Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.4 — Carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 4: Dangerous Use of Firearms or Other Weapons, Code of Virginia.
Amendment pending: a new version of this section takes effect Thu Jul 01 2027 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time).
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.4
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
It shall be unlawful for any person to carry a loaded (a) semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine that will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock or (b) shotgun with a magazine that will hold more than seven rounds of the longest ammunition for which it is chambered on or about his person on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public in the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Falls Church, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, or Virginia Beach or in the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, or Prince William.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to law-enforcement officers, licensed security guards, military personnel in the performance of their lawful duties, or any person having a valid concealed handgun permit or to any person actually engaged in lawful hunting or lawful recreational shooting activities at an established shooting range or shooting contest. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The exemptions set forth in §§ 18.2-308 and 18.2-308.016 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the provisions of this section.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.4.
Which Virginia statute covers carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited?
Carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.4 (Carrying loaded firearms in public areas prohibited; penalty).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.