Carrying a handgun openly without a license is legal in Virginia at the age of 18, regardless of other applicable laws. Concealed carrying of a handgun is permitted to persons who hold a valid CHP (Secret Handgun Licence), who comply with certain restrictions or who occupy certain positions. Virginia issues a CHP to applicants 21 years of age and older as long as they meet certain safety training requirements and do not have disqualifying conditions under Virginia Code § 18.2-308.09. [28] [29] The consumption of an alcoholic beverage in local restaurants and clubs with an ABC licence while keeping a hidden handgun is prohibited. In addition, no one is allowed to carry a handgun hidden in a public place under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs (exceptions for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies). Any person authorized to carry a hidden firearm is not allowed to carry one in a public place while intoxicated. Possession of a firearm can exacerbate the penalty for a variety of other offences, including possession of illegal drugs. Open wearing while intoxicated is not regulated by law and can be considered legal unless otherwise stated. [30] [1] [2] [31] High-capacity ammunition magazines in Virginia do not have a law restricting high-capacity ammunition magazines. Virginia law prohibits the carrying of certain high-powered loaded firearms in public places in certain cities. [Editor`s Note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its websites with new data as U.S.
gun regulations evolve from state to state. For the most up-to-date information on U.S. gun laws, see the Giffords URL below. “More than half of the high-death shootings in the last 30 years involved high-capacity magazines,” said Louis Klarevas, author of the book Rampage Nation, adding that large magazines “correlate with higher death tolls.” If a shooter only has magazines containing 10 rounds or less, they will have to reload more frequently, giving passers-by more opportunities to flee, seek shelter or intervene. Virginia has no law limiting magazines of high-capacity ammunition. Virginia law prohibits the carrying of certain high-powered loaded firearms in public places in certain cities. The Virginia Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms from government violations. [19] The Commonwealth of Virginia prejudges local regulation of several aspects of firearms, although some local regulations are explicitly permitted. Virginia passed the Uniform Machine Gun Act, drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. [20] [21] The only prohibited firearms in Virginia are the Armsel Striker, also known as the Striker 12, similar shotguns, and all “plastic firearms.” Firearms must contain at least 3.7 ounces of electromagnetically detectable metal in the barrel, slide, cylinder, frame or receiver and, in the case of X-ray equipment, produce an image that accurately represents their shape.
[22] For example, Glock pistols that have polymer frames and metal rails and barrels are legal. There are no capacity restrictions on magazines, except that a Secret Handgun (CHP) permit is required to carry magazines larger than 20 rounds in certain urban public spaces. [1] [2] After mass shootings, advocates and politicians for the prevention of gun violence often focus on the role played by so-called assault weapons such as AR rifles. But a growing body of research suggests that the capability of the magazine, more than the type of weapon, can dramatically increase the death toll by allowing shooters to fire more projectiles before they are stopped. The federal ban on high-capacity shippers has ended. However, nine states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning high-capacity magazines. These states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont. There is no dangerous law on legal immunity A nationwide ban on assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 prohibited the purchase and sale of magazines that could hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. A Washington Post analysis of Virginia state police records found that seizures of high-capacity magazines have steadily declined with the passage of federal law.
In 1997, state police seized 944 handguns with high-capacity magazines, but by 2004 that number had dropped to just 452. However, when the ban expired, police saw the trend reversed: in 2009, Virginia law enforcement seized 986 such handguns. Still, Republican lawmakers across the country have generally opposed efforts to regulate devices.