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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-311.1 — Removing, altering, etc., serial number or other identification on firearm; selling, giving, etc., or possessing firearm without serial number; penalties

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. § 18.2-311.1

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. § 18.2-311.1Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
A. It is unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation to intentionally remove, alter, change, destroy, or obliterate in any manner or way or cause to be removed, altered, changed, destroyed, or obliterated in any manner or way the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's or serial number, or any other identification required by federal law on any pistol, shotgun, rifle, machine gun, or any other firearm. A violation of this subsection is a Class 1 misdemeanor. B. It is unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation to knowingly possess any pistol, shotgun, rifle, machine gun, or any other firearm that has a serial number that has been removed, altered, changed, destroyed, or obliterated in any manner. A violation of this subsection is a Class 1 misdemeanor. C. It is unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation to knowingly sell, give, or distribute any pistol, shotgun, rifle, machine gun, or any other firearm that has a serial number that has been removed, altered, changed, destroyed, or obliterated in any manner. A violation of this subsection is a Class 6 felony. D. The provisions of this section shall not apply to antique firearms as defined in § 18.2-308.2:2 .

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is removing, altering, etc., serial number or other identification on firearm a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: removing, altering, etc., serial number or other identification on firearm ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-311.1.

Removing/altering serial number or identification: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-311.1A) · Possessing firearm with altered serial number: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-311.1B) · Selling, giving, or distributing firearm with altered serial number: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-311.1C)

Which Virginia statute covers removing, altering, etc., serial number or other identification on firearm?

Removing, altering, etc., serial number or other identification on firearm is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-311.1 (Removing, altering, etc., serial number or other identification on firearm; selling, giving, etc., or possessing firearm without serial number; penalties).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.