WEST VIRGINIA FIELD FILE

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can they search my cardo I have to show IDlandlord kept my depositcan I record the policewhat happens if I refuse a breathalyzer

Start with a situation

• Traffic stopsGetting pulled over, documents, searches, and what happens roadside.→
• Being stoppedOn foot, on the street, and what you owe an officer who stops you.→
• Marijuana and drugsWhat the state legalized, what it did not, and where state and federal law disagree.→
• Impaired drivingImpaired driving stops, field tests, breath and blood tests, and implied consent.→
• Court and moneyDebt, eviction, work, family and records. The side of the system with no officer in it.→
• Your homeRenting and the landlord, and when the police may come inside.→
• RecordingFilming police, recording calls, and whose consent the law requires.→
• Carrying a firearmCarry rules, the duty to disclose, where guns are barred, and self defense.→
• Charges and penaltiesHow offenses are graded, jail ranges, fines, and repeat offense steps.→
• How you carry yourselfSilence, counsel, complying now and contesting later.→

New in West Virginia

• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Tinted Window StopDark film beside the driver, a license and an insurance card, and a request to search.
• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Breath TestA roadside device, a test at the station, a blood draw, and the morning in front of a magistrate.
• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Gun In The GloveboxCarrying without a license, a school pickup, a store's sign, and a road rage stop.
• Walkthrough·Oct 8The Eviction PapersA petition on the door, new locks, a hearing in magistrate court, and the things that will not fit in the car.

All 10 new in West Virginia ↓

Someone asked

“How long does a landlord in West Virginia have to return a deposit?”

Getting The Deposit Back

When the tenancy ends, the landlord delivers the deposit, minus any deductions, with a written itemization of the damages and charges, within 60 days of the end of the tenancy or within 45 days of a new tenant moving in, whichever is shorter.

• W. Va. Code § 37-6A-1StatuteLandlord and tenant: definitionsOpens code.wvlegislature.gov ↗
• W. Va. Code § 37-6A-2StatuteSecurity depositsOpens code.wvlegislature.gov ↗

Read the whole section →

Legal information, not legal advice. Every block on this site carries the source it rests on.

Walk it through

50 situations taken one decision at a time, with what the law asks of each side written out at every step. Each opens on its own page.

Traffic stops10Being stopped1Marijuana and drugs2Impaired driving2Court and money23Your home7Recording1Carrying a firearm2Charges and penalties1How you carry yourself1

• The Tinted Window StopDark film beside the driver, a license and an insurance card, and a request to search.4 steps →
• The Morning CommuteA lane change, a turn signal, a phone in hand, and a school zone at eight in the morning.4 steps →
• The School Bus MorningA stop arm on a two lane road, a crosswalk, and a booster seat in the back.4 steps →
• Lights On The ShoulderA trooper on the shoulder, a fender bender in the next mile, and a stranger who needs help.4 steps →
• The Weekend RideA motorcycle with a passenger, a group bicycle ride, and an ATV headed for the trails.4 steps →
• The Suspended LicenseLights behind on a dark road, a license that was suspended, and the night after.4 steps →
• The Towed CarA spot in a private lot, a car gone from it, and the bill for getting it back.3 steps →
• The Fatal CrashA pass on a blind curve, a head-on collision, and a death weeks later.3 steps →
• The Interstate TicketA few miles over on the interstate, a close merge in front of a truck, and an insurance card a month out of date.3 steps →
• The Ambulance In TownA siren behind on a city street, a pedestrian between two lights, and a cyclist swinging around a pothole.3 steps →

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About this guide — education built from the West Virginia Code as the West Virginia Legislature publishes it, not a law degree in a webpage. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed West Virginia attorney or a legal aid office. Current as of October 2026.

This guide covers common situations in real West Virginia encounters. Not the whole legal code, not a replacement for a lawyer.