West Virginia Code § 15-12-2

Registration; fees and use thereof
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(a) The provisions of this article apply both retroactively and prospectively.
(b) Any person who has been convicted of an offense or an attempted offense or has been
found not guilty by reason of mental illness, mental retardation, or addiction of an offense
under any of the following provisions of this code or under a statutory provision of another
state, the United States Code or the Uniform Code of Military Justice which requires proof of
the same essential elements shall register as set forth in §15-12-2(d) of this code and
according to the internal management rules promulgated by the superintendent under
authority of §15-2-25 of this code: u
(1) §61-8A-1 et seq. of this code;
(2) §61-8B-1 et seq. of this code; a
(3) The provisions of former §61-8B-6 of this code, lrelating to the offense of sexual assault of
a spouse, which was repealed by an act of the Legislature during the 2000 legislative
session;
(4) §61-8C-1 et seq. of this code;
(5) §61-8D-5 and §61-8D-6 of this code;
(6) §61-2-14(a) of this code;
(7) §61-8-6, §61-8-7, §61-8-12, and §61-8-13 of this code;
(8) §61-3C-14b of this code, as it relates to violations of those provisions of chapter 61 listed
in this subsection; or
(9) W§61-14-2, §61-14-5, and §61-14-6 of this code: Provided, That as to §61-14-2 of this code
only those violations involving human trafficking for purposes of sexual servitude require
registration pursuant to this subdivision.
(c) Any person who has been convicted of a criminal offense where the sentencing judge
made a written finding that the offense was sexually motivated shall also register as set forth
in this article.
(d) A person required to register under the provisions of this article shall register in person
at the West Virginia State Police detachment responsible for covering the county of his or
her residence, and in doing so, provide or cooperate in providing, at a minimum, the
following when registering:
(1) The full name of the registrant, including any aliases, nicknames, or other names used by
the registrant;
(2) The address where the registrant intends to reside or resides at the time of registration,
the address of any habitable real property owned or leased by the registrant that he or she
regularly visits: Provided, That a post office box may not be provided in lieu of a physical
residential address, the name and address of the registrant's employer or place of
occupation at the time of registration, the names and addresses of any anticipated future
employers or places of occupation, the name and address of any school or training facility
the registrant is attending at the time of registration and the names and adderesses of any
schools or training facilities the registrant expects to attend;
(3) The registrant's Social Security number;
(4) A full-face photograph of the registrant at the time of registration;
(5) A brief description of the crime or crimes for which the registrant was convicted;
(6) The registrant's fingerprints and palm prints;
(7) Information related to any motor vehicle, trailer, or motor home owned or regularly
operated by a registrant, including vehicle make, model, color, and license plate number:
Provided, That for the purposes of this artiicle, the term "trailer" means travel trailer, fold-
down camping trailer, and house trailer as those terms are defined in §17A-1-1 of this code;
(8) Information relating to any Internet accounts the registrant has and the screen names,
user names, or aliases the registrant uses on the Internet;
(9) Information related to any telephone or electronic paging device numbers that the
registrant has or uses, including, but not limited to, residential, work, and mobile telephone
numbers;
(10) A photocopy of a valid driver's license or government-issued identification card,
including a tribal identification card;
(11) A photocopy of any passport and immigration documents;
(12) A photocopy of any professional licensing information that authorizes the registrant to
engage in an occupation or carry out a trade or business; and
(13) Any identifying information, including make, model, serial number, and photograph,
regarding any unmanned aerial vehicle owned or operated by a registrant.
(e) (1) On the date that any person convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental illness,
mental retardation, or addiction of any of the crimes listed in §15-12-2(b) of this code,
hereinafter referred to as a "qualifying offense", including those persons who are continuing
under some post-conviction supervisory status, are released, granted probation or a
suspended sentence, released on parole, probation, home detention, work release,
conditional release or any other release from confinement, the Commissioner of Corrections,
regional jail administrator, city official, or sheriff operating a jail or Secretary of the
Department of Health Facilities who releases the person and any parole or probation officer
who releases the person or supervises the person following the release shall obtain all
information required by §15-12-2(d) of this code prior to the release of the person, inform
the person of his or her duty to register, and send written notice of the release of the person
to the State Police within three business days of receiving the information. The notice must
include the information required by §15-12-2(d) of this code. Any person haveing a duty to
register for a qualifying offense shall register upon conviction, unless that person is confined
or incarcerated, in which case he or she shall register within three busriness days of release,
transfer, or other change in disposition status. Any person currently registered who is
incarcerated for any offense shall re-register within three business days of his or her release.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrtary, a court of this state shall,
upon presiding over a criminal matter resulting in conviction or a finding of not guilty by
reason of mental illness, mental retardation, or addiction of a qualifying offense, cause,
within 72 hours of entry of the commitment or sentencing order, the transmittal to the sex
offender registry for inclusion in the registry all information required for registration by a
registrant as well as the following nonidentifying information regarding the victim or
victims:
(A) His or her sex; g
(B) His or her age at the time eof the offense; and
(C) The relationship between the victim and the perpetrator.
The provisions of this subdivision do not relieve a person required to register pursuant to
this section from complying with any provision of this article.
(f) For any person determined to be a sexually violent predator, the notice required by
§15-12-2(d) of this code must also include:
(1) Identifying factors, including physical characteristics;
(2) History of the offense; and
(3) Documentation of any treatment received for the mental abnormality or personality
disorder.
(g) At the time the person is convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental illness, mental
retardation, or addiction in a court of this state of the crimes set forth in §15-12-2(b) of this
code, the person shall sign in open court a statement acknowledging that he or she
understands the requirements imposed by this article. The court shall inform the person so
convicted of the requirements to register imposed by this article and shall further satisfy
itself by interrogation of the defendant or his or her counsel that the defendant has received
notice of the provisions of this article and that the defendant understands the provisions.
The statement, when signed and witnessed, constitutes prima facie evidence that the person
had knowledge of the requirements of this article. Upon completion of the statement, the
court shall provide a copy to the registry. Persons who have not signed a statement under
the provisions of this subsection and who are subject to the registration requirements of this
article must be informed of the requirement by the State Police whenever the State Police
obtain information that the person is subject to registration requirements.
(h) The State Police shall maintain a central registry of all persons who register under this
article and shall release information only as provided in this article. Thre information
required to be made public by the State Police by §15-12-5(b)(2) of this code is to be
accessible through the Internet. Information relating to telephone or electronic paging
device numbers a registrant has or uses may not be released through the Internet.
(i) For the purpose of this article, "sexually violent offense" means:
(1) Sexual assault in the first degree as set forth in §61-8B-3 of this code, or of a similar
provision in another state, federal, or military jurisldiction;
(2) Sexual assault in the second degree as set forth §61-8B-4 of this code, or of a similar
provision in another state, federal, or militiary jurisdiction;
(3) Sexual assault of a spouse as set forth in the former provisions of §61-8B-6 of this code,
which was repealed by an act of the Legislature during the 2000 legislative session, or of a
similar provision in another state, federal, or military jurisdiction;
(4) Sexual abuse in the first degree as set forth in §61-8B-7 of this code, or of a similar
provision in another state, federal, or military jurisdiction;
(j) For purposVes of this article, the term "sexually motivated" means that one of the purposes
for which a person committed the crime was for any person's sexual gratification.
(k) For purposes of this article, the term "sexually violent predator" means a person who has
been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental illness, mental retardation, or
addiction of a sexually violent offense and who suffers from a mental abnormality or
personality disorder that makes the person likely to engage in predatory sexually violent
offenses.
(l) For purposes of this article, the term "mental abnormality" means a congenital or
acquired condition of a person that affects the emotional or volitional capacity of the person
in a manner that predisposes that person to the commission of criminal sexual acts to a
degree that makes the person a menace to the health and safety of other persons.
(m) For purposes of this article, the term "predatory act" means an act directed at a stranger
or at a person with whom a relationship has been established or promoted for the primary
purpose of victimization.
(n) For the purposes of this article, the term "business days" means days exclusive of
Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays as defined in §2-2-1 of this code.
(o) A person required to register pursuant to this article shall pay an annual fee of $125, to
be paid between January 1 and June 30 of each year. The annual fee shall be paid to the
circuit clerk of the circuit court where the registrant currently resides, and the registrant
will provide written proof of payment of the annual fee within ten days of thee payment to the
State Police detachment monitoring the registrant. The circuit clerk shall compile and
maintain a record of any payment made by a registrant to which the Strate Police shall have
access. The circuit clerk shall remit the entirety of a payment made pursuant to this
subsection to the state treasurer who shall deposit these funds into the State Treasury and
credit said funds to the account of the State Police. The State Police is hereby authorized to
utilize the funds collected from these annual fees, first to enthance mental health services for
current and former employees of the West Virginia State Police, including but not limited to
hiring, or contracting, mental health professionals, conducting periodic educational
seminars, meetings, training or conferences addressing mental health issues that affect
persons that are, or have been, employed as law enforcement, and then for any other use
essential to the general operations of the State Police: Provided, That failure to pay the
annual fee, or provide proof of payment of the annual fee, pursuant to this subsection may
not be considered a violation of the person's supervised release: Provided, however, That
written notice by the State Police served upon the registrant, by certified mail at the last
address provided by the registrant, stating that that the annual fee has not been paid, may
be recorded 30 days after the enotice was received by the registrant in the office of the
county clerk where the person required to register resides. This notice shall have the effect
of a judgment and shall Lbe recorded and indexed by the county clerk in the judgment lien
docket. This judgment lien will be released by the State Police within 30 days upon full and
complete payment by the registrant. Written verification of the release of the lien shall be
provided to thVe registrant at the address last provided by the registrant.

‹ Prev All West Virginia sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.