§30-29-12. Law-enforcement officers to receive identification and certification to carry weapons off duty.

(a) Every person employed by a West Virginia state, county or municipal agency as a qualified law-enforcement officer within the meaning of 18 U. S. C. §926B, shall receive an appropriate photo identification and certification of training required to carry a concealed firearm under the federal Law-Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 U. S. C. §926B. No currently employed officer may be charged a fee for the photo identification and certification. This subsection does not prohibit a law-enforcement agency from controlling the use of any department-owned weapon.

(b) When a qualified law-enforcement officer, within the meaning of 18 U. S. C. §926B, retires from, or otherwise honorably ceases employment with, a West Virginia state, county or municipal agency, the agency shall provide, at no charge, an appropriate photo identification to show the former employee’s status as an honorably separated or retired qualified retired law-enforcement officer within the meaning of 18 U. S. C. §926C. Every West Virginia state, county or municipal law enforcement agency which conducts firearms qualification for current employees shall offer its honorably retired or separated former employees an opportunity to participate in such firearms qualification on an annual basis. The former employees shall provide, at their own expense, an appropriate firearm and ammunition and may be charged a fee not to exceed $25 for such training. Upon completion of the training and payment of any fee, the law-enforcement agency shall issue a new photo identification and certification which identifies the former employee as a “qualified retired law-enforcement officer” who has satisfied the annual training requirements of 18 U. S. C. §926C.

(c) A law-enforcement agency may, in its sole discretion, allow a person who honorably retired or separated from another federal, state, county or municipal law-enforcement agency as a qualified law-enforcement officer within the meaning of 18 U. S. C. §926B, the opportunity to participate in firearms qualification the agency provides its own former employees under subsection (b) of this section. Participants shall provide, at their own expense, an appropriate firearm and ammunition and may be charged a fee not to exceed $50 for such training. Upon completion of the training and payment of any fee, the law-enforcement agency shall issue a certificate which states that the retiree satisfied the training requirements of 18 U. S. C. §926C.