W. Va. Code R. § 91-2-11
The Monthly staggered system was established from the 1968-1969 license number and each vehicle registered was assigned an expiration date based on the Class A license number the owner was assigned for the fiscal year 1968-69.
When the owner of a Class A vehicle is assigned an expiration month, the license should be renewed before the expiration date. If the owner does not renew the license before the expiration date and would make application for renewal any time during the month the license expired, the owner would be required to pay a full years fee and no change would be made on the expiration date.
If the license was renewed any time after the month of expiration and it is determined that the owner has been operating the vehicle with an expired license, a full years fee would be required and no change would be made on the expiration date.
If it is determined that the owner has not operated the vehicle on the highways after the month of expiration, a full years fee would be required and a new expiration date would be assigned on the registration application showing the month in which the license was renewed as provided below.
If the license is issued between the first and fifteenth day of any given month, the fee shall be determined from the first day of the month in which the application was made. On and after the sixteenth day of the month the application is made in, the fee would be determined from the first day of the following calendar month.
A further exception is when a vehicle registered under the Class A staggered system in this State is titled and registered out-of-state and at a later date is returned and retitled in this State, the old license plate would be cancelled and a new license plate would be issued beginning with the month the vehicle was retitled in this State. In order that our registration records show the correct information in case of a registration check, a cancellation card for the old number should be executed and recorded on the records of the alphabetical and numerical registration files of the Department.
Many states will issue a special registration for a vehicle and will not require the surrender of the title issued by the state in which the vehicle is titled. In such cases, if the applicant returns to West Virginia with the same vehicle that was titled and registered in this State, the license plate previously issued to the owner should be cancelled as provided herein and a new plate issued for the vehicle. The new plate and registration certificate should show the expiration date the vehicle was re-registered in this State.
W. Va. Code R. § 91-2-11