West Virginia Code
Article 1. Crimes Against the Government
§61-1-8. Desecration of Flag; Penalty

Any person who for exhibition or display shall place, or cause to be placed, any words, figures, marks, pictures, designs, drawings, or any advertisement of any nature, upon any flag, standard, color or ensign of the United States, or upon the state flag of this state, or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, color or ensign, upon which shall have been printed, painted or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed or annexed, any words, figures, marks, pictures, designs, drawings, or any advertisement of any nature or kind, or who shall expose to public view, manufacture, sell, expose for sale, give away, or have in possession for sale or to give away, or for use for any purpose, any article or substance, being an article of merchandise or a receptacle of merchandise, or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached or otherwise placed, a representation of any such flag, standard, color or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed, or who shall publicly mutilate, deface, defile or defy, trample upon or cast contempt, either by words or acts, upon any such flag, standard, color or ensign, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than $5 nor more than $100, and may, at the discretion of the court or justice trying the case, be confined in jail for a period not exceeding thirty days. Any justice of the peace of the county wherein the offense was committed shall have concurrent jurisdiction of such offense with the circuit or other courts of such county. The words "flag, standard, color or ensign of the United States," as used in this section, shall be construed to include any flag, standard, color, ensign, or any representation or picture of a flag, standard, color or ensign, made of or upon any substance whatever, and of any size whatever, showing the national colors, the stars and stripes. This section shall not apply to any act permitted by the statutes of the United States, or of this state, or by the regulations of the United States army and navy, or of the National Guard of this state, or of the members of the department of public safety; nor shall this section be construed to apply to the regular issue of a newspaper or other periodical, or to any book, certificate, diploma, warrant or commission, on which shall be printed said flag, disconnected from any advertisement, or to the vignette of any political ballot.

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