National Rifle Association Training

• West Virginia accepts any official course on handgun training provided by the National Rifle Association.
  
  

Training Open to the Public

• West Virginia accepts any handgun training course open to the public. Generally, a law enforcement department or a community college will offer these courses.
  
  

Certified Instructor Training

• West Virginia accepts any handgun training course conducted by a handgun instructor that is certified by either the state of West Virginia or the National Rifle Association.
  
  

Military Training

• West Virginia accepts any handgun training course conducted by the United States military, including the National Guard and reserve. However, West Virginia will require a civilian handgun training course if the military course taken was not specific to handguns.
  
  

Lifetime Certification

• West Virginia requires training before you receive your handgun license but does not require periodic re-certification. In fact, a training course passed years ago may be legally sufficient if the applicant has retained the required documentation.