W. Va. Code § 10-1-11
This is the official text of W. Va. Code § 10-1-11, part of West Virginia’s Va. Code — part of the compiled statutory law of West Virginia, published by the state as "Va. Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§10-1-11. Willful retention of library property.
Official statutory text
Any person who willfully retains a book, newspaper, plate, picture, photograph, engraving, painting, drawing, map, magazine, document, letter, public record, microfilm, sound recording, audio visual materials in any format, magnetic or other tapes, artifacts or other documentary (written or printed) materials, or all materials of any kind whatsoever belonging to any public library for thirty days after the mailing date of a written notice demanding the return of said material and giving notice of said violation, forwarded to that person's last known address, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $200: Provided, That a date or dates designating a grace period for the return of library materials to public libraries shall be established, said dates to be established by the state Library Commission pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated thereto.
A conviction or payment of any fine shall not be construed to constitute payment for library material, nor shall a person convicted under this section be thereby relieved of any obligation to return to the library such material. Further, a conviction or payment of any fine shall not be construed as a waiver of any nominal daily fine which may be imposed by library rules, regulations or policies.
The parent or guardian of a minor who willfully commits any act prohibited by this section shall be liable for all damages so caused by the minor up to the amount of $2,500, after the parent or guardian is served with proper written notice as aforementioned.
A conviction or payment of any fine shall not be construed to constitute payment for library material, nor shall a person convicted under this section be thereby relieved of any obligation to return to the library such material. Further, a conviction or payment of any fine shall not be construed as a waiver of any nominal daily fine which may be imposed by library rules, regulations or policies.
The parent or guardian of a minor who willfully commits any act prohibited by this section shall be liable for all damages so caused by the minor up to the amount of $2,500, after the parent or guardian is served with proper written notice as aforementioned.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in West Virginia?
Find a West Virginia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.