West Virginia House Bill HB4843

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/26
• Refer: 1/27/26

Caption

Relating to consumer protection and the collection of certain personally identifiable information.

Summary

House Bill 4843 would add a new section to West Virginia’s consumer protection law to restrict the use of scanner technology in certain consumer transactions. The bill prohibits a person from using a scanner or similar device to collect personally identifiable information from a consumer’s driver’s license or identification card, except for the consumer’s age. The bill specifically identifies information such as a driver’s license number, Social Security number, medical history, and other descriptive information on the license as prohibited data to collect through scanning. The bill defines “scanner technology” broadly to include devices that read bar codes or magnetic strips on identification cards, generate age declarations, store event records, report histories, and transfer data for archiving or database development. A violation of the new section would be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under West Virginia’s consumer protection statute, which would subject violators to the enforcement and penalty provisions of that article.

Impact

If enacted, HB4843 would expand West Virginia’s consumer protection code by creating a new prohibition on the collection of personal data through ID-scanning devices. It would affect retailers, bars, restaurants, age-restricted businesses, and any other entities that use ID scanners to verify age or record transactions, limiting them to age verification rather than broader data capture. The bill would also give the state a clearer enforcement basis by classifying violations as unfair or deceptive trade practices, potentially exposing violators to civil penalties and other remedies available under the consumer protection law.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record is available in the provided material, so there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or recorded support/opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a consumer privacy and data-protection bill, suggesting an intent to limit unnecessary collection of sensitive information from identification documents. The absence of recorded votes or discussion means the overall sentiment cannot be measured from the available context.

Contention

The main point of contention likely concerns the balance between consumer privacy and business practices that rely on ID scanners for age verification, fraud prevention, and recordkeeping. Supporters would likely emphasize limiting the retention and secondary use of sensitive personal information, while opponents may argue that the bill is too broad because it restricts common scanning systems that also help businesses document compliance with age-restricted sales laws. Because no committee testimony or vote history is provided, specific positions by legislators, industry groups, or privacy advocates are not identified in the record supplied.