vcdl legislative agenda 2026

our 2026 bill analysis  will be available here soon.

You can find a full list of current bills and stay up to date with their progress by using our LEGISLATIVE TRACKING TOOL.

Here is a list of VCDL's short and long term legislative goals.  We need your help to make this happen!  Stay in contact by subscribing to the VA-ALERT, and be ready to take action when there are committee meetings hearing.  You can attend virtually or submit comments online.  WE NEED TO BE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL!  We can't afford to let anti-rights representatives say that the majority of voters want more gun control!

Total Reinstatement of preemption

Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, meaning that localities can only pass ordinances that the General Assembly expressly allows them to pass. In 2002, 2003 and 2004, VCDL won a series of victories in the General Assembly, preempting local governments to pass gun control.  In 2020, that preemption was partially gutted, permitting localities to ban guns in parks, government buildings, and at events requiring a permit. This results in a confusing patchwork of laws, and creates dangerous defense-free zones that are targeted by criminals.

YOU CAN HELP!  Until we restore full preemption we will need to bolster our 2A Sanctuary Movement.  We need our local governments, including the sheriffs and commonwealth's attorneys, to protect the rights of the people they represent.

carry in state government buildings

For hundreds of years, Virginians were able to be legally armed in state government buildings. Then, in 2020, the anti-rights faction gained power of the entire legislature and imposed an unconstitutional ban on your ability to defend yourself in ALL state buildings and in Capitol Square. This law was directly targeting VCDL members and must be repealed. It not only includes the General Assembly and state office buildings, but also bans carry in ABC stores, DMV locations, public rest areas, and more.  VCDL is filing lawsuits to overturn some of these bans.  Your donations and dues help us fight to overturn these dangerous laws.



CARRY ON SCHOOL PROPERTY

Utah has not restricted the right of CHP holders to carry in schools for quite some time. There have been ZERO problems. In fact, the knowledge that any one of the adults in the school could be armed is likely enough to stop a mass murderer attempt.

We owe it to our children to give them the best protection possible.  40 years of failed policy shows that defense free zones don't work!

SCHOOL BOARD GUN BAN repeal

School board buildings are generally NOT places where classes take place, nor do they typically have students present on a regular basis. Yet the Virginia legislature passed a law allowing school boards to prohibit the tools for self-defense on their property and in their buildings that are NOT covered by the defense free school zone act. As we know, advertising defense free zones makes them targets for criminals.

Daycare and preschool ban repeal

The recently passed law expanding defense free school zones to cover licensed private daycare centers and pre-schools creates a host of issues for churches and businesses providing these services. Where is the line between workplace and daycare? We are seeking legislation to define exactly where this line is until we can ultimately get these defense free zones banished.

grant for trauma 1st aid training

VCDL is working to bring a program called FASTER Saves Lives into Virginia. FASTER is an acronym for Faculty and Administrator Safety Training Emergency Response. 

Time is ALL that matters when there are serious injuries. The first step is to set up a grant to fund the training for those who volunteer to participate.

dEFENSE-fREE zONE lIABILITY

We've repeatedly stated that gun free zones are really defense free zones. If a business or government agency bans self defense and people are harmed because of that, then those who imposed the ban should be liable.

nON-rESIDENT chp TIME LIMIT

The time limit for issuing a resident CHP is 45 days. But there is no time limit for non-resident CHPs, who pay $100 for that permit! The same 45-day limit should be set for nonresident permits. With digital records there's no reason it should take longer.

REPEAL ban on CHURCH CARRY

Current Virginia law prohibits carry in a church without "good and sufficient reason." It has already been confirmed that self defense is sufficient reason by an Attorney General's opinion. Let's remove this law from the books.

no FEE FOR VIRGINIA CHP

You should not need special permission to wear clothing that covers your firearm.  And you certainly should not have to pay to exercise a right. Since the permit is supposedly required for public safety, then the public should pay for it.

permitless carry

The right to keep and bear arms is the only right protected in the Bill of Rights that requires government permission to exercise. More than half of the country now has some form of permitless concealed carry. Virginia should have been one of the first! We will continue to introduce this bill every year until we get it passed!

end 30-day waiting period

Current Virginia law requires that a person's Virginia driver's license be at least 30 days from the issue date before they can purchase a firearm at a Virginia dealer.  With computerized records, and Virginia recognizing dual residency, this law is outdated.  Let's work to get it repealed.

carry in polling places

There have been zero problems in the hundreds of years of elections in Virginia. There is no reason to have a ban on self defense at a polling place.  In fact, this law could put people in danger by advertising yet another defense free zone, known to attract deranged mass-murderers.

ban on parking in state lots

We are working on a bill that would allow state employees to store firearms in their vehicles, on state property, while they are at work. We did this years ago for local government employees.  People should not need to be disarmed while they travel to work just because of they work for the government.

firearm training tax credit

Establish a tax credit for firearms safety training of up to $500, similar to the tax credit for safes.

more Public shooting ranges

Create more state-funded shooting ranges in parks and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).

va defense force arms training

Require arms training for the Virginia Defense Force so they can fulfill their job as a state militia.

repeal ban on trigger activators

This law does nothing to prevent violent crime and needs to be repealed.

end machine gun registy

People who jump through all the hoops and purchase a machine gun must file an additional form with the Virginia State Police. These firearms are already highly regulated, and the Virginia registration is just one more unnecessary requirement.

machine gun ammo ban repeal

There's an obscure law on the books that says if you own a machine gun you can't have any ammunition or empty shell casings in the same room with the firearm. While this is almost never enforced, it's a gotcha clause and needs to go.

gun business predjudice protection

This would prohibit denying approval for gun stores and shooting ranges that meet existing zoning requirements.

We need more safe places to train and practice, not less!

industry protection bill

This bill would protect manufacturers, distributors and dealers from frivolous lawsuits intended to litigate them into bankruptcy. This is a tactic used by anti-rights groups and is a reprehensible practice.

repeal one-handgun-a-month (OHGAM)

This is the second time around that Virginians have been subjected to this ridiculous limitation. The first time, under Gov. Douglas Wilder, OHAM was intended to stop the so-called "iron pipeline" of gun trafficking to New York. However, trace data has shown that the vast majority of firearms recovered from crime scenes in New York come from...you guessed it...New York! And we all know that laws only affect honest people. Criminals will ignore them and find ways to circumvent any restrictions. We will repeal this again, just as we did before.  In the meantime, we've filed a lawsuit to overturn this stupid law.  But litigation takes time and is expensive, so we'll continue to fight to repeal it as well.

repeal red flag laws

Also known as Emergency Risk Protective Orders (ERPOs), Red Flag Laws are, perhaps, the most egregious insult to our civil rights today. They strip a person of their property and their ability to defend themselves, solely based on speculation that the person might be a danger to themselves or others. They do this without requiring a qualified medical evaluation or offering the accused a chance to defend against the allegations before his guns are confiscated. But perhaps the most damning evidence that this law is about gun confiscation and not public safety is that it leaves the "risky" person on the streets, unsupervised, and without any mental health assistance. Bottom line: this law is not about helping someone in crisis, it's about confiscating guns without due process first.

ALLOW VIRTUAL CHP TRAINING

If the COVID pandemic showed us anything, it was that we need alternatives to in-person training. With technology today, face-to-face interaction happens in a virtual environment as well as the physical world. We've asked for a bill that would recognize live virtual training, provided the teacher and student(s) can see and interact with each other in real time.  While we advocate that every gun owner seeks ongoing training, we are opposed to such mandates on a Constitutional right and will ultimately work toward removing the training requirement entirely.

change chp to cwp

When Virginia went to "Shall Issue" the legislature changed the Concealed Weapon Permit to a Concealed Handgun Permit. That needs to be changed back. It should be up to the individual what tools of self defense they want to carry.

guns in vehicles on property open to public

We're working on legislation that would prohibit banning guns on property that is open to the general public. Your rights don't stop at an invisible property line. And criminals look for defense free zones.

standing in lawsuits

In the past, VCDL has sued and had cases dismissed because of "standing." What this means is that the court would not allow us to file suit for our members, we needed an actual member who had suffered harm first and was willing to be a plaintiff. We're working to change that.

update background check process

18.2-308.2:2(B)(4) requires dealers to mail in copies of the SP-65 each week. With digital processing of forms, this code section is outdated and puts an unnecessary burden on Virginia gun dealers. It needs to be updated to confirm with current best practices.

no assisting enforcement of federal gun control

This would prohibit state and local law enforcement from assisting federal agencies in the enforcement of federal gun control.

repeal special privileges for leos

19.2-308.012(B) prohibits consuming alcoholic beverages in a restaurant if someone is carrying a concealed firearm. However, it exempts federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and judges. Everyone should be treated equally, and there should be no special exceptions, other than, perhaps, during an undercover investigation.

repeal 18.2-287.4

Current Virginia law prohibits the carry of loaded semi-automatic centerfire rifles and pistols that have a magazine capacity of more than 20 rounds, a folding stock, and/or a threaded barrel in certain localities.  There is an exception for law enforcement, those with a CHP, and a few others.  This is a ridiculous law and needs to be repealed.

remove 5-year penalty for voluntary treatment

There is currently a 5-year delay in eligibility for a CHP for people who have VOLUNTARILY sought treatment in a residential setting for addiction. This 5-year penalty should be eliminated. Let's not punish people for doing the right thing, or discourage people from voluntarily seeking help.

improve knife laws

Over the last two legislative sessions we've restored some knife rights, making switchblades legal to purchase, then making them legal to put in your pocket. But there's more to be done.

The Virginia and US Constitutions protect the right to bear ARMS.  That covers a large category and is not limited to firearms.