Virginia Legislative Update transcript
Hi, Ed Riley here again, U.S. LawShield® Independent Program Attorney for Virginia.
Today, we’re going to talk about some of the updates in the law with respect to firearms, that went into effect in Virginia on July 1 of 2017.
First one of those is § 18.2-308.2, which speaks specifically to whether a violent felon or any felon can possess a firearm. The change in that statute allows a nonviolent felon to possess an antique firearm or muzzle loader or up to five pounds of black powder, as long as it’s being used for sporting purposes.
A second area of change involves schools. Typically you cannot carry a firearm in a school. However, this change affects school security officers. And if you look to § 22.1-280.1:2, the main change is that if you are retired law enforcement officer, you can carry a gun, and there’s some other changes that involve training as well.
The third area of change is the concealed handgun permit itself. No longer is it required to have an application done under oath before a notary.
Now you need to have an official form of ID issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or it can be the Department of Defense, or a passport. Also changed was that the actual size of the permit shall be the size of Virginia driver’s license, and it may be laminated. Additionally, the change-of-address requirement for the permit has been changed to allow you to fill out a Virginia State Police form and submit that to the court for a re-issuance of the change-of-address permit.
The last area of change to the actual permit process is renewal. If a clerk has an electronic system as part of their renewal process then they may use that electronic system for notice with respect to when renewal can occur.
The final area of change from this session involves people who have had their rights to possess, purchase, or transport a firearm taken away because of mental health issues. These come under Virginia Code Sections § 18.2-308.1:1, :2, and :3. And the specific change is that, if you are an out-of-state resident, you can now petition the general district court where those rights were last removed.
Back to School: Firearms Laws You Need to Know in Virginia
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