Concealed Carry Laws in VA
Always go to the source website when inquiring about laws in any state, laws change, websites, even ones like ours dont often get updated. This info is directly from the VA State Police website, who oversees and handles permitting in the state of Virginia.
Virginia Resident Concealed Handgun Permits are issued by the circuit court of the county or city in which the applicant resides. Please contact the applicable court for specific instruction on the application process. Nonresident concealed carry information can be found here >>
VA Code § 18.2-308 – Prohibits the carrying of any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of an explosion of any combustible material; any dirk, bowie knife, stiletto knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, sling bow, spring stick, metal knucks, or blackjack; any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, which may be known as a nun chahka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, or fighting chain; any disc, of whatever configuration, having at least two points or pointed blades which is designed to be thrown or propelled and which may be known as a throwing star or oriental dart; or any weapon of like kind by any person hidden from common observance about his person. Any of the enumerated weapons shall be seized and forfeited to the Commonwealth. A weapon shall be deemed to be hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon’s true nature.
Additional Information:
- A Permit is Not Necessary in the Following Circumstances
- Application for a Concealed Handgun Permit
- Documentation of Proof of Handgun Competency
- Fees for Concealed Handgun Permits
- If Your Application is Not Complete within 45 Days
- Permit Renewal
- If Your Application is Denied
- Persons Not Qualified to Obtain a Permit
- Change of Address
- Revocation, Suspension, or Surrender of Permit
- Where Unlawful to Carry
Other Resources
VCDL, or Viriginia Citizens Defense League, has a great Virginia Carry Law webpage that they do a great job of keeping updated and curated with common information that gets misrepresented pretty consistently between Virginians, politicians, and yes, even law enforcement. If you are a VA resident and care about our 2nd Amendment you should become a member. https://www.vcdl.org/virginia-carry-law
Firearms Policy Coalition, another great organization that you should join. Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is a 501(c)4 nonprofit membership organization that works for you: the People. We typically have members and supporters in all 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia. We work to achieve mission success through high-impact strategic litigation, groundbreaking research, legislative and regulatory advocacy, grassroots activism, education, and public engagement. Our legal division, FPC Law, is the nation’s leading initiative dedicated to restoring the right to keep and bear arms across the United States.
GOA, or Gun Owners of America, again, another great organization that you should support that is doing great work for the 2nd Amendment and our liberties. Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1976 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue.