State Treasurer Larry Pack today announced his Office has launched an online firearms auction that is restricted to registered federal firearms license (FFL) dealers for the first time in Office history.
“This online firearms auction will help modernize my Office’s Unclaimed Property Program and put dollars back into West Virginia law enforcement agencies sooner rather than later,” Treasurer Pack said. “Funds generated from this program have become instrumental in helping our local police and sheriff’s departments purchase new equipment so they can better serve the public.”
This is the first year FFL dealers will be allowed to make bids online. There are currently 113 firearms and 400 pounds of ammunition up for bid for the online auction. Bids must be submitted to gunauctions@wvsto.gov by March 10 at 9 a.m.
According to the Online Auction Guidelines, only one bid per auction will be accepted. The firearms and ammunition description list are posted on the State Treasurer’s website as well as a short video showing the firearms.
Firearms will not be shipped under any circumstance. The winning bidder will be required to set up an appointment with Assistant Treasurer of Records and Security Mike Comer by emailing mike.comer@wvsto.gov or calling (304)-340-5021 to arrange for pick up and payment.
The State Treasurer’s Office hosts in-person firearms auctions every year at its secure warehouse in Kanawha City. In addition to the online auctions, the Treasurer’s Office will continue to host separate onsite auctions requiring FFL dealer to attend in-person.
The Treasurer’s Office sent a QR code to FFL dealers in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The QR code directs dealers to the registration page and YouTube video link that displays the firearms and a lot list that describes each model and serial number for each firearm.
Under West Virginia’s Unclaimed Property Code (Chapter 36, Article 8A), state and local law enforcement agencies are mandated to report and turn over any unclaimed, seized or outdated firearms in their possession to the State Treasurer’s Office for auction.
The Office is required to hold an in-person auction every six months. The next in-person firearms auction is scheduled for March 27. The auction will consist of over 600 firearms.
The following 14 law enforcement agencies have turned over firearms for the March 27 auction:
· Bluefield Police Department
· Cabell County Sheriff’s Office
· Doddridge County Sheriff’s Office
· Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office
· Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
· Lewis County Sheriff’s Office
· Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
· Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
· Terra Alta Police Department
· Upshur County Sheriff’s Office
· Violent Crime Task Force
· Wood County Sheriff’s Office
· Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office
· West Virginia State Police – Berkeley Springs, Buckhannon, Saint Mary’s Detachments
The firearms available for auction are considered abandoned and remitted by law enforcement agencies annually to the Office’s Unclaimed Property Program, according to state law. The auctions typically include weapons that are older and no longer used by a department, or that have been seized as evidence and sitting in storage rooms for an extended amount of time following the disposition of a case. They can also include weapons taken from individuals who are not legally allowed to own firearms.
“It’s important to make sure these law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to keep our communities safe whether that be new safety gear, personal body armor and other necessary resources,” Treasurer Pack said. “I look forward to holding our 13th in-person firearms auction at our secure warehouse in Kanawha City. This will be my first auction attending as State Treasurer, and I hope to continue the program moving forward.”
During the last in-person firearms auction in September 2024, there were 307 lots consisting of 627 firearms and 300 pounds of ammunition up for bid, making it the largest inventory for the firearms auction in Office history.
More information about State Treasurer’s Office’s firearms auctions is available at www.wvtreasury.gov/FFL-Auction.
To learn about the unclaimed property program or to find out if the Office is holding any money for you or your family, visit www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov.
What is Unclaimed Property?
Unclaimed property can include financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for one year or longer. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. (While the title includes the word “property,” it does not however include real estate.)
West Virginia’s unclaimed property laws protect the public by ensuring money and property owed to them is returned to them, rather than remaining permanently with financial institutions, business associations, governments and other entities. The Treasurer seeks to reunite the unclaimed property, including uncashed paychecks, stocks, or safe deposit box contents, with its owner.
Nationwide, nearly 33 million people in the United States – one in every 10 – are estimated to have unclaimed property available for them to claim.
How Can I Find Unclaimed Property in My Name?
West Virginians searching for lost financial assets can go to www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. In addition to finding property, the website will also help you track a claim.
A demonstration of how to use the Unclaimed Property search site is available on the Treasury’s YouTube page, at: https://youtu.be/K09yQ7YNKlE.
To search for lost financial assets outside West Virginia, visit www.MissingMoney.com.