, that would have limited the ability to carry a concealed weapon to those 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds who have served in the Armed Forces or National Guard and those who have served in state or federal law enforcement.

Hornbuckle on Tuesday urged fellow delegates to be cautious about repealing training requirements for young people carrying concealed weapons. 

He estimated that the bill would allow an additional 70,000 residents in the state to carry a concealed weapon with no permit or training. 

“I believe this law is not going to be synced up with our campus carry law, It can cause a lot of issues for our universities, and also cost them potential money in having to uphold the current law,” Hornbuckle said. 

This should cause zero issues for the state’s public higher ed institutions. Under the existing campus carry law, only those with a valid carry permit can bear arms on campus, and the House bill doesn’t change that. There may be some confusion about whether the provisional carry licenses that are issued to 18-to-20-year-olds count, but according to Del. Chuck Horst, they are acceptable.

In closing, Horst said HB 4106 would not affect the provisions of Senate Bill 10, the Campus Self-Defense Act passed by the Legislature in 2023, which prohibits colleges and universities from banning firearms on campus as long as the owner of the firearm has a valid concealed carry permit or a provisional concealed carry permit for individuals between 18 and 20.“This would not affect campus carry whatsoever,” Horst said. “The campus carry law specifically states that one must have a permit in order to avail themselves of campus carry. I just wanted to clear that up.”

Now, if 18-to-20-year olds are going to be able to carry without a permit, I’d say the West Virginia legislature should scrap its provisional permits and just issue adults under the age of 21 the same concealed carry permit that those 21 and older receive. 

First, though, HB 4106 needs to clear the state Senate and get to Gov. Patrick Morirsey’s desk. Morrisey has been a staunch Second Amendment supporter in his political career, including his stint as the state’s Attorney General, and I have no doubt that he’ll sign HB 4106 if he gets the opportunity. 

In addition to securing the 2A rights of young adults, HB 4106 is also a legislative middle finger of sorts to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned a district court decision in West Virginia Citizens Defense League v. ATF that held adults under the age of 21 have the Second Amendment right to purchase handguns. West Virginia can’t subvert federal law directly and allow FFLs to sell handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds, but by removing the permit requirement for them to bear arms, lawmakers can send a signal to the appellate court that young adults are fully vested with their Second Amendment rights; a signal that the Supreme Court may receive as well, given that WVCDL and several other cases dealing with bans on firearms for young adults have been sitting before the justices for several months now. 

Editor’s Note: President Trump and Republicans across the country are doing everything they can to protect our Second Amendment rights and right to self-defense.

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