West Virginia Code on Oaths of Office

Selected Sections

§2-2-7. Affirmation equivalent to oath.
      A solemn affirmation shall be equivalent to an oath in all cases, unless otherwise expressly provided, and the word "oath" shall be deemed to include an affirmation and the word "swear" or "sworn" to be complied with if the person referred to make solemn affirmation.

§6-1-2. Members of state Legislature.
      Every person elected or appointed a member of the Senate, or a member of the House of Delegates, in the Legislature of this state, shall, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, take and subscribe the oath or affirmation prescribed by, and in the manner specified in, section 16 of article VI of the constitution of the state.

§6-1-3. Other officers.
      Except as provided in sections one and two of this article, every person elected or appointed to any office in this state, before proceeding to exercise the authority or discharge the duties of such office, shall take the oath or affirmation prescribed in section 5 of article IV of the constitution of this state; but this section shall not be construed to require any executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, curator, committee, special commissioner, election officer, registration officer, or person authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony, to take any oath other than that otherwise required of him by law.

§6-1-4. Before whom taken.
      Any oath of office may be taken in this state before any court of record or before any person having at the time authority to administer oaths. Any person residing out of this state, who shall be appointed to any office, agency or service to be performed out of this state, may take the oath required of him before any person authorized to administer oaths in the jurisdiction in which such person resides, or in which the duties of the office, agency or service are to be performed.

§6-1-6. Where certificates of oaths filed and recorded; destruction of originals.
      Certificates of the oaths of all magisterial district and county officers, and judges of courts of limited jurisdiction within any county, shall be filed, recorded and preserved in the office of the clerk of the county court of the county. Certificates of the oaths of members of boards of education and school officers of any district or independent school district shall be filed, recorded and preserved in the office of the secretary of such board, and certified copies thereof filed and recorded in the office of the clerk of the county court of the county of such district. Certificates of the oaths of all municipal officers shall be filed, recorded and preserved in the office of the clerk or recorder of such municipality, or other officer created or acting in lieu of such clerk or recorder, and certified copies thereof filed and recorded in the office of the clerk of the county court of the county in which such municipality is situated. Certificates of the official oaths of the members of the state Senate and House of Delegates shall be filed and recorded as provided in section 16 of article VI of the constitution of this state. Certificates of the oaths of all other officers shall be filed and preserved in the office of the secretary of state.
      At any time after the expiration of the term of office for which the oath was taken, the original certificate or certified copy thereof, but not the record, may be destroyed, unless further preservation thereof shall be required by the order of some court, in which event the same may be destroyed when the preservation thereof is no longer required. It shall be the duty of every person who takes an oath of office to procure and file in the proper office the certified copies of his certificate of oath as provided in this section.

§6-1-7. Acting before taking oath.
      No person elected or appointed to any office, civil or military, shall enter into the office, exercise any of the authority or discharge any of the duties pertaining thereto, or receive any compensation therefor, before taking the oath of office: Provided, That this section shall not apply to members of the Legislature of this state.

Other Sections Relating to Oaths of Office Generally

§39-1A-1. "Notarial acts" defined; who may perform notarial acts outside the state for use in state.
      For the purposes of this article, "notarial acts" means acts which the laws and regulations of this state authorize notaries public of this state to perform, including the administering of oaths and affirmations, taking proof of execution and acknowledgments of instruments, and attesting documents. Notarial acts may be performed outside this state for use in this state with the same effect as if performed by a notary public of this state by the following persons authorized pursuant to the laws and regulations of other governments in addition to any other person authorized by the laws and regulations of this state:
      (1) A notary public authorized to perform notarial acts in the place in which the act is performed;
      (2) A judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of any court of record in the place in which the notarial act is performed;
      (3) An officer of the foreign service of the United States, a consular agent, or any other person authorized by regulation of the United States department of state to perform notarial acts in the place in which the act is performed;
      (4) A commissioned officer in active service with the armed forces of the United States and any other person authorized by regulation of the armed forces to perform notarial acts if the notarial act is performed for one of the following or his dependents: A merchant seaman of the United States, a member of the armed forces of the United States or any other person serving with or accompanying the armed forces of the United States; or
      (5) Any other person authorized to perform notarial acts in the place in which the act is performed.