2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 17A. Motor Vehicle Administration, Registration, Certificate of Title, and Antitheft Provisions › Article 5. Permits to Nonresident Owners › §17A-5-1. Exemptions From Registration of Nonresident Owners; Special Permit and Certificate in Lieu of Registration for Nonresidents Maintaining Temporary and Recurrent or Seasonal Residence in State

(a) A nonresident owner, except as otherwise provided in this section, owning any vehicle registered in a foreign state or country of a Class A type otherwise subject to registration hereunder may operate or permit the operation of such vehicle within this state for a period of thirty days without registering such vehicle in, or paying any fees to, this state subject to the condition that such vehicle at all times when operated in this state is duly registered in and displays upon it a valid registration card and registration plate or plates issued for such vehicle in the place of residence of such owner and that such vehicle is not operated for commercial purposes.
(b) Every nonresident, including any foreign corporation, carrying on business within this state and owning and regularly operating in such business any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer or mobile equipment as defined in section one, article one, chapter seventeen-a of this code, within this state, shall be required to register each such vehicle and pay the same fee therefor as is required with reference to like vehicles owned by residents of this state, except as otherwise provided by reciprocal agreements with other states accomplished pursuant to sections ten and ten-a, article two of this chapter.
(c) Any nonresident who accepts or engages in temporary and recurrent or seasonal employment, business, profession or occupation in this state and maintains temporary and recurrent or seasonal residence in this state in connection with such employment, business, profession or occupation, and any nonresident, including any corporation carrying on business of a temporary and recurrent or seasonal nature in this state and owning and temporarily and recurrently or seasonally operating in such business any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer or mobile equipment as defined in section one, article one, chapter seventeen-a of this code, within this state, may operate or permit the operation of such vehicle within this state without causing said vehicle to be registered as otherwise required by article three of this chapter: Provided, That such nonresident, in lieu of registration of such vehicle, shall make application to the division and receive a special permit for such vehicle which shall be evidenced by a metal identification plate and certificate in writing, which special permit plate and certificate shall together identify the vehicle for which such special permit and plate shall issue and such certificate shall bear the name and address of the owner of such vehicle. Such special permit shall be issued without previous certification of title to such vehicle as otherwise required by article three of this chapter or the provisions of subsection (b) of this section:
(1) Every owner of a vehicle for which such special permit is desired shall make a verified application to the division for such special permit upon the appropriate form or forms furnished by the division and shall bear the signature of the owner written with pen and ink and shall contain the character of information called for by section three, article three of this chapter, a description of the employment, residence, business and location of such business set forth in such manner as to show the temporary and recurrent or seasonal nature of such residence, employment, business, profession or occupation, and that such vehicle is duly registered in the state of residence of such owner. There shall be an application for each vehicle for which a special permit is desired.
(2) Any special permit or plate issued by the division under this section shall be effective and valid for a period of sixty consecutive days from and including the date of issuance and, upon similar application by the owner, the commissioner may renew any such special permit for immediately ensuing similar period or periods of sixty days in any fiscal year. The division shall charge a fee of $50 for each special permit issued under this section:
(A) A special permit shall be issued for one vehicle only and no combination of two or more vehicles shall be operated under fewer special permits than the number of vehicles in such combination. A special permit shall not be issued for any vehicle which is not duly registered in the state of residence of the owner thereof.
(B) The registration plate issued for such vehicle by the state of residence of the owner shall not be displayed on such vehicle while being operated over any highway during any period for which a special permit shall have been issued for such vehicle under this section, but there shall be carried in such vehicle the certificate of registration issued for such vehicle by the state of residence of such owner.
(C) Any owner of any vehicle making application to operate such vehicle upon the highways of this state pursuant to the provisions of this article shall also be required to comply with the provisions of chapter seventeen-d of this code prior to commencing such operation.
(3) The commissioner shall prescribe the substance, form, color and context of the certificate or special permit and the special permit plate, each of which shall be visually distinguishable from the certificates of registration and registration plates issued under article three of this chapter.
(4) It is a misdemeanor for any person to drive or move or knowingly to permit to be moved or driven upon any highway any vehicle for which a special permit shall have been issued under this section unless such vehicle shall bear the special plate called for by the certificate evidencing such special permit.
(5) When the employment, business, profession, occupation or residence of the owner of a vehicle for which such special permit shall have been issued shall cease to be temporary and recurrent or seasonal, any special permit issued for such vehicle pursuant to this section shall immediately terminate and become void and such vehicle shall thereupon become subject to registration under article three of this chapter or the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.
(6) Any special permit issued pursuant to this section shall be valid and effective on and after the first day of a month; that is, such special permit issued between the first and fifteenth days of a month shall be effective during sixty consecutive days from and including the first day of the month in which the permit shall issue; and a special permit issued after the fifteenth day of any month shall be effective during sixty consecutive days commencing with and including the first day of the month next following the month in which such special permit shall be issued.
(d) Any other provision of this section notwithstanding, any nonresident referred to in subsection (c) of this section who is engaged by a public utility, as the latter is defined in chapter twenty-four of this code, for the exclusive purpose of restoring the service of said utility as a result of an emergency in which such service is affected shall be permitted to operate such motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer or mobile equipment as defined in section one, article one, chapter seventeen-a of this code, within this state, without causing said motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer or mobile equipment as defined in section one, article one, chapter seventeen-a of this code to be registered as otherwise provided by this section and article three of this chapter for the period actually necessary for such restoration but not to exceed a period of ten consecutive days: Provided, That said motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer or mobile equipment shall be registered in another state upon entry into this state. The provisions of this subsection shall not affect the requirements of reciprocal agreements with other states accomplished pursuant to sections ten and ten-a, article two of this chapter.