TX and WV have established reciprocity

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Read the agreement here:

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[AvidshooterTX]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Officials for the West Virginia Attorney General's office have worked through a major stumbling block with the state of Texas and approved a concealed handgun reciprocity agreement between both states.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed the agreement on March 23, according to Will Valentino, the assistant West Virginia attorney general in charge of working out reciprocity agreements with other states.

Valentino said the agreement went into effect as soon as Perry signed it, meaning West Virginians with a valid concealed weapons permit can now legally carry a concealed handgun in Texas and vice versa.

West Virginia now has concealed weapons reciprocity agreements with 24 states. Another seven states recognize West Virginia concealed weapons permits without a reciprocity agreement, Valentino said.

He said state officials have been in negotiations with officials in Texas for several years to try to work out an agreement.

"It took us a long time to convince them that our standards for background checks meet their standards for background checks," Valentino said. In order to approve a reciprocity agreement with other states, Valentino said the two states must have similar background checks and meet West Virginia's requirement to be able to confirm that a gun owner has a valid permit 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Valentino said the 24-hour requirement has been a stumbling block with reaching a reciprocity agreement with Georgia, where checking licenses is done by civilian employees.

More than 60,000 West Virginians are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, according to State Police records.