Does West Virginia have the death penalty?
Fully abolished
West Virginia abolished the death penalty in 1965.
West Virginia is classified “Fully abolished” for the death penalty, as are 23 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Retained / in use”.
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Retained / in use 16 states.
- Not used in practice 11 states.
- Fully abolished 23 states and the District of Columbia, including West Virginia.
Nearby states
- Virginia
- Fully abolished Virginia abolished the death penalty in 2021.
- Ohio
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (de facto moratorium).
- District of Columbia
- Fully abolished The District of Columbia abolished the death penalty in 1981.
- Maryland
- Fully abolished Maryland abolished the death penalty in 2013.
- North Carolina
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by implementers moratorium).
- Pennsylvania
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by Governor moratorium).
Other laws in West Virginia
- Abortion
- Illegal (with exceptions)
- Euthanasia
- Illegal
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Gun Laws
- Permissive
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical)
The death penalty in the United States → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.