Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5 — Manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited; penalty

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 7: Other Illegal Weapons, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5

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.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session

A. It is unlawful for any person to knowingly manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, transfer, or possess (i) any plastic firearm or (ii) any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, is not detectable as a firearm by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. B. As used in this section: "Frame" and "receiver" have the same meanings attributed to them in 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq. and regulations issued pursuant thereto. "Major component" means (i) the slide or cylinder, or the frame or receiver, of the firearm or (ii) in the case of a rifle or shotgun, the barrel of the firearm. "Plastic firearm" means any firearm, including machine guns and sawed-off shotguns as defined in this chapter, containing less than 3.7 ounces of electromagnetically detectable metal in the barrel, slide, cylinder, frame, or receiver that, when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening, does not generate an image that accurately depicts its shape. C. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 5 felony.

Official sources

Official section text (law.lis.virginia.gov)

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

Manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited is a class 5 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5.

Which Virginia statute covers manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited?

Manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5 (Manufacture, assembly, importation, etc., of plastic or other nondetectable firearm prohibited; penalty).

Is prohibition on unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: prohibition on unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 4 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5:2.

Violation of prohibition on unfinished frames/receivers or unserialized firearms — first offense: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5:2G) · Violation of prohibition on unfinished frames/receivers or unserialized firearms — subsequent offense: class 4 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.5:2G)

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.