The Virginia SP-248 concealed handgun permit application is a single form used by both residents and non-residents who are at least 21 years old. Residents file the completed form, along with proof of handgun competency, with the circuit court clerk in the city or county where they live, and pay up to $50. Non-residents mail the form with fingerprints, two passport-style photos, competency proof, and a $100 payment to the Virginia State Police in Richmond.
Confirm You’re Eligible Before You File
You must be 21 or older. Beyond age, Virginia law lists specific disqualifications that will block a permit no matter which track you follow:
- Any felony conviction, or a pending felony charge.
- Two or more misdemeanor convictions in the five years before you apply, where at least one is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Traffic infractions don’t count.
- A conviction for assault, sexual battery, brandishing a firearm, or stalking within the past three years.
- A DUI or public drunkenness conviction within the past three years.
- Any drug-related conviction within three years, or being an unlawful user of marijuana or a controlled substance.
- Involuntary commitment, adjudication of legal incompetence, or a similar court order, unless at least five years have passed since discharge or restoration.
- An active restraining or protective order that prohibits firearm possession.
- Dishonorable discharge, fugitive-from-justice status, or being an alien not lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
Even when none of these apply, the court keeps discretion to deny a permit if it finds, based on your specific conduct, that you’re likely to use a weapon unlawfully or negligently.
Completing the SP-248
Download the current SP-248 from the Virginia State Police website. The same form covers residents, non-residents, and renewals; you check the appropriate box at the top. Fill every field. Incomplete applications get returned.
Section 4 asks for physical descriptors: height, weight, sex, race, hair color, eye color, and any scars, marks, or tattoos. Your biographical information needs to match your government-issued ID exactly.
Section 5 requests your Social Security number. Providing it is optional, and the form itself says so. Leaving it blank won’t get you rejected, but including it can speed up the background check.
Section 8 is the longest part and does the real work of the application. It’s a series of yes-or-no questions covering every disqualification listed above, plus questions about dishonorable discharge, fugitive status, and whether you’ve enrolled in Virginia’s Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms List. Answer every one. A “yes” doesn’t automatically mean denial in every category, because some disqualifications have time limits, but a false answer on a government document creates its own legal problems.
Question P inside Section 8 asks whether you attended an in-person class or training for handgun competency. That question applies only to initial permits, not renewals. Sign wherever a signature is required.
What Counts as Proof of Handgun Competency
For an initial permit, you must attach a photocopy of documentation showing you completed handgun competency training in person. Virginia accepts several types of proof:
- A hunter education course approved by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources or a similar agency in another state.
- Any firearms safety or training course from the National Rifle Association or the United States Concealed Carry Association.
- Any safety or training course open to the public and taught by instructors certified by the NRA, USCCA, or Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services, whether run by a law-enforcement agency, college, private organization, or firearms training school.
- Any firearms course offered for security guards, investigators, special deputies, or law-enforcement personnel.
- Evidence of current military service or an honorable discharge from any branch of the armed forces.
- Proof of participation in organized shooting competition.
A certificate of completion, an affidavit from the instructor or organization, or any document showing you finished the course or competed will serve. Once you’ve submitted competency proof with an initial permit, it never expires. You won’t need to prove it again at renewal.
Filing as a Virginia Resident
Bring or mail your completed SP-248 and competency documentation to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the city or county where you live. Some clerks accept walk-ins, some prefer mail, and some allow both. Call your local clerk’s office before you go.
Active-duty military members stationed outside Virginia file in the jurisdiction where they’re domiciled.
The total fee for a resident application cannot exceed $50, paid in one sum when you submit the application, using whatever payment method the court accepts.
Filing as a Non-Resident
Non-residents skip the local court entirely and deal directly with the Virginia State Police. You have two ways to start: request a pre-assembled application package, or gather the pieces yourself using the instructions on the State Police website.
To request a package by mail, write to the Firearms Transaction Center with your full name and mailing address. You can also email nonrespermit@vsp.virginia.gov with the same information. The package contains the SP-248, a Virginia State Police fingerprint card, a return envelope, and a checklist.
Your non-resident submission has to include all of the following:
- The completed SP-248, filled out entirely and legibly. Illegible applications will not be processed.
- A fingerprint card taken on the Virginia State Police card supplied in the package. A local law-enforcement agency can take your prints.
- Two passport-style photographs meeting the size and clarity standards specified by the State Police, which will appear on the permit itself.
- Proof of handgun competency, the same in-person training documentation required of residents.
- Payment of $100 by money order or cashier’s check made payable to the Virginia State Police. A package that arrives without payment is returned unprocessed.
Mail the complete package to the Firearms Transaction Center, Nonresident Concealed Handgun Permits, at the Department of State Police in Richmond. The full mailing address is on the State Police website and in the checklist that comes with the package.
How Long It Takes
For residents, the court must issue your permit or provide notice of a denial hearing within 45 days of receiving a completed application. If the court misses that 45-day window without acting, the clerk is required to provide a certified copy of your application. That certified copy works as a valid permit until the court makes a final decision.
Non-resident applications go through a more involved background check that pulls federal databases and coordinates with your home state’s records. The Virginia State Police doesn’t publish a fixed timeline for non-resident processing. When your permit is approved, it’s mailed to the address you listed on the SP-248.
If the Court Denies Your Application
When a court denies a resident application, the clerk must give you written notice explaining your right to appeal and how to do it. You have 21 days from the denial to request an ore tenus hearing, a live hearing where evidence rules apply and both sides can present their case. You can hire an attorney, but the court will not appoint one for you. The court’s final order must include its findings of fact and conclusions of law.
Renewing and Updating Your Permit
A Virginia concealed handgun permit lasts five years. At renewal, you don’t have to prove competency again, and you don’t have to appear in person. Mail the SP-248 (with the renewal box checked) to the circuit court that issued your original permit. The $50 fee cap and 45-day processing timeline apply to renewals just as they do to initial applications.
If you move while your permit is still valid, use form SPA-248 to request an updated permit from the court that originally issued it, not the court in your new jurisdiction. The fee for an address change is $10.
Where the Permit Doesn’t Let You Carry
Virginia honors valid concealed handgun permits from other states as long as the holder is at least 21, carries government-issued photo ID, and hasn’t had a Virginia permit previously revoked. The reverse isn’t guaranteed. Not every state recognizes a Virginia permit, reciprocity agreements change, and the State Police recommend confirming with each destination state before you travel.
Inside Virginia, a permit doesn’t authorize carrying everywhere. Virginia law says the permit doesn’t allow possession of a weapon on property or in places where carry is otherwise prohibited by law, or where the owner of private property has prohibited it. Federal law independently bars firearms in federal buildings, post offices, and other federal facilities. Check the rules for any government building, school, or private establishment before you carry there.