(a) Except as otherwise provided by law, no resident who has reached his or her 15th birthday and who has not reached his or her 65th birthday before January 1, 2012, and no nonresident shall at any time take, hunt, pursue, trap for, kill or chase any wild animals, wild birds, or fish for, take, kill or catch any fish, amphibians or aquatic life of any kind whatsoever in this state without first having secured a license or permit and then only during the respective open seasons, except that a nonresident who has not reached his or her 15th birthday may fish for, take, kill or catch any fish, amphibians or aquatic life of any kind whatsoever in this state without first having secured a license or permit. A person under the age of 15 years shall not hunt or chase any wild animals or wild birds upon lands of another unless accompanied by a licensed adult.
(b) A resident or nonresident member of any club, organization, or association or persons owning or leasing a game preserve or fish preserve, plant, or pond in this state shall not hunt or fish therein without first securing a license or permit as required by law: Provided, That resident landowners or their resident children, or bona fide resident tenants of land, may, without a permit or license, hunt and fish on their own land during open seasons in accordance with laws and rules applying to such hunting and fishing unless the lands have been designated as a wildlife refuge or preserve.
(c) Licenses and permits shall be of the kinds and classes set forth in this article and shall be conditioned upon the payment of the fees established for the licenses and permits.
(d) The list of names, addresses and other contact information of all licensees compiled and maintained by the division as a result of the sale and issuance of any resident or nonresident licenses or stamps under this chapter is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, §29B-1-1, et seq., of this code: Provided, That the records specified in this section shall be available to all law-enforcement agencies and other governmental entities authorized to request or receive such records.
Structure West Virginia Code
§20-2-1. Declaration of Policy
§20-2-1a. Wildlife Resources Division; Organization and Administration
§20-2-2. Violations of Article
§20-2-2a. Interference With Hunters, Trappers and Fishermen
§20-2-3. State Ownership of Wildlife
§20-2-4. Possession of Wildlife
§20-2-5. Unlawful Methods of Hunting and Fishing and Other Unlawful Acts; Sunday Hunting
§20-2-5e. Assessment Fee for Decoy Animals
§20-2-5f. Nonresident Dog Training for Coon Hunting; Training Season
§20-2-5g. Use of a Crossbow to Hunt
§20-2-5h. Elk Management Area; Elk Damage Fund; Criminal Penalties; Rule-Making
§20-2-5i. Waste of Game Animals, Game Birds, or Game Fish; Penalties
§20-2-5j. Leashed Dogs for Tracking Mortally Wounded Deer or Bear
§20-2-5k. Use of Air Rifles to Hunt
§20-2-6. Carrying Gun on Landowner's Land
§20-2-7. Hunting, Trapping or Fishing on Lands of Another; Damages and Restitution
§20-2-8. Posting Unenclosed Lands; Hunting, etc., on Posted Land
§20-2-9. Unlawful Posting of Lands
§20-2-10. Destruction, etc., of Signs Posted Under Chapter
§20-2-11. Sale of Wildlife; Transportation of Same
§20-2-12. Transportation of Wildlife Out of State; Penalties
§20-2-13. Importation of Wildlife; Certification and Inspection of Imported Wildlife
§20-2-14. Propagation of Wildlife for Commercial Purposes
§20-2-17. Hunting Fur-Bearing Animals; Possession of Fur; Disturbing Traps of Another
§20-2-18. Number and Types of Traps
§20-2-21. Reporting Beaver and Otter Pelts Taken and Tagged
§20-2-22. Tagging, Removing, Transporting and Reporting Bear, Deer, Wild Boar and Wild Turkey
§20-2-23. Outfitters and Guides -- Generally; Definitions
§20-2-23b. Whitewater Study and Improvement Fund
§20-2-23c. Voluntary Contributions to Whitewater Advertising and Promotion Fund
§20-2-23d. Bond; Revocation of License; Licensing Carrying Requirement; Criminal Penalties
§20-2-23e. Implementation of Allocation Methodology
§20-2-24. Outfitters and Guides -- Qualifications
§20-2-25. Same -- License Applications; National Forest Requirements
§20-2-26. Same -- License Fee; Bond; Revocation of License; Penalties
§20-2-27. Necessity for License
§20-2-28. When Licenses or Permits Not Required
§20-2-29. Conservation of Species and Request for Public Records
§20-2-31. Size and Form of License and Tag; Contents; Unlawful to Alter Licenses or Permits; Penalty
§20-2-32. Issuance of Licenses; Duplicate Licenses
§20-2-33. Authority of Director to Designate Agents to Issue Licenses; Bonds; Fees
§20-2-33b. Electronic Application Donation to Fund the Coyote Management Program
§20-2-34. Disposition of License Fees and Donations; Reports of Agents; Special Funds and Uses
§20-2-35. Period During Which License Valid
§20-2-36a. Hunting or Fishing When License Revoked; Penalty
§20-2-38. Refusal or Revocation of License or Permit
§20-2-42. Effective Date and Indexing of License and Stamp Fees
§20-2-42a. Class a Resident Hunting and Trapping License
§20-2-42b. Class B Resident Fishing License
§20-2-42c. Class C Courtesy Statewide Hunting and Fishing License
§20-2-42d. Class E Nonresident Hunting and Trapping License
§20-2-42e. Class Ee Nonresident Bear Hunting License
§20-2-42f. Class F Nonresident Fishing License
§20-2-42g. Class H Nonresident Small Game Hunting License
§20-2-42h. Class J Nonresident Small Game Shooting Preserve License
§20-2-42i. Class Ll Nonresident One-Day Fishing License
§20-2-42j. Class X Resident Hunting, Fishing and Trapping License
§20-2-42l. Class A-L Small Arms Hunting Stamp
§20-2-42m. Class I Nonresident National Forest Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Stamp
§20-2-42n. Class N Resident and Class Nn Nonresident Antlerless Deer Hunting Stamp
§20-2-42o. Class O Resident and Class Oo Nonresident Trout Fishing Stamp
§20-2-42p. Class Rg Resident and Class Rrg Nonresident Gun Deer Hunting Stamp for an Additional Deer
§20-2-42s. Class Uu Nonresident Archery Deer Hunting Stamp
§20-2-42t. Class Vv Nonresident Muzzle-Loading Deer Hunting Stamp
§20-2-42u. Class Ww Nonresident Turkey Hunting Stamp
§20-2-42v. Class Bg Resident Big Game Stamp
§20-2-42w. Class Y Special Crossbow Hunting Permit for Certain Disabled Persons
§20-2-42x. Class Xs Resident Senior Hunting, Fishing and Trapping License
§20-2-42y. Class Ah, Ahj, Aah, Aahj Apprentice Hunting and Trapping Licenses; Penalties
§20-2-42z. Class L Resident Five-Day Fishing License
§20-2-44b. Bear Damage Stamp; Proceeds to Be Paid Into Bear Damage Fund; Purposes, etc.
§20-2-46e. Class Q Special Hunting Permit for Disabled Persons
§20-2-47. License for Private Game Farm for Propagating Animals and Birds for Commercial Purposes
§20-2-49. Licenses for Dealers in Furs, Pelts, etc.
§20-2-50. Permit to Hunt, Kill, etc., Wildlife for Scientific or Propagation Purposes
§20-2-50a. Wildlife Damage Control Agents; Licensing
§20-2-51. Permit for Keeping Pets
§20-2-52. Permits for Roadside Menageries
§20-2-53. License for Privately Owned Commercial Fishing Preserve
§20-2-54. License for Privately-Owned Commercial Shooting Preserves
§20-2-55. License to Catch and Sell Minnows or Other Bait Fish
§20-2-56a. Bird Dog Training Permit
§20-2-58. Shooting Across Road or Near Building or Crowd; Penalty
§20-2-59. License to Take Fish and Mussels for Commercial Purposes in Certain Waters
§20-2-60. Required Attire for Deer Hunters; Exemption; Penalty
§20-2-62. Persons Exempt From Obtaining Hunting and Fishing Licenses; Qualification
§20-2-64. Regulating Release of Fish, Water Animal and Other Aquatic Organisms; Stocking Permit