Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.1:3 — Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment; penalty
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 7: Other Illegal Weapons, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.1:3
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.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person (i) involuntarily admitted to a facility or ordered to mandatory outpatient treatment pursuant to § 19.2-169.2 ; (ii) involuntarily admitted to a facility or ordered to mandatory outpatient treatment as the result of a commitment hearing pursuant to Article 5 (§ 37.2-814 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 37.2, notwithstanding the outcome of any appeal taken pursuant to § 37.2-821 ; (iii) involuntarily admitted to a facility or ordered to mandatory outpatient treatment as a minor 14 years of age or older as the result of a commitment hearing pursuant to Article 16 (§ 16.1-335 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1, notwithstanding the outcome of any appeal taken pursuant to § 16.1-345.6 ; (iv) who was the subject of a temporary detention order pursuant to § 37.2-809 and subsequently agreed to voluntary admission pursuant to § 37.2-805 ; (v) who, as a minor 14 years of age or older, was the subject of a temporary detention order pursuant to § 16.1-340.1 and subsequently agreed to voluntary admission pursuant to § 16.1-338 ; or (vi) who was found incompetent to stand trial and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future and whose case was disposed of in accordance with § 19.2-169.3 , to purchase, possess, or transport a firearm. A violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
B. Any person prohibited from purchasing, possessing or transporting firearms under this section may, at any time following his release from involuntary admission to a facility, his release from an order of mandatory outpatient treatment, his release from voluntary admission pursuant to § 37.2-805 following the issuance of a temporary detention order, his release from a training center, or his release as provided by § 19.2-169.3 , petition the general district court in the city or county in which he resides or, if the person is not a resident of the Commonwealth, the general district court of the city or county in which the most recent of the proceedings described in subsection A occurred to restore his right to purchase, possess, or transport a firearm. A copy of the petition shall be mailed or delivered to the attorney for the Commonwealth for the jurisdiction where the petition was filed who shall be entitled to respond and represent the interests of the Commonwealth. The court shall conduct a hearing if requested by either party. If the court determines, after receiving and considering evidence concerning the circumstances regarding the disabilities referred to in subsection A and the person's criminal history, treatment record, and reputation as developed through character witness statements, testimony, or other character evidence, that the person will not likely act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that granting the relief would not be contrary to the public interest, the court shall grant the petition. Any person denied relief by the general district court may petition the circuit court for a de novo review of the denial. Upon a grant of relief in any court, the court shall enter a written order granting the petition, in which event the provisions of subsection A do not apply. The clerk of court shall certify and forward forthwith to the Central Criminal Records Exchange, on a form provided by the Exchange, a copy of any such order.
C. As used in this section, "treatment record" shall include copies of health records detailing the petitioner's psychiatric history, which shall include the records pertaining to the commitment or adjudication that is the subject of the request for relief pursuant to this section.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.1:3.
Which Virginia statute covers purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment?
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.1:3 (Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment; penalty).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.