§46A-1-108 Records retention methods. - West Virginia Statutes

§46A-1-108. Records retention methods.

(a) All persons, other than banks and credit unions, who are subject to the provisions of this chapter and who are required to create or maintain records or other documents in the course of their business, may copy or reproduce those records or documents (other than notes, bonds, mortgages and other securities and investments) by any existing and generally accepted method of reproduction or retention technology which conforms to the requirements of section thirty-five, article four, chapter thirty-one-a of this code and may substitute copies or reproductions of the records or documents either in positive or negative form for the originals. A copy or reproduction in the form of a positive print is deemed to be an original counterpart of and has the same force as the original and is admissible in evidence in all courts and administrative agencies in this state for all purposes. The copies or reproductions authorized by this subsection shall be maintained pursuant to the records retention requirements applicable to the original records or documents. The original records or documents, once copied or reproduced, may be destroyed or otherwise eliminated.

(b) When copies of documents are offered in evidence, all circumstances surrounding the making or issuance of the documents, books, records, correspondence and other instruments, papers or writings, or the photographic, photostatic or microphotographic copies or optical disks or other permissible reproductionsrepresented by the copies, may be shown to affect the weight of the documents as evidence, but not the admissibility.

(c) Any device used to copy or reproduce documents and records shall be one which correctly and accurately reproduces the original document or record in all details and any disk or film used for this purpose shall be of durable material.

(d) Banks and credit unions may reproduce and maintain records and documents in conformity with this section as long as the reproduction and maintenance methods used do not conflict with any other provisions of this code applicable to banks or credit unions or with any rule of the commissioner of banking.