How To Register For A Gun In Virginia

Download Article

Provided you are over the age of xviii (21 for handguns) and can pass the state and federal background checks, it is relatively piece of cake to buy a firearm in the land of Virginia. If yous're ownership from a private seller, yous don't even need to complete a background check, although some private sellers may request that you do before they complete the transaction. Virginia doesn't require yous to register firearms or have a allow to own or open-deport firearms. Withal, you practice need a permit if you desire to carry a handgun curtained.^[1]

ane
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID if yous're going to a gun show. If you lot want to purchase a gun at a gun show from a private seller, yous'll still have to be able to bear witness that you are over the age of xviii (21 to purchase a handgun). You must take a driver's license or state ID that lists your name, gender, and date of birth.^[2]
- If yous're using a driver'due south license issued by the Virginia DMV, it must accept been issued to you at to the lowest degree 30 days earlier the day of the gun testify.
- If you aren't a resident of the land of Virginia, you tin can buy a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer, provided you bring a secondary class of ID to testify your residence.
Tip: You must be a resident of the state of Virginia to buy a firearm from a individual seller.
2
Hash out your purchase with the individual selling the firearm. Provided you're a state resident, in that location aren't any meaning legal requirements if you want to purchase a gun from a private seller, whether at a gun prove or elsewhere. All you need to practise is agree on a price and the terms of the auction.
- Virginia too doesn't have any requirements regarding the manufacture or limerick of a firearm, so you likely desire to look it over advisedly and make sure it suits your needs and doesn't have any glaring defects.
Ad
3
Provide your complete proper noun and address to the seller. While it isn't legally required, the Virginia Land Police recommends that private sellers keep a logbook that lists the name and address of anyone they sell a firearm to, along with the make, model, and serial number of the firearm and appointment of purchase.^[iii]
- Go on in listen that considering yous're buying the gun from a private individual, your name volition not show up in the chain of ownership for the gun. This means if the gun is establish at the scene of a crime, the seller will come up upwards as the last owner of the gun with that serial number. The log is primarily to protect the seller, only likewise protects you lot in case the gun is stolen.
4
Comply with a background bank check if the seller requests one. While there is no police force in Virginia that requires an unlicensed private individual to run a criminal groundwork cheque earlier they sell a firearm to someone else, private individuals are restricted from selling a firearm to someone they know is ineligible to purchase a firearm. If you're at a gun show, Virginia State Police will exist on hand to conduct background checks for anyone who asks for one.^[4]
- You can also order your own background bank check ahead of fourth dimension by going to the nearest Virginia State Law headquarters and completing an application. Still, these do take approximately 15 days to complete, so plan in advance if you want to bring forth your own groundwork cheque.^[5]
- If you don't want to go through with the background cheque, but detect an private who is willing to sell to you without one.
five
Consummate the purchase of your firearm. There are no further legal requirements if you desire to purchase a firearm from a individual seller. All you accept to do is make payment and leave with your firearm. However, y'all want to make sure you comply with Virginia laws regarding the carrying of firearms as you ship the gun domicile.^[6]
- Generally, you tin can open-behave any firearm as long as it isn't loaded. If you as well have ammunition, information technology's a good idea to store the armament separately.
- If y'all purchase a handgun, you can put it in the glove compartment or a similar concealed area of your vehicle for transport, even if you lot don't have a concealed conduct let.
Advertizing

1
Confirm that you encounter the eligibility requirements to buy a firearm. While Virginia doesn't have its own eligibility requirements to purchase a firearm, y'all must meet the federal requirements. The Virginia State Constabulary has an eligibility test, bachelor online at https://www.vsp.virginia.gov/Firearms_PurchaseEligibility.shtm, that you can utilize to rapidly determine if you're eligible to purchase a firearm. Mostly, you must run across the following requirements:^[vii]
- Be at least 18 (21 to purchase a handgun)
- Never convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of 2 years or more
- Under indictment for a felony, subject to an active warrant, or under a restraining order
- Usa denizen or lawful permanent resident of the United states of america
- Not bedevilled of employ or possession of illegal drugs within the by year
- Not acquitted of a accuse past reason of insanity, or found by a court of law to exist insane, incompetent, or mentally incapacitated
- Not dishonorably discharged from the US Armed Forces
- Not convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence accuse
2
Visit a licensed firearms dealer. Licensed firearms dealers are licensed by the federal Agency of Booze, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Virginia doesn't take its own licensing or registration requirements.
- You lot tin can search the list of federal firearms licensees (FFLs) at https://www.atf.gov/firearms/list-federal-firearms-licensees if you need help finding a dealer near yous. Many of these FFLs have websites you can visit to learn more about the shop before you brand the trip.
3
Make full out the firearms transaction tape forms. Once you discover the firearm (or firearms) you want, you must make full out both a state and federal firearms transaction record form. These forms crave you lot to provide identification information as well as reply questions nigh your criminal background.
- Answer all questions and fill out the form completely. Do not lie on the forms. It is a felony offense and could result in the loss of your right to purchase firearms indefinitely.
- Yous must also pay a small fee (as of 2019, $ii for Virginia residents and $5 for non-residents) for completion of your background checks. This fee is nonrefundable.
4
Present identification to verify your identity and residence. To purchase a firearm, you lot must provide at least ii forms of ID. For your master ID, bring a valid, regime-issued photograph ID that includes your full name, address, and date of nativity.
- Your primary ID must have been issued at least 30 days before the date y'all purchase the firearm.
- Your secondary ID is to prove your residence. The address shown must be identical to the one y'all provide on the transaction form. This ID could be a copy of your lease, a electric current utility or phone nib, voter registration carte, automobile registration, or a hunting or fishing license.
- If you are buying an assault weapon, y'all must also bring identification that proves your citizenship status, such equally a US birth certificate, valid passport, permanent resident card ("Light-green Card"), selective service registration card, or voter registration carte.
Tip: Y'all don't necessarily have to be buying the gun for yourself. You tin buy the gun to give to someone else equally a gift. Yet, you lot technically need to know if that person is eligible to own the gun.
5
Wait for the results of the background checks. The dealer will either transmit your information over the internet or by calling a phone number. The results typically come in a matter of minutes. You'll get a response of "canonical," "delayed," or "denied."
- If your background check comes back equally delayed, the dealer may need to collect boosted data from you before selling you a firearm. If the condition remains "delayed" for 3 days, the dealer has the discretion to become forward with the transaction.
6
Complete the buy of your firearm. Once the transaction is approved, you can buy your firearm and take it home. If you live in another country, you lot may need to have the firearm transferred to a licensed dealer in your state.
- Virginia does non restrict the number of firearms you tin can purchase in a single transaction.
Tip: If you don't find the firearm you want at that detail dealer, you tin look elsewhere. Your background check results are valid for 30 days. Still, they are but valid for a single transaction.

Advertisement

1
Ostend that you're eligible to get a concealed handgun let. Generally, if you can laissez passer the background check to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer, y'all'll likely be eligible for a concealed handgun let. There are, however, a few boosted prohibitions. Specifically, you lot will not be eligible for a curtained handgun permit if you:
- Accept been convicted of ii or more misdemeanors in the last five years
- Have been convicted of set on, assault and battery, sexual battery, discharging a firearm in a public place, or brandishing a firearm in a public place inside the final 3 years (or have one of these charges pending)
- Have been convicted of stalking or take a stalking accuse pending
- Take received inpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment in the past 5 years
- Have been convicted of drunk driving or public drunkenness in the past 3 years
two
Complete a firearm prophylactic training course. You must demonstrate competence with a handgun by taking a training class approved by a country regime agency or conducted by a land-certified or National Rifle Clan-certified firearms instructor. Your canton circuit courtroom may have a list of qualified courses you tin accept.^[eight]
- Online, electronic, or video courses are acceptable. There is no live training requirement.
- If the class bug a certificate of completion, a photocopy of that document is sufficient to demonstrate your competence. If the course doesn't issue a certificate, you can also employ an affirmation from the instructor of the course.
Tip: Proof of demonstrated competence does non expire and in that location is no requirement that you consummate the training immediately before applying for a concealed handgun allow.
3
Make full out the concealed handgun permit application. The concealed handgun permit requires yous to provide information about yourself and your criminal background. The questions on the application are similar to those you answered when yous filled out the firearm transaction record to buy your handgun.^[9]
- You can download the application at https://www.vsp.virginia.gov/Firearms_ResidentConcealed.shtm#ApplicationforaConcealedHandgunPermit or pick one upwardly at your local circuit court.
- If you answer yes to any of the questions about your criminal background, you are required to provide an explanation of your answer and attach whatever documentation you have regarding that particular. Failure to provide consummate data could result in denial of your application.
4
Have your application to your nearest circuit court. Curtained handgun permits are issued past circuit court judges. Submit your application to the court clerk's function and pay the fee. As of 2019, the total application fee for a concealed handgun permit is $50 or less, including a $x fee to issue the permit and fees of upwardly to $40 to cover the toll of background investigations. These fees vary depending on the city or county where you live.^[10]
- To observe the excursion court nearest you, go to http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/maps/dwelling.html and click on the appropriate role of the country map.
- You lot must submit your awarding at the court in the city or county where you lot alive. At that place is no requirement that you alive there for any specified length of time earlier applying for a concealed handgun permit.
5
Look to receive your allow in the mail. Provided yous run across the eligibility requirements for a curtained handgun allow, Virginia police force requires the judge to issue the permit to y'all. It will be sent to you at the address you provided on your application. While the background investigations may take up to a month, Virginia constabulary requires permits to be issued within 45 days of the date y'all submit your awarding.^[eleven]
- If the 45-day period passes and your permit hasn't been issued, the court clerk will certify a copy of your awarding and send that to you lot. The certified application works equally a temporary concealed handgun permit for upwardly to 90 days, as long as you as well have a valid government-issued photo ID.
six
Go along your permit on you whenever y'all're carrying a curtained handgun. Once you lot have a concealed handgun permit, you're entitled to carry a handgun concealed on your person. However, you lot must always take your permit with you. Although y'all aren't required to show the let to police force enforcement, information technology's a proficient idea to do then.^[12]
- For example, if yous get pulled over for a traffic cease, you might hand over your concealed handgun permit along with your driver's license and let the officer know that yous are carrying.
- If you are convicted of being nether the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while carrying a concealed handgun in public, your permit will be revoked and you will exist barred from applying for a new permit for 5 years.
vii
Submit a new application to renew your permit after v years. A concealed handgun permit is valid for 5 years. At the end of that menstruation, you lot tin can fill out a new awarding to renew your let. You don't take to take any boosted firearms training.
- Provided you still meet the eligibility requirements for a concealed handgun permit, your let will be renewed.
- Given that information technology tin can take up to 45 days to get the new permit, y'all may want to apply for a renewed permit a few months before your sometime ane expires if you desire to continue to behave.
Advertisement

Inquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your electronic mail address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advert

Almost This Article

Article Summary X

To buy a firearm in Virginia from a private seller, all you'll need is a slice of photo ID, like a driver's license. Once you've shown them your ID, negotiate the toll and submit to a background cheque if required. Background checks are not legally required in Virginia, but police officers are often on manus at gun shows to carry them out if the seller requests. If you lot're buying from a licensed dealer, y'all'll need to fill out a firearms transaction record form and show them your ID. The dealer will then run a groundwork cheque online or over the telephone before you lot consummate your transaction. Remember that you need to exist at least 18 years of historic period and a Virginia resident to buy a firearm. For tips on how to get a concealed carry allow in Virginia, go along reading!

Did this summary help you?

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 312,395 times.

Did this article help you lot?