West Virginia Code 61-3E-11 – Exemptions
(a) Unless specifically prohibited by any provision of this code or the laws of the United States, nothing in this article prohibits the authorized manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution, use or possession of any explosive material by any person holding a permit for such issued by the office of the State Fire Marshal. Any person performing a lawful activity pursuant to or regulated by the terms of a permit issued by the Division of Environmental Protection, or any office thereof, is exempt from the provisions of this article.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 61-3E-11
- Destructive device: means any bomb, grenade, mine, rocket, missile, pipebomb or similar device containing an explosive, incendiary, explosive gas or expanding gas which is designed or so constructed as to explode by such filler and is capable of causing bodily harm or property damage. See West Virginia Code 61-3E-1
- Explosive material: means any chemical compound, mechanical mixture or device that is commonly used or can be used for the purpose of producing an explosion and which contains any oxidizing and combustive units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities or packaging that an ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, by detonator or by any part of the compound or mixture may cause a sudden generation of highly heated gases. See West Virginia Code 61-3E-1
- Incendiary device: means a container containing gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, or derivative thereof, or other flammable or combustible material, having a wick or other substance or device which, if set or ignited, is capable of igniting such gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, or derivative thereof, or other flammable or combustible material: Provided, That no similar device commercially manufactured and used solely for the purpose of illumination shall be deemed to be an incendiary device. See West Virginia Code 61-3E-1
- Person: means an individual, corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society or joint stock company. See West Virginia Code 61-3E-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) Unless specifically prohibited by any other provision of this code or the laws of the United States, nothing in this section prohibits the authorized manufacture, transportation, distribution, use or possession of any explosive, destructive device or incendiary device by a member of the armed forces or law-enforcement officers whenever such persons are acting lawfully and in the line of duty; nor shall it prohibit the manufacture, transportation, distribution, use or possession of any explosive material, destructive device or incendiary device to be used solely for lawful scientific research or lawful educational purposes. Any person engaged in otherwise lawful blasting activities failing to obtain a permit or in possession of an expired permit issued by the office of the State Fire Marshal is not in violation of the article.
(c) Nothing contained in this article applies to sparkling devices or novelties or to the sale, purchase, possession, use, transportation or storage of fireworks as regulated in article three-e, chapter twenty-nine of this code.