Virginia Concealed Carry Laws

Last reviewed: October 9, 2026

Constitutional Carry No
Open Carry Lawful
Permit honored in 35 states
Virginia honors 49 states

Virginia Gun Laws

Reciprocity of Virginia's Basic Resident Permit

Alaska: Permit honoredAlabama: Permit honoredArkansas: Permit honoredArizona: Permit honoredCalifornia: Permit not honoredColorado: Permit honoredConnecticut: Permit not honoredDistrict of Columbia: Permit not honoredDelaware: Permit not honoredFlorida: Permit honoredGeorgia: Permit honoredHawaii: Permit not honoredIowa: Permit honoredIdaho: Permit honoredIllinois: Permit not honoredIndiana: Permit honoredKansas: Permit honoredKentucky: Permit honoredLouisiana: Permit honoredMassachusetts: Permit not honoredMaryland: Permit not honoredMaine: Permit honoredMichigan: Permit honoredMinnesota: Permit not honoredMissouri: Permit honoredMississippi: Permit honoredMontana: Permit honoredNorth Carolina: Permit honoredNorth Dakota: Permit honoredNebraska: Permit honoredNew Hampshire: Permit honoredNew Jersey: Permit not honoredNew Mexico: Permit honoredNevada: Permit honoredNew York: Permit not honoredOhio: Permit honoredOklahoma: Permit honoredOregon: Permit not honoredPennsylvania: Permit honoredRhode Island: Permit not honoredSouth Carolina: Permit honoredSouth Dakota: Permit honoredTennessee: Permit honoredTexas: Permit honoredUtah: Permit honoredVirginia (current state)Vermont: Permit honoredWashington: Permit not honoredWisconsin: Permit not honoredWest Virginia: Permit honoredWyoming: Permit honored AKALARAZCACOCTDCDEFLGAHIIAIDILINKSKYLAMAMDMEMIMNMOMSMTNCNDNENHNJNMNVNYOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVAVTWAWIWVWY
Permit honored Permitless carry Not honored

Open Carry

Lawful
Permitted

Duty to Notify Law Enforcement

Only when asked by the officer
Permitted

State Parks

Concealed Carry is legal in accordance with state laws that regulate the right to carry
Permitted

Restaurants Serving Alcohol

No restriction as long as you don't consume any alcohol
Permitted

Firearms at Colleges

Effective July 2026, firearms will only be permitted on campus if it is authorized and necessary for an on campus class or activity.
Restricted

Firearms at K-12 Schools

VA permittee with loaded handgun in vehicle only. If you leave the vehicle the firearm must be unloaded and cased.
Restricted

Church Carry

Churches act like any other private property and may restrict
on a church by church basis
Informational

Hotels

No legal restriction - Reference article on page 67
Informational

Secure Storage Requirements

Firearms must be securely stored when one knows or reasonably should know that a juvenile (under 14) can gain access to the firearm without the permission of their parent or guardian or when a resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm.
Restricted

Magazine Capacity Limitations

No restrictions
Permitted

Suppressor Ownership

Legal. State law does not require NFA registration. Hunting legal.
Permitted

Vehicle Possession Without Recognized Permit

Handguns must be secured in a container or compartment within the vehicle. Consoles, glove compartments, or other areas within or on the vehicle that can be closed meets the qualifications
Permitted

Firearm Law Uniformity

Mostly Uniform throughout state. Localities can regulate loaded long guns in vehicles.
Informational

Permit Training Requirements

Any in-person firearm training course qualifies. [Updated Jan 1st, 2021]
Informational

Non-Resident Permits

Anyone can apply.
Permitted

Constitutional Carry

No
Restricted

Duty to Retreat

No duty to retreat unless defendant made a contribution to the affray
Informational

Places Off Limits

- The Capitol of Virginia, Capitol Square and the surrounding area (bounded by Bank, Governor, Broad, and Ninth Streets plus specified Bank Street sidewalks), any building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency, and any office where Commonwealth employees are regularly present performing official duties. A Class 1 misdemeanor with forfeiture. Notice must be posted at each public entrance and along the Capitol Square boundary
- Offices occupied by executive branch agencies, under administrative regulation, with signs posted at all state offices
- Courthouses — a high-level misdemeanor
- K-12 school grounds at all times, and preschool and child day center grounds during operating hours, including buildings and grounds, any property open to the public then exclusively used for school-sponsored functions during those functions, and school buses. A Class 6 felony for firearms. Exceptions for an unloaded firearm in a closed container (a locked trunk qualifies) or an unloaded long gun in a vehicle firearms rack, and for a concealed handgun permit holder with a concealed handgun while in a motor vehicle in a parking lot, traffic circle, or other vehicular ingress or egress
- School board property outside school zones, where the board has declared a gun-free zone, with the same vehicle exceptions
- Places of religious worship while a meeting for religious purposes is being held, without "good and sufficient reason" — a fine up to $100
- Air carrier airport terminals, including non-secure areas, unless you're a passenger with the gun unloaded in a locked container in checked luggage and declared at the counter. A Class 1 misdemeanor. Reagan National and Dulles have their own Airports Authority regulation covering terminals, airfields, and adjoining buildings
- Regional jails and juvenile detention facilities
- Within 40 feet of polling places from one hour before opening to one hour after closing. The Attorney General has opined that during early voting this includes central absentee precincts, voter satellite offices, and general registrars' offices
- Private property where the owner prohibits it or posts against it — charged as trespass rather than a firearms violation
- The Hog Island WMA portion bordering the James River north of the Surry Nuclear Power Plant, unless unloaded and cased
- Buggs Island and specified Gaston Reservoir waters
- Public inland waters, where carrying a loaded rifle or pistol on a boat for hunting is prohibited
- TVA day-use areas, campgrounds, and developed recreation land
- State parks located on Army Corps of Engineers land, per federal law
Informational

State Contact / Source

Virginia State Police
PO Box 27472
Richmond VA 23261-7472
804-674-2000
www.vsp.state.va.us
Informational

Permit Issuing Authority

Virginia State Police
Informational

Length of Permit Validity

5 Years
Informational

Permit Application Process

Mail application with fingerprints, training certificate, and fee to VA State police. link
Informational

Virginia Permit Reciprocity

Reciprocity shown is for a standard resident permit. Non-resident and enhanced permit holders may have different reciprocity. Always verify before carrying. Use our full permit reciprocity map for all permit types →

Your Virginia resident permit is honored in 35 states

AK AL AR AZ CO FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MI MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NM NV OH OK PA SC SD TN TX UT VT WV WY

Virginia honors resident permits from 49 states

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT WA WI WV WY
Disclaimer:
While Concealed Carry Inc strives to maintain legal reference information updated on this website from publicly available sources; you as the reader and gun owner are responsible to do any and all necessary research and consult with a local attorney before making any decisions. Concealed Carry Inc is not a government agency is not affiliated with a government agency and is not liable for any misinformation, inaccuracies, or actions taken based on this information. We are not attorneys and this information is not legal advice. If you see any information you feel is outdated or incorrect please contact us.

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