Virginia Beach gun laws come from three layers stacked on top of each other: Virginia state law sets the baseline, the city adds a short list of local restrictions permitted by the state, and federal law governs military installations, post offices, and other federal property that the city happens to contain a lot of. Virginia is a permitless open-carry state, concealed carry requires a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit, and the city can ban firearms in government buildings, parks, recreation centers, and the streets around permitted public events as long as it posts signs.
Open Carry Without a Permit
Any adult who can legally possess a firearm may carry one openly in Virginia Beach without a permit. The Virginia State Police confirm that open carry is allowed anywhere in the Commonwealth unless a specific statute says otherwise.1Virginia State Police. Firearms/Concealed Weapons FAQ A holstered handgun is legal on most public sidewalks and in most businesses in the city.
Private property owners can still ask you to leave, and refusing becomes trespassing. Open carry also doesn’t shield you from other charges: brandishing, carrying on school grounds, or walking into a posted city building with a visible firearm will all be charged whether the gun was concealed or not. And open carry gets you nowhere on federal property, of which Virginia Beach has a great deal.
Getting a Concealed Handgun Permit
Who Qualifies
To carry a concealed handgun, you need a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) issued under Virginia Code 18.2-308.02. You must be at least 21 and show competence with a handgun through in-person training.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.02 – Application for a Concealed Handgun Permit; Virginia Resident or Domiciliary Online-only courses no longer count. Acceptable training includes a firearms safety course from an NRA-certified, USCCA-certified, or state-certified instructor, a hunter education course, organized shooting competition, or qualifying military service.3Virginia State Police. Resident Concealed Handgun Permits
Virginia Code 18.2-308.09 disqualifies a long list of applicants.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 18.2 – 18.2-308.09 The main categories:
- Anyone prohibited from possessing firearms under Virginia Code 18.2-308.2 (which includes felony convictions)
- Anyone subject to a protective or restraining order that bars firearm possession
- Two or more misdemeanor convictions in the past five years if at least one was a Class 1 misdemeanor
- Anyone addicted to or unlawfully using controlled substances
- Residential mental health or substance abuse treatment within the past five years
- Certain drug or alcohol convictions within the past three years
Once you have the permit, you still can’t carry concealed while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in public; that’s a Class 1 misdemeanor. If you carry concealed into a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol, you cannot drink there, and doing so is a Class 2 misdemeanor.5Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.012 – Prohibited Conduct
How to Apply in Virginia Beach
Fill out Virginia State Police Form SP-248 and file it with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.6Virginia State Police. Forms – Section: Firearms A new permit costs $50, as does a renewal.7Virginia Beach Clerk of Circuit Court. Concealed Handgun Permit The permit is good for five years.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.02 – Application for a Concealed Handgun Permit; Virginia Resident or Domiciliary
The court has 45 days from receipt of a completed application to issue the permit or determine that you’re disqualified. If the clock runs out without a decision, the clerk certifies your application and sends you a copy, and that certified copy functions as a temporary permit for 90 days when carried with government-issued photo ID.3Virginia State Police. Resident Concealed Handgun Permits If you’re denied, you have 21 days to request an in-person hearing in circuit court.8Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.08 – Denial of a Concealed Handgun Permit
Reciprocity
Virginia recognizes concealed carry permits issued by every other state. The reverse isn’t guaranteed. Many states don’t honor Virginia permits, so check each state along your route before you travel.9Virginia State Police. Reciprocity and Recognition
Where You Can’t Carry in Virginia Beach
Virginia preempts most local firearms regulation, but Virginia Code 15.2-915 lets cities ban firearms, ammunition, and components in a defined set of places.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 15.2-915 – Control of Firearms; Applicability to Authorities and Local Governmental Agencies Virginia Beach has adopted ordinances using that authority. The restricted locations are:
- Buildings owned or used by the city for governmental purposes
- Parks owned or operated by the city
- Recreation and community centers operated by the city
- Public streets, sidewalks, alleys, and rights-of-way being used for or adjacent to a permitted event, which includes festivals and parades that require a city permit
These bans apply even to CHP holders, and the city must post signs at all public entrances for the restriction to be enforceable. If a location lacks the signage, the prohibition can’t be used against someone who enters. Violating a posted local ordinance is a Class 1 misdemeanor, carrying up to 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.11Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-11 – Punishment for Conviction of Misdemeanor Watch for signs at the Oceanfront and Town Center during large public events.
Schools, Military Bases, and Other Federal Property
Knowingly possessing a firearm on the property of any public or private school, child day center, or preschool in Virginia is a Class 6 felony. The ban covers buildings, grounds, school-sponsored events on public property, and school buses. Displaying or threatening with a firearm inside a school building carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, served consecutively with any other sentence.12Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.1 – Possession of Firearm, Stun Weapon, or Other Weapon on School Property Prohibited; Penalty The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act adds a 1,000-foot buffer around schools; CHP holders are generally exempt from that federal buffer but not from Virginia’s state ban on school property itself.
Virginia Beach hosts Naval Air Station Oceana, NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex, and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, and civilians generally cannot bring firearms onto any military installation. Federal law also bars firearms inside post offices and other federal buildings, with up to one year in prison for a violation and up to five years if the weapon was intended for use in a crime.13United States Postal Service. Possession of Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons on Postal Service Property Is Prohibited by Law
National parks and wildlife refuges work differently. Since 2010, firearm possession in national parks follows the law of the state where the park sits, so Virginia’s carry rules apply on national park land in Virginia Beach. Firearms are still prohibited inside park buildings like visitor centers and ranger stations, which remain federal facilities.
Buying a Firearm
Virginia requires a background check on every firearm sale, including private transactions. Under Virginia Code 18.2-308.2:5, a private seller must route the sale through a licensed dealer who submits the buyer’s information to the Virginia State Police. The dealer can charge up to $15 for this service, and both parties face a Class 1 misdemeanor if they skip the check willfully.14Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.2:5 – Criminal History Record Information Check Required to Sell Firearm; Penalty
Virginia also limits most buyers to one handgun in any 30-day period under Virginia Code 18.2-308.2:2(R). A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.15Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.2:2 – Criminal History Record Information Check Required for the Transfer of Certain Firearms You can exceed the limit if you obtain a multiple-purchase certificate from the Virginia State Police using Form SP-207, submitted in person after an enhanced background check.16Virginia Code Commission. 19VAC30-101-30 – Application for Multiple Handgun Purchase
Federal law sets the minimum ages: 18 to buy a long gun from a licensed dealer, 21 to buy a handgun. The same split applies to ammunition. Virginia does not add a separate state minimum age for purchasing or possessing rifles.
Buying a gun for someone who can’t legally own one, or lying on ATF Form 4473 about who the real buyer is, is a federal felony. Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a straw purchase conviction carries up to 10 years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000, rising to 25 years if the firearm is later used in a violent felony or drug trafficking crime.
Brandishing and Self-Defense
Virginia Code 18.2-282 makes it illegal to point, hold, or brandish a firearm in a way that would reasonably make another person fear being shot. The statute covers real firearms, air guns, and realistic-looking objects. Self-defense is an explicit exception. A first offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor; brandishing on or within 1,000 feet of school property is a Class 6 felony.17Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-282 – Pointing, Holding, or Brandishing Firearm, Air or Gas Operated Weapon or Object Similar in Appearance; Penalty Flashing a gun during a road rage incident will produce a charge even if you never pointed it at anyone.
Virginia doesn’t require you to retreat before using force in self-defense, and courts recognize a form of the castle doctrine that permits deadly force against an intruder you reasonably believe intends death or serious bodily harm. To claim self-defense, you must show that you reasonably believed you were in danger, the threat involved an overt act, the danger was imminent, and the force you used was proportional. Deadly force is justified only against a deadly threat. If you were even slightly at fault in starting the confrontation, your claim shifts to “excusable” self-defense, which requires that you retreated as far as possible and clearly communicated your desire for peace before using force.
Suppressors and Other NFA Items
Suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns are legal to own in Virginia but must be registered under the National Firearms Act. Registration requires fingerprints, a passport-style photo, and ATF approval before you take possession. Commercially manufactured items use ATF Form 4; items you build yourself use Form 1 with approval before construction begins.
Effective January 1, 2026, P.L. 119-21 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) set the NFA tax rate at $0 for all NFA firearms except machine guns and destructive devices.18Congressional Research Service. The National Firearms Act and P.L. 119-21: Issues for Congress The old $200 tax stamp on suppressors and short-barreled rifles is gone. Every other NFA requirement stays in place: ATF approval, background check, and registration in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Traveling With Firearms
For air travel out of Norfolk International Airport, the TSA requires firearms to be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container, and transported only in checked baggage. You must declare the firearm at the ticket counter each time you fly.19Transportation Security Administration. Transporting Firearms and Ammunition The original manufacturer’s case may not meet TSA’s security standard, so plan on a dedicated locking hard case.
For road travel, the federal Peaceable Journey provision at 18 U.S.C. § 926A protects you when transporting a firearm through a state where you couldn’t otherwise legally possess it, as long as the firearm is unloaded and not readily accessible and you could lawfully possess it at both origin and destination. The protection is narrow: overnight stops or extended detours in a restrictive state can take you outside its coverage. Visitors arriving in Virginia Beach with a valid out-of-state concealed carry permit can carry concealed here, since Virginia recognizes every other state’s permit.