(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, a person under the age of eighteen years who is not married or otherwise emancipated shall not possess or carry concealed or openly any deadly weapon: provided, that a minor may possess a firearm upon premises owned by such minor or his family or on the premises of another with the permission of his or her parent or guardian and in the case of property other than his or her own or that of his family, with the permission of the owner or lessee of such property. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a minor from possessing a firearm while hunting in a lawful manner or while traveling from a place where he or she may lawfully possess a deadly weapon, to a hunting site, and returning to a place where he or she may lawfully possess such weapon.
(b) A violation of this section by a person under the age of eighteen years shall subject the child to the jurisdiction of the circuit court under the provisions of West Virginia Code 49-4- 701 et seq., and such minor may be proceeded against in the same manner as if he or she had committed an act which if committed by an adult would be a crime, and may be adjudicated delinquent. (WVaC 61-7-8; Ord. 2022-008. Passed 11-7-22.)