The Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic has compiled the materials on this website to provide general information about land use law in West Virginia. The information and the publications contained on this site have been prepared for general informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to convey legal advice. These pages are public, and any use of these pages should be considered non-confidential. Providing this information is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship.
The information and links provided on this website are periodically reviewed for accuracy and completeness, but neither can be guaranteed. The law evolves daily, and the law may differ significantly state-to-state and jurisdiction-to-jurisdiction, thus information contained on this website may not be applicable to a particular set of facts or circumstances. Readers should not act on the information contained on this website independently. A qualified attorney should be obtained for assistance with a particular set of facts or legal issue.
Links provided on this website are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information in such sites has been endorsed or approved by the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic, West Virginia University, the WVU College of Law, or the State of West Virginia.
West Virginia Comprehensive Plans
The list of West Virginia Comprehensive Plans Online provided is designed to help communities view comprehensive plans that have been adopted within the state. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list and is for informational purposes only.
Toolkits
From Liability to Viability: A Legal Toolkit to Address Neglected Properties in West Virginia details legal strategies to address the nearly 1 in 16 properties within the state that are vacant or abandoned and, in particular, those properties that have become dilapidated.
Broadband in West Virginia: A Legal Guide for Local Governments introduces legal issues relevant to local governments and local government partners in West Virginia as the state seeks improved broadband access.
Fact Sheets
The fact sheets developed by the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic aim to distill complex legal issues into an accessible resource. These are typically directed at the many dedicated volunteer planners and local government leaders across the state, many of whom do not have access to legal services.
- Accessory Uses and Structures
- Open Governmental Meetings Act (OGMA)
- OGMA and COVID-19
- Spot Zoning
- Zoning for Oil and Gas
- Zoning Officer
- Enabling Authority to Address Dilapidated Buildings
- Future Land Use Map v. Zoning Map
- Historic Districts: Zoning v. HLCs
- Mobile, Manufactured, and Modular Housing Differences
- Nonconformities
- The Use Table: Uses Permitted by Right, Conditional Uses, and Prohibited Uses
- Tiny Homes: Issues
- Tiny Homes: Land Use Controls
- Zoning for Medical Cannabis and Hemp
- Zoning Signs
Checklists
The checklists developed by the Clinic provide local governments within the state guidance on drafting comprehensive plans and ordinances that are compliant with West Virginia Code, in terms of what is required and optional.