Constitutional Carry for 18-20 Year Olds
Summary
West Virginia Governor signed HB4106 into law on April 1, 2026, extending constitutional carry (permitless concealed carry) rights to persons aged 18-20. Previously, concealed carry permits were required for all ages; now adults 18 and older can legally carry concealed deadly weapons without obtaining a license. The bill passed the House 87-9 and Senate 31-3 after legislative amendments.
What changed
West Virginia enacted HB4106, which amends state firearms regulations to allow persons 18-20 years of age to carry concealed deadly weapons without first obtaining a concealed carry permit. The bill modifies existing concealed carry laws that previously required permits for this age group, bringing West Virginia's law in line with expanded constitutional carry provisions. Senate amendments were adopted before final passage, and the bill was signed by the Governor effective April 1, 2026.
Affected parties include firearms owners, potential firearms purchasers aged 18-20, and law enforcement agencies operating within West Virginia. Businesses that previously restricted firearms on premises based on permit requirements may need to review their policies. Security professionals and employers in regulated industries should assess whether any existing training or compliance programs need updates to reflect this expanded right to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
What to do next
- Review internal policies regarding weapons carry for employees aged 18-20
- Update compliance procedures to reflect expanded constitutional carry rights
- Monitor for any additional state agency guidance on implementation
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / West Virginia / HB4106 Signed by Governor HB4106 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-03-14
Allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds
The purpose of this bill is to recognize the right of persons 18-20 years of age to carry a deadly weapon without first obtaining a license to carry concealed deadly weapons.
Bill Details
State West Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source www.wvlegislature.gov/BillStatus/Billshi...
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Sponsors
Chuck Horst (Rep - R) Eric Brooks (Rep - R) Mark Dean (Rep - R) Josh Holstein (Rep - R) Laura Kimble (Rep - R) Phil Mallow (Rep - R) Carl Martin (Rep - R) Ian Masters (Rep - R) Chris Phillips (Rep - R) Bill Ridenour (Rep - R) Bryan Ward (Rep - R)
Action History
2026-04-01 H Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 2026-03-14 H Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal 2026-03-14 S Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal 2026-03-25 H To Governor 3/25/2026 2026-03-14 S To Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal 2026-03-14 S Completed legislative action 2026-03-14 S Communicated to House 2026-03-14 S Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 701) 2026-03-14 S House Message received 2026-03-14 H Communicated to Senate 2026-03-14 H House concurred in Senate amendment with amendment (Roll No. 688) 2026-03-14 H Motion to reconsider 2026-03-14 H House concurred in Senate amendment with amendment (Roll No. 596) 2026-03-14 H House refused to agree to Senate title amendment (Voice vote) 2026-03-14 H House received Senate message 2026-03-13 S Senate requests House to concur 2026-03-13 S Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 530) 2026-03-13 S Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) 2026-03-13 S Read 3rd time 2026-03-13 S On 3rd reading with right to amend 2026-03-12 S Read 2nd time 2026-03-12 S Immediate consideration 2026-03-12 S Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment 2026-03-11 S On 2nd reading, rereferred to Judiciary 2026-03-11 S Read 1st time 2026-03-11 S Immediate consideration 2026-03-11 S Without recommendation, but first rereferred to Judiciary 2026-02-18 S To Judiciary 2026-02-18 S To Judiciary 2026-02-18 S Introduced in Senate 2026-02-17 H Communicated to Senate 2026-02-17 H Passed House (Roll No. 101) 2026-02-17 H Read 3rd time 2026-02-17 H On 3rd reading, Special Calendar 2026-02-16 H Amendment rejected (Voice vote) 2026-02-16 H Amendment reported by the Clerk 2026-02-16 H Read 2nd time 2026-02-16 H On 2nd reading, Special Calendar 2026-02-13 H Read 1st time 2026-02-13 H On 1st reading, Special Calendar 2026-02-12 H Do pass 2026-02-10 H Markup Discussion 2026-02-09 H To House Judiciary 2026-02-06 H Markup Discussion 2026-02-06 H To House Homeland Security 2026-01-14 H To House Judiciary 2026-01-14 H Introduced in House 2026-01-14 H To Judiciary 2026-01-14 H Filed for introduction
Votes
2026-02-17 Passed House (Roll No. 101) Yea: 87 Nay: 9 2026-03-13 Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 530) Yea: 31 Nay: 3 2026-03-14 House concurred in Senate amendment with amendment (Roll No. 596) Yea: 89 Nay: 8 2026-03-14 House concurred in Senate amendment with amendment (Roll No. 688) Yea: 85 Nay: 8 2026-03-14 Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 701) Yea: 31 Nay: 3
Committee Referrals
2026-01-14 H Judiciary 2026-02-06 H Homeland Security 2026-02-09 H Judiciary 2026-02-18 S Judiciary
Amendments
2026-02-16 hb4106 hfa hornbuckle 2-16 revised 2026-02-16 hb4106 hfa hornbuckle 2-16 revised rejected 2026-02-16 hb4106 hfa hornbuckle 2-16 2026-03-12 hb4106 s jud amt 3-12 2026-03-12 hb4106 s jud am 3-12 2026-03-12 hb4106 s jud am 3-12 adopted Adopted 2026-03-12 hb4106 s jud amt 3-12 adopted Adopted 2026-03-13 hb4106 hfa akers 3-13 _1 2026-03-13 hb4106 hfa akers 3-13 _1 adopted Adopted 2026-03-13 hb4106 hfa akers 3-13 _1 adopted adopted Adopted 2026-03-14 hb4106 hfat mcgeehan 3-14 2026-03-14 hb4106 hfat mcgeehan 3-14 adopted Adopted
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced 0000-00-00 Engrossed 0000-00-00 Enrolled
Subjects
Crime Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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