Virginia bans very few weapons outright. What the state does instead is regulate who can own certain firearms, how they must be registered, how they can be carried, and where they cannot be taken. The short answer to what weapons are illegal in Virginia: unregistered machine guns and silencers, sawed-off shotguns and rifles outside narrow exceptions, ballistic knives, concealed weapons carried without a permit, and almost any weapon brought into a courthouse, school, airport terminal, or federal building. Penalties run from a $250 fine to life in prison depending on the weapon and the circumstances.
Machine Guns
Machine guns are legal to own in Virginia, but only if registered. Every machine gun must be registered with the Virginia Department of State Police within 24 hours of acquisition, using a form that lists the model, serial number, owner’s name and address, and the purpose for which the gun was obtained. The State Police issue a certificate the owner has to produce on demand. Failing to register, or failing to show the certificate, is a Class 3 misdemeanor, and the gun can be seized.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-295 – Registration of Machine Guns
Use is where the law becomes severe. Possessing a machine gun for an aggressive or offensive purpose is a Class 4 felony, carrying two to ten years in prison. Using one during a crime of violence is a Class 2 felony, punishable by 20 years to life and a fine of up to $100,000.2Giffords Law Center. Machine Guns and Conversion Devices in Virginia
Machine guns are also regulated federally under the National Firearms Act. Virginia registration does not substitute for federal registration, and owning an unregistered NFA item is a federal felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for an individual.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). NFA Handbook – Chapter 15 – Penalties and Sanctions
Sawed-Off Shotguns and Rifles
Virginia calls them “sawed-off” firearms. A sawed-off shotgun has a barrel shorter than 18 inches. A sawed-off rifle has a barrel under 16 inches or an overall length under 26 inches. Possessing either is a Class 4 felony unless the weapon falls into a narrow exception such as scientific use, a non-functional keepsake, or authorized law enforcement or military use.
Silencers
Possessing a firearm silencer or muffler that is not properly registered is a Class 6 felony, carrying one to five years in prison. A judge has discretion to reduce the sentence to up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.7 – Possession or Transportation of Certain Firearms by Persons Under 18 As with machine guns, a legally registered silencer requires both Virginia and federal NFA registration.
Ballistic Knives and Switchblades
Ballistic knives, which have a detachable blade propelled by a spring mechanism, are banned under federal law. Possessing, manufacturing, selling, or importing one is a federal crime punishable by up to ten years in prison, and using a ballistic knife during a federal crime of violence carries a five-year mandatory minimum.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 29 – Manufacture, Transportation, or Distribution of Switchblade Knives
Switchblade knives sit in a narrower federal zone. They cannot be shipped or sold across state lines, and the federal possession ban applies on federal territory, military installations, and tribal land. Assisted-opening knives with a bias toward closure that require manual force to open are explicitly exempt from the federal switchblade restrictions.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 29 – Manufacture, Transportation, or Distribution of Switchblade Knives
Switchblades are also among the weapons Virginia prohibits from being carried concealed without a permit (covered below).
Carrying Concealed Without a Permit
Virginia allows open carry for most adults who can legally possess a firearm. Carrying concealed is a different matter. The concealed-carry statute covers handguns and a long list of other weapons: dirks, bowie knives, switchblades, machetes, razors, and others named in the statute. Carrying any of these concealed without a permit is a Class 1 misdemeanor on a first offense, which means up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. A second offense becomes a Class 6 felony.6Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308 – Carrying Concealed Weapons; Exceptions; Penalty
A concealed handgun permit removes the concealed-carry charge, but it does not override location-based restrictions. A valid permit will not protect you from charges for carrying inside a courthouse, school, or other prohibited area.
Loaded Firearms in Thirteen Localities
This is the rule most people get wrong. In a specific list of Virginia cities and counties, carrying certain loaded firearms in any public space is illegal regardless of whether you have a concealed carry permit. The ban covers loaded semi-automatic center-fire rifles or pistols that have a magazine holding more than 20 rounds, are designed to accept a silencer, or have a folding stock. It also covers shotguns with a magazine capacity over seven rounds.
The restricted localities are the cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Falls Church, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, and Virginia Beach, and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, and Prince William.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-287.4 – Carrying Loaded Firearms in Public Areas Prohibited; Penalty Outside those jurisdictions, no equivalent ban exists. The same rifle configuration that is legal to carry loaded in a rural county can be a criminal offense a few miles down the road.
Where No Weapon Is Allowed
Certain locations are off-limits regardless of any permit. The penalty depends on the place.
Courthouses
Bringing any gun, ammunition, explosive, stun weapon, or other dangerous weapon into a Virginia courthouse is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and the weapon is subject to seizure.8Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-283.1 – Carrying Weapon Into Courthouse
Schools, Child Day Centers, and School Buses
Possessing a firearm on the property of any public, private, or religious school, child day center, or school bus is a Class 6 felony. If someone has a firearm inside a school building and intends to use it, displays it threateningly, or attempts to use it, the charge remains a Class 6 felony but carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison served consecutively with any other sentence. Stun weapons and knives other than small folding pocket knives on school grounds are a Class 1 misdemeanor. A pocket knife with a folding blade under three inches is the only type permitted.9Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-308.1 – Possession of Weapons on School Property
Airport Terminals
Carrying a weapon into an air carrier airport terminal is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Unlike the courthouse rule, where a seized weapon can potentially be returned, a weapon brought into an airport terminal is forfeited to the Commonwealth.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-287.01 – Carrying Weapon in Air Carrier Airport Terminal
Places of Worship
Carrying a dangerous weapon to a place of worship during a religious meeting without a good and sufficient reason is a Class 4 misdemeanor, punishable only by a fine of up to $250.11Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-283 – Carrying Dangerous Weapon to Place of Religious Worship
Federal Buildings
Federal facilities follow federal law. Knowingly bringing a firearm or dangerous weapon into any federal building where federal employees work is punishable by up to one year in prison, rising to five years if the weapon is brought with intent to commit a crime. Federal court facilities carry up to two years for simple possession. Pocket knives with blades under two and a half inches are exempt.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
People Who Cannot Legally Possess Firearms
For some people, every firearm is illegal. Virginia bars several categories from possessing or transporting any firearm, ammunition, stun weapon, or explosive.
Anyone convicted of a felony in Virginia cannot possess or transport a firearm. A violation is itself a Class 6 felony, and mandatory minimum prison sentences escalate based on the seriousness and recency of the prior conviction, with a prior violent felony drawing a stiffer floor than a nonviolent one.
People subject to certain protective orders cannot purchase or transport firearms while the order is in effect, and concealed handgun permit holders in that position must surrender their permits. The restriction lifts when the order expires or is dissolved.
Individuals who have been adjudicated legally incompetent or mentally incapacitated cannot purchase, possess, or transport any firearm. A violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Federal law adds more categories that apply in Virginia. A person cannot possess a firearm if they:13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
- Have been convicted of any crime punishable by more than one year in prison, which captures most felonies and some serious misdemeanors
- Are a fugitive from justice
- Are an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance
- Have been adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution at age 16 or older
- Are unlawfully in the United States or present on most nonimmigrant visas
- Were dishonorably discharged from the military
- Have renounced U.S. citizenship
- Are subject to a qualifying domestic violence protective order
- Have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
The domestic violence misdemeanor prohibition, sometimes called the Lautenberg Amendment, is broader than many people realize. It applies to any misdemeanor involving the use or attempted use of physical force against a spouse, former spouse, co-parent, or cohabitant. A simple assault conviction from decades ago qualifies if the victim was in one of those relationships, and there is no exception for law enforcement or military personnel.14Department of Justice Archives. Restrictions on the Possession of Firearms by Individuals Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence
The controlled-substance category still applies to regular users of marijuana even if they hold a state medical marijuana card. Marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law, and federal firearms prohibitions follow federal law.