Using fake personal identification, such as a passport or driver’s license, violates federal and state criminal laws. Teens and young adults who present falsified documents to obtain alcoholic beverages, get into adult nightclubs, or drive vehicles illegally face serious consequences. Here’s what criminal defense attorneys think you should know about West Virginia’s laws on fake identification.

Understanding West Virginia Criminal Law on Fake IDs

What Is Prohibited?

West Virginia law makes it illegal to use, possess, make, or sell any form of false identification in the state. Giving someone your valid driver’s license to use is illegal also. To identify false documents, Sheriff's departments run IDs through their systems using driver's license numbers or names and dates of birth. By this process, they compare the ID data against records at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

What Are the Penalties for Violations?

West Virginia law enforcement has been cracking down on violators of the state’s criminal laws regarding fake identification. If you are an adult arrested and convicted for possessing fake identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, expect to be fined $500, but up to $1,000 for the misdemeanor offense. You may have to serve jail time and lose driving privileges.

If you are under age 21 and attempt to purchase or purchased alcoholic beverages with the illegal documentation, you face additional punishment for underage possession, including loss of your driver’s license for six months. Whether you are a minor or an adult, being caught having given your valid driver’s license to someone else can lead to law enforcement officials sending your license to the state and having it revoked.

Giving your real ID for to someone else to use is just as illegal as creating, buying, or using a fake ID. If you are charged with any such criminal law violation, you need help from an experienced criminal defense lawyer. At Kratovil Law Offices, PLLC in Charles Town, WV, you get the benefit of a lawyer with more than 35 years of criminal law experience, serving residents of the Eastern Panhandle and the state of Maryland. This family-owned law office provides dedicated and skilled service and deep knowledge of the region. Get the effective representation you need from lawyers you can trust. Call (304) 728-7718 today or send them a message through their website.