West Virginia One-Party

Licensing & Regulation

West Virginia licenses PIs through the Secretary of State under W. Va. Code §30-18-1 et seq. Applicants must be 18+, demonstrate two years of experience, submit fingerprints, and post a $2,500 surety bond.

Physical Surveillance

Public surveillance is permitted. West Virginia's stalking statute (W. Va. Code §61-2-9a) constrains intrusive conduct. GPS tracking on a non-owned vehicle is risky.

Audio & Video Recording Consent

West Virginia is a one-party-consent state under W. Va. Code §62-1D-3. The recording party must be a participant.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

West Virginia allows fault-based divorce; adultery is a ground. PIs document patterns. Accessing a spouse's accounts may violate W. Va. Code §61-3C-1 et seq. (computer crime).

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

W. Va. Code §61-3C-1 et seq. (West Virginia Computer Crime and Abuse Act) parallels the CFAA. OSINT is permitted; pretexting is barred.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

WV State Police coordinate missing-persons cases. DPPA fully applies. WV's stalking statute is broad.