West Virginia Duty to Inform Police Laws (2026)

Duty to Inform Police in states bordering West Virginia

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

• KentuckyInfo

  No. Kentucky has no duty to tell an officer you are armed, and no permit is needed at 21 or older. A license holder must carry the license whenever carrying concealed and show it if an officer asks; a violation is a $25 noncriminal penalty. The statute does not say whether this reaches out-of-state licenses, so the cautious reading is that it does.

  Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov · Full Kentucky rule →

• MarylandInfo

  Maryland has no statutory duty to inform: its wear-and-carry statute (Pub. Safety § 5-308) only requires the permit holder to carry the permit whenever carrying, and the current text has no volunteer duty and no display-on-demand clause. A permit is still required to carry a handgun at all.

  Verified Jul 18, 2026 · Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · Full Maryland rule →

• OhioConditional

  Ohio has had no proactive duty to inform since June 13, 2022 (SB 215), but you must still disclose truthfully when an officer asks: it is a second-degree misdemeanor to knowingly fail to disclose that you are carrying before or at the time an officer asks during a stop (ORC 2923.12(B)(1)). You must also keep your hands in plain sight, not touch the gun, and obey orders. Permitless carriers 21 and older have the identical duty via ORC 2923.111(C)(1)(c).

  Verified Jul 18, 2026 · Source: codes.ohio.gov · Full Ohio rule →

• PennsylvaniaConditional

  Pennsylvania has no proactive duty to inform, but when carrying a firearm concealed on the person or in a vehicle, a licensee must produce the license for inspection on the lawful demand of a law-enforcement officer (18 Pa.C.S. § 6122(a)); failure to produce it creates a rebuttable presumption of non-licensure. The rule has been unchanged since 1997.

  Verified Jul 18, 2026 · Source: palegis.us · Full Pennsylvania rule →

• VirginiaConditional

  You do not have to tell an officer you are armed or have a permit. If you carry concealed on a permit, you must have it on you and show it, with a government photo ID, when an officer demands it. Out-of-state permit holders must likewise carry photo ID and show both on demand. Failing to show a Virginia permit is a $25 civil penalty, which a court may waive if you later show a valid permit.

  Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: law.lis.virginia.gov · Full Virginia rule →