Virginia Carry Information
Learn more about Open and Concealed Carry
Open Carry is legal in Virginia in most places with or without a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) for those who are 18 years of age or older and are not prohibited from possessing firearms.
Concealed Carry requires, with a few exceptions, a CHP. (See §18.2-308, Sections B, C, & D for the exceptions.). Starting July 1, 2027, Virginia residents will be required to have a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit in order to carry concealed within the Commonwealth (18,2-308.014)
Places where carry is prohibited in Virginia and other types of restrictions
Effective: July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027
- Federal facilities (buildings) (18 USC § 930) & many federal agency lands (various federal regulations)
- Virginia state-government or state-agency buildings, or any office where state or agency employees regularly work, including rest stops and ABC stores (18.2-283.2)
- General Assembly buildings and Capitol Square (18.2-283.2)
- In some localities, carry is prohibited in certain local government facilities (see "Local restrictions on carry..." below)
- Buggs Island (4VAC15-40-140)
- Hog Island Wildlife Management Area (4VAC15-40-120)
- Starting July 1, 2027 state law (§18.2-287.4) will prohibit carrying an "assault firearm" in any public area, including roads, streets, alleys, sidewalks, public right-of-way, public parks, or any place of whatever nature open to the public. There is
no exemption for Concealed Handgun Permit holders, off-duty police, retired police, or armed security guards. "Assault firearms," as well as magazines that hold more than 15 rounds, cannot be bought, sold, or transferred.
NOTE: regular semi-automatic handguns (Glock G19, Sig P365, H&K CC9, Springfield Armory Hellcat, etc.), with or without a threaded barrel, can continue to be carried, regardless of the capacity of the magazine in the pistol.
Definition of "assault firearm":
- a semi-automatic center-fire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has one or more of these features:
- a folding, telescoping, or collapsible stock
- a thumb-hole stock or pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the rifle
- a second hand grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand
- a grenade launcher or
- a threaded barrel capable of accepting a muzzle brake, a muzzle compensator, a sound suppressor, or a flash hider
- if the rifle has a fixed magazine, it cannot accept for than 15 rounds
- a semi-automatic center-fire pistol that accepts a detachable magazine and has two or more of these features:
- a second hand grip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand
- the capacity to accept a magazine outside of the pistol grip
- a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and permits the shooter to hold the pistol with the non-trigger hand without being burned
- a threaded barrel capable of accepting a sound suppressor, a flash suppressor, a barrel extender, or a forward hand grip or
- a buffer tube, arm brace, or other part that protrudes horizontally behind the pistol grip and is designed or redesigned to allow or facilitate the firing of a firearm from the shoulder
- if the pistol has a fixed magazine, the magazine capacity cannot exceed 15 rounds
- a semi-automatic shotgun that has one or more of the following features:
- a folding, telescoping, or collapsible stock
- a thumb-hole stock or pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the shotgun
- the ability to accept a detachable magazine of any size or has a fixed magazine that holds more than 15 rounds
- a revolving cylinder
- Public college & university buildings unless part of an approved curriculum or activity (18.2-283.2). Some public colleges and universities have promulgated regulations prohibiting carry at events:
- Community Colleges (8VAC95-10)
- College of William and Mary (8VAC115-20)
- George Mason University (8VAC35-60)
- James Madison University (8VAC45-10)
- Longwood University (8VAC50-20)
- Old Dominion University (8VAC65-10)
- Radford University (8VAC75-20)
- Richard Bland College (8VAC115-30)
- University of Mary Washington (8VAC55-10)
- University of Virginia (8VAC85-20)
- William and Mary (8VAC115-20)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (8VAC90-60)
- Virginia Military Institute (8VAC100-10)
- Virginia State University (8VAC110-10)
- Virginia Tech (8VAC105-20)
- Courthouses (§18.2-283.1)
- Hospitals, emergency departments, or any other facility rendering emergency medical care, that provides mental health or developmental services (18.2-283.3)
- Detention Facilities (§15.2-915)
- K-12 school grounds (at all times), preschool grounds (during operating hours), and child day-center grounds (during operating hours). CHP holders exempted for concealed carry while in a vehicle (§18.2-308.1)
- K-12 school buses (§18.2-308.1)
- Property used exclusively for K-12 school-sponsored functions (§18.2-308.1)
- Air carrier airport terminal buildings (§18.2-287.01)
- Charlottesville Regional Airport, Charlottesville, VA
- Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, VA
- Lynchburg Municipal Airport, Lynchburg, VA
- Newport News Williamsburg Regional Airport, Newport News, VA
- Norfolk International Airport, Norfolk, VA
- Reagan National Airport, Arlington, VA
- Richmond International Airport, Richmond, VA
- Roanoke Regional Airport, Roanoke, VA
- Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport, Staunton, VA
- Places of worship while a meeting for religious purposes is being held "without good and sufficient reason" (§18.2-283) NOTE: a Virginia Attorney General's opinion sa that carrying a firearm for self-defense qualified as a "good and sufficient reason"
- Restaurants & clubs -- concealed carry prohibited while consuming alcoholic beverages (§18.2-308.012)
- Private property when prohibited by owner (§18.2-308.01.C & trespass violation)
- Within 100 feet of a polling place from 1 hour before until 1 hour after operating hours or the principle office of the general registrar (§24.2-604)
- A handgun left in an unattended vehicle must be in a locked hard-sided container, such as a gun case, glove box, or console
- Firearms in a home, if not carried on the person of the gun owner, must be secured if there is a minor or a prohibited person present. If the minor living in the home has parental permission to have access to firearms, then the firearm does not need to be secured. Firearms must be secured unloaded, except if stored in a safe with either a biometric, combination, or coded lock
- Homemade guns must be serialized by an FFL prior to July 1, 2027
- 18 to 20-year-olds can carry handguns they owned before July 1, 2026, but they cannot buy any new handguns
- Local restrictions on carry, possession, transport, and storage of firearms as permitted by state law (§15.2-915):
NOTES:
1) Signs MUST be posted at all entrances to any prohibited locations, or the restrictions are invalid and unenforceable.
2) Most localities are treating local gun-control like trespass - a person is warned before being charged.
This list will be updated periodically. There are currently 20 localities (out of a total of 194 localities) with local gun-control:
- Albemarle (county) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, and community and recreation centers. Loaded guns may be left secured in a vehicle. There is no prohibition for permitted events. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Alexandria (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Arlington (county) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Blacksburg (town) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Charlottesville (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Dumfries (town) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in Town Council Chambers only. The ordinance is poorly written and has confusing language about putting signs in parks and recreation and community centers, but those are not prohibited locations per the Town Council's public statement of intent when the ordinance was passed. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Fairfax (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, and community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets.
A violation will be a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Fairfax (county) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. Exception for Bull Run shooting facility. Carry is prohibited on School Board property. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Falls Church (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and city-run events (one parade a year). Carry on sidewalks on the periphery of a park is allowed. Guns can be stored loaded and secured while in a vehicle in a City public parking lot. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Henrico (county) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings and community and recreation centers. There is no prohibition in parks or permitted events. Loaded guns may be left secured in a vehicle. A person in violation will be given a verbal warning and if they refuse to comply by removing their firearm from the building, they can then be charged. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor (up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to 6 months in jail) if there is no intent to intimidate or frighten others. Otherwise, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Herndon (town) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings and community and recreation centers. There is no prohibition in parks or permitted events. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Loudoun (county) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings and community and recreation centers. CHP holders can carry concealed handguns in parks as long as the handgun doesn't have a magazine holding more than 20 rounds in it. Guns can also be left in vehicles in parks. There is no prohibition for permitted events. Carry is prohibited on School Board property. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Manassas Park (city) - all carry (open and concealed with a CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, including the recreation center, city hall, public works, social services, permitting services.
There is no prohibition in parks or permitted events. Penalties are tiered, and the tier resets after one calendar year passes after the last offense. The tiers are Class 4 misdemeanor ($250, no jail time) for the first offense, Class 3 misdemeanor ($500, no jail time) for the second offense, and Class 1 misdemeanor ($2,500 and up to one year in jail) for a third or higher offense.
- Newport News (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) is prohibited in local government buildings, and community and recreation centers. There is no prohibition in parks or permitted events. A person carrying will be asked to leave the building. Failure to do so can lead to a trespass charge and/or a civil fine of $500.
- Petersburg (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Richmond (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Roanoke (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings, parks, community and recreation centers, and permitted events and adjacent streets. There is currently no prohibition on guns at permitted events and adjacent streets, as a VCDL lawsuit on the City's gun ban in parks and at permitted events works through the courts. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Surry (county) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings and community and recreation centers. There is no prohibition in parks or at permitted events. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
- Virginia Beach (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) is prohibited in the Housing Resource Center.
Lockers provided to store firearms while in the building. No other buildings have a ban. A violation will cause violator to be removed from building.
- Winchester (city) - all carry (open and concealed with CHP) prohibited in local government buildings and community and recreation centers. There is no prohibition in parks or at permitted events. Currently, due to a lawsuit filed by VCDL, there is no prohibition on firearms in City-owned parking garages. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to a $2,500 fine and/or up to 12 months in jail).
Carry this information with you by printing your own VCDL Carry Card!