§17-18-6. Unauthorized ferry generally.
If any person or corporation shall, without having obtained the privilege to do so, as provided in the four next preceding sections, establish, keep or maintain a ferry over any watercourse, on or over which another ferry has been legally established, or shall keep a boat or other watercraft with a hand or hands generally ready to transport or carry any person, horse, carriage, wagon, cart or other thing, whether for reward or not, or shall for compensation furnish, hire or loan to another any boat, skiff or other watercraft, to be used for ferrying any person or thing over such watercourse, every person so offending shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined for each offense not less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars. And if the owner or occupant of any land bordering on any such stream shall suffer or permit another person who is keeping or maintaining any such ferry, or who is keeping such boat or other watercraft with such hand or hands with the object or for the purpose aforesaid, to use any part of the land so owned or occupied by him, as a landing for such ferry, boat or other watercraft, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction, fined as aforesaid. And the owner or keeper of every such ferry, not legally established as aforesaid, and every person who shall keep such boat or watercraft as aforesaid, and the owner or occupier of any such land as aforesaid, shall moreover be liable to the owner or lessee of any ferry legally established over such watercourse for all damages he may sustain by reason of the unlawful keeping or maintaining of any such ferry, boat or watercraft on any such watercourse. But no ferry privileges or franchises shall preclude the erection of bridges over any watercourse, or entitle the owner of such privileges or franchises to damages in case of the erection of a bridge or bridges over any watercourse.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session