Report a theft in West Virginia to the local police department or sheriff first and keep the case number. Under W. Va. Code § 61-3-13, theft becomes a felony at $1,000. Then follow the checklist for what was taken, below.
West Virginia at a glance
| Felony theft threshold | $1,000. Larceny of property worth $1,000 or more is grand larceny, a felony in West Virginia punishable by one to ten years in the penitentiary. |
|---|---|
| Theft statute | W. Va. Code § 61-3-13 |
| Grading | Under $1,000: petit larceny, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. $1,000 or more: grand larceny, a felony punishable by one to ten years, or at the court's discretion up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. |
| Vehicle theft | Stealing a vehicle is charged as larceny by value under § 61-3-13. Taking or driving a vehicle without consent and without intent to steal is a separate offense, unlawful taking of a vehicle (W. Va. Code § 17A-8-4): a misdemeanor for a first offense and a felony for a second or later offense. |
| State police | West Virginia State Police |
| Motor vehicles | West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles |
| Consumer protection | West Virginia Attorney General, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division |
| Online police reports | The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office accepts self-reports for thefts under $1,000 in Kanawha County, excluding stolen property with a known serial number. Practice varies by department elsewhere in West Virginia. |
| Lost or stolen gun reporting | West Virginia does not require owners to report a lost or stolen firearm, according to the Giffords Law Center, an advocacy group. |
| Pawn and secondhand dealers | W. Va. Code § 47-26-2 requires pawnbrokers to record each transaction with the seller's photo ID and a detailed item description and to keep those records three years for law enforcement inspection; the section sets no holding period. |
| Official stolen property lookups | No public state-run lookup was found for West Virginia. Use the national tools in the lookup directory. |
Statute text checked on code.wvlegislature.gov. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.
West Virginia by the numbers
| Measure | West Virginia | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft reports to the FTC, 2024 | 2,017 reports, 113 per 100,000 residents; ranked 47 of 50 | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Fraud and other reports to the FTC, 2024 | 14,911 reports, 836 per 100,000 residents | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Firearms reported stolen from private citizens | 1,304 a year on average, 72.7 per 100,000 residents (2019 to 2023) | ATF National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment |
These figures count reports made to federal agencies, so they measure what was reported, not every theft. National context is on the theft statistics page.
Reporting a theft in West Virginia
In West Virginia, theft reports go to the city police, the county sheriff or the West Virginia State Police, which serves many rural areas from local detachments. Call the agency that covers the place where the theft happened.
Online or self-reporting is limited and local. The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office accepts self-reports for thefts under $1,000, harassing calls and vandalism within the county, submitted by email or in person. It excludes stolen property with a known serial number, which should be reported to an officer directly, and it directs internet fraud to the FBI's IC3. Elsewhere, ask your department. Our stolen property guide lists what to gather.
West Virginia theft law and the felony threshold
West Virginia uses the traditional larceny terms in W. Va. Code § 61-3-13, with the line at $1,000.
- Petit larceny: property worth less than $1,000, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.
- Grand larceny: property worth $1,000 or more, a felony punishable by one to ten years in the penitentiary. The court may instead impose up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Because value decides the grade, keep receipts, appraisals and photos. A clear valuation in the police report helps prosecutors charge the right tier and helps your insurer process a claim. For guns, see our stolen firearm guide; West Virginia has no state reporting requirement, but a police report with the serial number gives officers a way to identify the gun if it is recovered.
Stolen vehicles and license plates in West Virginia
A stolen car is charged as larceny, graded by value under § 61-3-13. West Virginia also has an unlawful taking of a vehicle offense, § 17A-8-4, for taking or driving a vehicle without consent and without intent to steal it. A first offense is a misdemeanor with up to six months in jail; a second offense is a felony carrying one to three years, and a third or later offense carries a fine of up to $5,000 as well.
State law also tells the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles what to do once a theft is reported. Under § 17A-8-3, the DMV must immediately suspend the registration and title of a reported stolen vehicle and may not transfer it until notified in writing that it has been recovered, and it circulates stolen and recovered vehicle lists to the State Police and local agencies. Tell the DMV and police when the car is found so the suspension can be lifted. The DMV lists a duplicate card, decal and plate service for replacements. See stolen vehicles and check if stolen for national tools.
Pawn shops and secondhand sales
Under W. Va. Code § 47-26-2, a pawnbroker must complete a transaction report for each pawn or purchase, including a copy of the seller's government photo ID and a detailed description of the item, with specific details for firearms and jewelry. The seller signs an affirmation of ownership. Records are kept for three years and must be open to law enforcement on request; violations are a misdemeanor under § 47-26-3. The article we reviewed sets no statewide holding period, and counties and cities may add rules. Serial numbers in your report give officers something to check against those records.
Identity theft and fraud help in West Virginia
The Attorney General's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division takes consumer complaints and answers identity theft questions. Its identity theft page notes that victims may qualify for free credit freezes with documentation such as a police report. Start with IdentityTheft.gov, then follow our identity theft guide and stolen wallet checklist.
Checklists for what was stolen
Each guide opens with a checklist in the order to act, with a free printable PDF.
- Domain names
- Identity theft
- Vehicles
- Social media and email
- SIM swap and phone numbers
- Stolen phones
- Bicycles and e-bikes
- Packages and mail
- Wallets, cards and checks
- Passports
- Firearms
- Art and collectibles
- Cryptocurrency
This page is general information about West Virginia, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in West Virginia.
Sources
- W. Va. Code § 61-3-13, Grand and petit larceny
- W. Va. Code § 17A-8-3
- W. Va. Code § 17A-8-4, Unlawful taking of vehicle
- W. Va. Code § 47-26-2, Pawn transaction records
- W. Va. Code § 47-26-3, Penalties
- Kanawha County Sheriff's Office, Online Reporting
- West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles
- WV.gov, State Police agency listing
- West Virginia Attorney General, Identity Theft Protection and Prevention
- Giffords Law Center, Reporting Lost & Stolen Guns in West Virginia