Transporting Firearms in Virginia

When transporting firearms and ammunition in Virginia, it is important to understand and follow the local regulations and restrictions in place.  When the laws are not followed, gun law violations will incur serious penalties and vigorous prosecution.

If you are being charged with illegal transportation of a firearm in Virginia, contact an experienced defense attorney immediately who can best understand your case and begin your defense.

Concealed Weapons Laws

When a person is going to be transporting a firearm in Virginia, they need to make sure that they are not violating the concealed weapon laws in Virginia. If somebody carries a gun in a container, in a case, it is considered concealed under Virginia law, but it would have to be out of the person’s reach while driving a car.

If the person is carrying a gun to a shooting range or a field where the person is going to go hunting, they should keep it as far away from the person in the car as possible and in any case that is secure so that it is safely being transported, and there is no chance of it discharging.

The gun owner knows when the person is transporting a firearm in Virginia, they must transport the firearm unloaded. It needs to be unloaded, secured in a case, and it should be as far away from the end of the vehicle as possible.

Transporting Between States

Individuals are allowed to transport firearms from one state to another, but they should consult the laws and the jurisdiction into the state in which the person is traveling. They should make sure that the type of weapon that the person is bringing is permitted and that they do not have to register it with any state or local authorities where the person is going.

The person needs to be educated on what the laws are in the state of Virginia when it comes to transporting firearms especially where the person is going or the locality of where the person is going. It is legal to transport personal property including firearms to one state to another, but certain states might have restrictions on how that is done.

If a person is flying to a state that has incredibly restrictive gun laws, the person needs to know what they get on the ground because if the person comes out of the airport and the person is carrying a gun, they could very well be violating the law in that state even though they may not be in Virginia.

Unlawful Transportation

If a person is not allowed to own a firearm in Virginia, the person is not allowed to transport a firearm in Virginia either.  Potential penalties for the unlawful transportation of firearms in Virginia depend on what it is about the transportation that makes it unlawful. Virginia does not require registration of firearms, and it does not require that someone should notify either state or local authorities to transport firearms through them.

However, if a person transports them in an unsafe manner, they could be considered reckless or if the person transports them in concealment or without a permit to do so and it is not out of arm’s length, then the person could certainly be charged with those types of offenses. When charged with unlawful transportation of a firearm in Virginia, it is imperative that they contact experienced gun attorneys right away.