How to Renew Your WV Concealed Carry Permit Online

You cannot renew your WV concealed carry permit online. West Virginia has no statewide internet renewal system, and each county sheriff’s office runs its own process. Most counties, including Kanawha, accept renewal applications in person or by mail; Putnam County requires you to appear in person; Monongalia County handles renewals by appointment only and takes cash. Before you do anything else, call the sheriff’s office in your county of residence and confirm what they accept.

Why Renew at All in a Constitutional Carry State

West Virginia lets residents 21 and older carry a concealed firearm without any permit, which raises a reasonable question about bothering with renewal. The answer is reciprocity. Your West Virginia concealed handgun license lets you carry in other states that have reciprocity agreements with West Virginia, and those states do not honor another state’s constitutional carry. The Attorney General’s office puts it plainly: traditional concealed handgun licenses “are still required for out-of-state travel to recognizing states.”¹ If your license lapses, you lose that out-of-state coverage the day it expires, even though you can still carry inside West Virginia.

How Long the Renewed License Lasts

A renewed license, or any license issued after March 4, 2019, is valid for five years measured from your most recent birthday. Older licenses simply ran five years from the date of issuance. Your expiration date is printed on the physical card.²

The statute does not set a mandatory window for filing a renewal, so there is no “must apply within X months” deadline. Starting well before expiration is practical, not legal, advice: the sheriff has up to 45 days to process the application, and you want to avoid a reciprocity gap.

Who Still Qualifies

Renewal is not automatic. You must still meet every eligibility requirement that applied to your original application, and the sheriff runs a fresh background check on every renewal. Anything new on your record over the past five years can result in denial.²

The main disqualifiers:

A felony conviction, unless it was expunged, your civil rights were restored, or you received an unconditional pardon.
A misdemeanor crime of violence within the five years before your application.
A misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, or a domestic violence protective order (emergency, temporary, or final).
Addiction to alcohol, a controlled substance, or unlawful drug use. Two or more DUI convictions within the three years before your application also disqualify you.
Involuntary commitment or an adjudication of mental incompetence, unless a court has restored your rights.
A pending felony indictment, an active sentence, or being on parole or probation.
Any federal firearms prohibition under 18 U.S.C. §922(g) or (n).

You also have to remain a legal resident of West Virginia and of the county where you apply. Nonresidents follow a separate track with a higher fee.²

How to File the Renewal

Because there is no centralized system, the details vary by county, but the core steps are consistent.

Get the application. Some counties post a downloadable PDF; others make you pick one up at the sheriff’s office. The form itself is standardized by the West Virginia State Police.
Fill it out. You will provide personal information, your current address, and answers to the eligibility questions covering criminal history, substance use, mental health, and protective orders.
Gather documents. Bring a valid West Virginia driver’s license or state-issued photo ID showing your current address, and have your existing concealed handgun license with you.
Submit in person or by mail. Most counties want you at the counter. A few, including Kanawha, also accept mailed applications. Confirm before you assume mail is an option.
Pay the fees. The statutory resident application fee is $50. An additional $25 is collected before the license is issued to cover the State Police background check.

Payment methods vary a lot. Monongalia County takes only cash. Others accept more forms of payment. A quick phone call before you drive over saves a second trip.²

You Do Not Have to Retake the Training

The firearms training requirement, in the words of the statute, “shall be waived in the case of a renewal applicant who has previously qualified.” No new safety course, no new certificate. The sheriff’s office already has your original training documentation on file from the first application.²

Background Check and 45-Day Timeline

Every renewal triggers a new background investigation. The sheriff runs your information through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, West Virginia criminal history records, and the National Interstate Identification Index. The sheriff cannot issue the license unless the check confirms you are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.²

By statute, the sheriff must issue or deny within 45 days after the application is filed, provided the required background checks are completed within that window. Many offices are faster. Once approved, the new card is mailed to your home address.²

Carrying While Your Renewal Is Pending

If your license expires while the renewal is still processing, you can still carry concealed inside West Virginia, because the state does not require a permit for residents 21 and older. What you lose during the gap is reciprocity: other states will not honor an expired card or a pending-application receipt. If you travel armed across state lines, time your filing so the new card arrives before the old one runs out.

If the Sheriff Denies Your Renewal

A denial has to come with written reasons. If you believe the sheriff got it wrong, you have 30 days to file a petition for review in the circuit court of the county where you applied. The court decides whether you meet the statutory criteria. You can hire an attorney, though the court is not required to appoint one.²

If the court overturns the denial, you may recover reasonable costs and attorney’s fees from the sheriff’s office.

Address Changes and Replacement Cards

If you move to a different county in West Virginia, you have 20 days to notify the sheriff of your new county in writing. The sheriff issues a new license with your updated address and the original expiration date for a fee of no more than $5. The same 20-day rule and $5 fee apply if you move out of state, move between out-of-state addresses, or move into West Virginia as a nonresident licensee.²

A lost or destroyed license is a separate process from renewal. File a notarized statement with the issuing sheriff explaining that the license was lost or destroyed; the replacement fee is $5.³

1
Office of the WV Attorney General. Gun Reciprocity Information
2
West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-4 – License to Carry Deadly Weapons; How Obtained
3
Office of the WV Attorney General. Gun Reciprocity Frequently Asked Questions