Virginia Concealed Carry Permit: 2026 Requirements, Cost & Reciprocity

Virginia is a shall issue state. If you are 21 or older, meet the eligibility requirements, and can show you have demonstrated competence with a handgun in person, the circuit court in your county or city must issue you a five year concealed handgun permit.

This guide covers what Virginia law actually requires, pulled from the Code of Virginia, including the 2026 legislative changes that affect where and how you can carry.

Virginia concealed carry at a glance

Permit name	Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
Issued to	Residents and non-residents
Minimum age	21
Issuing authority	Circuit court clerk (residents), Virginia State Police (non-residents)
Permit valid for	5 years
Resident cost	Up to $50 total
Non-resident cost	Up to $100
Issue deadline	45 days
Training required	Yes, demonstrated in person
Permitless carry	No
Open carry	Legal at 18 without a permit, with restrictions
Duty to inform	No, but you must display the permit on demand

On this page

• Who qualifies for a Virginia permit
• The in-person training requirement
• How to apply as a Virginia resident
• How to apply as a non-resident
• Resident vs non-resident permit compared
• What a Virginia permit costs
• How long it takes, and the de facto permit
• Renewals and replacements
• Do I need a permit for this?
• Where you cannot carry in Virginia
• Carrying in a vehicle
• Alcohol and carrying
• Displaying your permit
• Open carry in Virginia
• Virginia self-defense law
• Virginia reciprocity
• 2026 law changes
• Frequently asked questions
• Sources

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Who qualifies for a Virginia concealed handgun permit?

Virginia issues concealed handgun permits to any person 21 or older who is not disqualified under § 18.2-308.09. There is no minimum length of residency in the county or city where you apply. Active duty military stationed outside Virginia may apply in the county or city where they claim their home of record.

Virginia lists 20 separate disqualifiers. These are the ones that catch the most applicants:

• Ineligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law
• Two or more misdemeanors in the five years before applying, if one was a Class 1 misdemeanor
• A DUI conviction or public drunkenness conviction in the three years before applying
• Any assault, assault and battery, sexual battery, unlawful discharge, or brandishing conviction in the three years before applying
• A stalking conviction
• Addiction to or unlawful use of marijuana or any controlled substance
• Residential mental health or substance abuse treatment within five years of applying
• Subject to a protective order or restraining order prohibiting firearm possession
• Dishonorable discharge from the armed forces
• Any alien other than a lawful permanent resident

A Virginia circuit court judge may also deny a permit if the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence and based on specific acts, that the applicant is likely to use a weapon unlawfully or negligently to endanger others.

Does Virginia require in-person training for a concealed carry permit?

Yes. Virginia requires applicants to demonstrate competence with a handgun in person under § 18.2-308.02(B). Online-only concealed carry courses do not satisfy the Virginia requirement. This is the single most common reason a Virginia application gets bounced.

Any one of the following satisfies the Virginia training requirement:

1. A hunter education or hunter safety course approved by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources or a similar agency in another state
2. Any NRA or USCCA firearms safety or training course
3. Any public firearms safety or training course offered by a law enforcement agency, an institution of higher education, or a private or public institution, organization, or training school using instructors certified by the NRA, the USCCA, or the Department of Criminal Justice Services
4. Any law enforcement firearms course offered for security guards, investigators, or special deputies
5. Evidence of equivalent experience through organized shooting competition, current military service, or an honorable discharge
6. Having held a license to carry a firearm in Virginia or a locality, unless revoked for cause
7. Any in-person firearms training or safety course taught by a state certified, NRA certified, or USCCA certified instructor
8. Any government police agency firearms training course where you qualified to carry in the course of normal duties
9. Any other firearms training the court deems adequate

Two details worth knowing. Your Virginia proof of competence does not expire, so a course you took years ago still counts. And no Virginia court may require you to submit to any additional demonstration of competence beyond one of the nine pathways above.

Acceptable proof is a photocopy of your certificate of completion, an affidavit from the instructor or organization, or any document showing completion or participation in firearms competition.

How do I apply for a Virginia resident concealed handgun permit?

Virginia residents apply to the clerk of the circuit court in the county or city where they live. As of July 1, 2026, you may apply in writing or electronically, a change made by HB 101 in the 2026 session. Electronic filing is new, so availability varies by clerk while offices roll it out.

What you submit to the Virginia circuit court clerk:

• The application form prescribed by the Virginia State Police
• One valid government-issued photo ID from a Virginia agency, the U.S. Department of Defense, or a U.S. passport
• Your proof of in-person demonstrated competence
• The fee

Under § 18.2-308.02(A), the clerk cannot request or require any information or documentation beyond what the application form allows. If a Virginia clerk asks for more, that is worth pushing back on politely with a copy of the statute in hand.

The application will ask, but cannot require, that you provide an email address so the clerk can notify you before your permit expires. Making a materially false statement on a Virginia permit application is perjury. Your name and application information are withheld from public disclosure.

How do I get a Virginia non-resident concealed handgun permit?

Non-residents 21 and older apply for a Virginia permit directly to the Virginia State Police under § 18.2-308.06, not to a court. The Virginia non-resident permit is valid for five years, the same as the resident permit.

What you submit to the Virginia State Police:

• The VSP application form
• A photocopy of one valid government photo ID from your state of residence, the Department of Defense, or a passport
• Two photographs of the type VSP specifies
• Fingerprints on a card provided by VSP
• Proof of in-person demonstrated competence
• The fee, up to $100

The Virginia non-resident competence pathways are nearly identical to the resident list, with two differences: shooting competition must be approved by the Virginia State Police, and instructor certification may come from a DCJS-equivalent agency in another state.

Virginia resident vs non-resident permit compared

Feature	Resident permit	Non-resident permit
Statute	§ 18.2-308.02	§ 18.2-308.06
Apply to	Circuit court clerk where you live	Virginia State Police
Minimum age	21	21
Maximum fee	$50	$100
Valid for	5 years	5 years
Fingerprints	Not required by statute	Required
Photographs	Not required	Two required
Electronic application	Yes, as of July 1, 2026	In writing
Statutory issue deadline	45 days	No statutory deadline
De facto permit if late	Yes, 90 days	No
Denial appeal	Circuit court hearing, then Court of Appeals	Administrative
Photo on permit	No	Yes

The Virginia non-resident permit is worth knowing about even if you live elsewhere and already hold a home state permit, because a number of states recognize it for travel purposes.

How much does a Virginia concealed carry permit cost?

A Virginia resident concealed handgun permit costs up to $50 total. Section 18.2-308.03 caps each component:

Component	Amount
Circuit court clerk processing	$10
Local law enforcement background investigation	Up to $35
Virginia State Police processing	Up to $5
Maximum total	$50

The $35 local law enforcement fee includes whatever the FBI assesses for criminal history record information. You pay the whole amount in one sum to whoever receives your application, and no payment is required until the Virginia court has your complete application.

A Virginia non-resident permit costs up to $100, charged by the Virginia State Police to cover the background check and permit issuance.

Virginia charges no fee to retired Virginia magistrates, or to retired law enforcement across a long list of state, local, and federal agencies who completed 15 years of service or reached age 55. Retired correctional officers and probation and parole officers with 15 years of service also qualify.

What happens if Virginia misses the 45-day permit deadline?

Virginia issues a de facto concealed handgun permit when the circuit court fails to act within 45 days. Under § 18.2-308.05, the clerk must certify that the 45-day period expired and mail or email a copy to the applicant within five business days. That certified application is a valid Virginia concealed handgun permit for 90 days when presented with a government-issued photo ID, and it stays valid until the court issues the five-year permit or finds the applicant disqualified.

So a slow Virginia court does not leave you unable to carry. It leaves you carrying on a certified application instead of a plastic card.

The 45-day clock starts when your application is complete, meaning everything required including the fee has been delivered to and received by the clerk. Virginia permits are issued by U.S. mail. If the applicant is later found disqualified after a de facto permit issues, the de facto permit must be surrendered.

How do I renew a Virginia concealed handgun permit?

Virginia renews concealed handgun permits by mail with no in-person appearance required. If you have held a Virginia permit before, § 18.2-308.010 entitles you to a new five-year permit on application unless you have become disqualified. You do not have to retake a training course, because your proof of demonstrated competence does not expire.

Timing matters. If your Virginia renewal application reaches the court between 90 and 180 days before your current permit expires, the new permit takes effect the day the old one expires, so there is no gap in coverage. Apply outside that window and you may end up with dead time.

Military deployment extension

If your Virginia permit expires while you are on active duty deployment outside your county or city of residence, it remains valid for 90 days after the deployment ends. Carry a copy of your deployment orders to prove it.

Address changes and replacement permits

For an address change, bring your valid permit and a written notice of address change on the VSP form to the Virginia clerk who issued it. The total cost is capped at $10.

For a lost, destroyed, or name-changed permit, submit a notarized statement. The Virginia clerk issues a replacement within 10 business days for up to $5. The replacement carries the same expiration date as the original.

Do I need a Virginia permit for this?

Situation	Virginia permit required?
Carrying concealed in public	Yes
Carrying concealed in your own home or curtilage	No
Carrying concealed in your own place of business	No
Handgun secured in a container or compartment in your private vehicle	No
Carrying concealed on your person in a vehicle	Yes
Open carry, age 18 or older	No
Transporting unloaded and securely wrapped to a range, gun shop, or exhibition	No
Carrying a loaded restricted firearm in public	Yes, permit holders are exempt from the restriction

Where can you not carry in Virginia?

A Virginia concealed handgun permit does not authorize carry anywhere possession is otherwise prohibited by law or prohibited by the owner of private property. Section 18.2-308.01(C) states this directly.

Locations off limits in Virginia include:

• Private property where the owner prohibits firearms or where it is posted
• Courthouses
• K-12 school property, with an exception for permit holders who keep the handgun concealed while in a motor vehicle in a parking lot or driving through
• Air carrier airport terminals
• The Capitol Building and Capitol Square
• Certain state executive branch offices
• Anywhere a local ordinance under § 15.2-915 applies, which since 2020 has allowed Virginia localities to prohibit firearms in public buildings, parks, recreation centers, and at permitted events

Federal facilities are separately off limits under federal law regardless of your Virginia permit.

The local ordinance authority is the one that trips up travelers. Virginia is not fully preempted the way it was before 2020, so a park or public building in one Virginia locality may be posted while the same kind of facility in the next county is not.

Can I carry a handgun in my car in Virginia?

Yes. Virginia allows anyone who may lawfully possess a firearm to carry a handgun in a personal, private motor vehicle or vessel without a permit, as long as the handgun is secured in a container or compartment. That is a statutory exception written into § 18.2-308(C)(8), not a permit privilege.

Virginia courts have read “container or compartment” broadly enough to include a glove box, locked or unlocked, and a center console.

With a Virginia concealed handgun permit you can simply carry concealed on your person in the vehicle, with no container requirement to worry about.

Can I carry concealed in a Virginia restaurant that serves alcohol?

Yes, Virginia permits concealed carry in a restaurant or club that serves alcohol. You cannot drink while doing it. These are two separate rules under § 18.2-308.012 and people mix them up constantly.

Consuming alcohol while carrying concealed on licensed premises is a Class 2 misdemeanor in Virginia. The prohibition is on consumption, not on carrying.

Carrying concealed in public while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is worse. That is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia, your permit is revoked on conviction, and you are ineligible to reapply for five years. A conviction for DUI, public intoxication, involuntary manslaughter, or maiming while intoxicated is prima facie evidence you were under the influence.

My take: leave the gun locked up or leave the drink alone. There is no version of this where mixing the two ends well.

Does Virginia have a duty to inform law enforcement?

No. Virginia has no duty to inform. You are not required to volunteer that you are armed during a traffic stop or any other law enforcement contact.

Virginia does require you to have the permit on your person at all times while carrying concealed, and to display both the permit and a government-issued photo ID on demand by a law enforcement officer, under § 18.2-308.01(A).

Failure to display carries a $25 civil penalty in Virginia. A court may waive it if you later appear with a valid permit and photo ID. Non-resident permit holders are under the same obligation to carry and display the permit.

Is open carry legal in Virginia?

Yes. Virginia allows open carry at age 18 for anyone not otherwise prohibited, with no permit required.

The significant restriction is § 18.2-287.4, which limits carrying certain loaded firearms in public places. Virginia concealed handgun permit holders are exempt from this restriction, which is one of the practical arguments for holding a permit even if you primarily open carry.

[VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: SB 727 / HB 1524 (2026) reportedly expanded § 18.2-287.4 from a list of specific cities and counties to the entire Commonwealth effective July 1, 2026, and reworked it around a new “assault firearm” definition including semi-automatic centerfire firearms with fixed magazines over 15 rounds. Pull the enrolled text before this goes live. This materially changes what open carry looks like statewide and is the kind of detail that gets a page cited or gets it wrong.]

Is Virginia a stand your ground state?

Virginia has no stand your ground statute and no castle doctrine statute. Self-defense in Virginia is governed by common law developed through court decisions rather than by a section of the Code you can look up.

The general shape of Virginia common law self-defense: deadly force may be justified when you reasonably believe you are facing an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. Virginia distinguishes between justifiable self-defense, where you were without fault in bringing on the confrontation, and excusable self-defense, where you were at some fault and a duty to retreat may attach.

That distinction matters more than most summaries suggest, and it is why blanket claims that Virginia has “common law stand your ground everywhere” are misleading. Whether you had a duty to retreat turns on your own conduct going into the encounter.

Because this is judge-made law rather than statute, it is genuinely harder to research than in states with codified self-defense provisions. Section 18.2-308.015 requires the Virginia State Police to point permit applicants to the Virginia Supreme Court website for information on the law of deadly and lethal force, which tells you how much of this lives in case law. If you carry in Virginia, talk to a Virginia attorney about how the doctrine applies to your circumstances.

Virginia concealed carry reciprocity

How Virginia recognizes out-of-state permits

Virginia currently recognizes out-of-state concealed carry permits broadly. Under § 18.2-308.014, a valid concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit from another state authorizes the holder, if at least 21, to carry concealed in Virginia provided all three of these are true:

1. The issuing state provides a means of instantaneous verification of permit validity, accessible 24 hours a day where available
2. The holder carries a government-issued photo ID and displays both the permit and the ID on demand by a law enforcement officer
3. The holder has never had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked

This is changing. SB 115, passed in 2026, replaces Virginia’s broad recognition with a narrower “substantially similar” standard. See the 2026 changes section below.

Virginia gun law changes in 2026

Virginia’s 2026 legislative session produced the most significant changes to the state’s carry laws in years. Several have delayed effective dates and at least one is tied up in litigation, so the date each one takes effect matters as much as what it says.

Electronic permit applications (in effect July 1, 2026)

HB 101, Chapter 1034. Virginia residents may now submit concealed handgun permit applications to the circuit court clerk electronically as well as in writing.

Reciprocity overhaul (effective July 1, 2027)

SB 115, Chapter 879, signed April 13, 2026. This is the change that matters most if you travel with a Virginia permit or visit Virginia on an out-of-state permit.

SB 115 replaces Virginia’s broad recognition of out-of-state permits with a “substantially similar” standard. Instead of honoring any qualifying out-of-state permit, Virginia will recognize permits only from states whose issuance requirements are determined to be substantially similar to Virginia’s in preventing permits from reaching people who would be denied in Virginia. States that do not meet that bar lose recognition, and existing reciprocity agreements are to be reviewed and non-qualifying states de-recognized.

SB 115 also blocks Virginia residents from using an out-of-state permit to carry concealed in Virginia. Active duty service members and their spouses are exempt.

[VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: the SB 115 substitutes disagree on whether the Attorney General or the Superintendent of State Police makes the “substantially similar” determination and which agency publishes the list. Pull the final enrolled text and confirm the responsible agency, the December 1, 2026 review deadline, and whether the July 1, 2027 delayed effective date applies to the whole bill or only part of it.]

Other 2026 Virginia legislation

• SB 727 / HB 1524 (Chapters 1025/1101), effective July 1, 2026. Expands the § 18.2-287.4 loaded firearm public carry restriction statewide and reworks it around a new “assault firearm” definition. The permit holder exemption reportedly continues.
• SB 323 / HB 40 (Chapters 532/531), most provisions effective January 1, 2027. Makes possessing, manufacturing, selling, or transferring an unserialized firearm or unfinished frame or receiver a Class 5 felony.
• HB 916 (Chapter 438), signed April 8, 2026, carries a second enactment clause. It does not take effect unless the 2027 General Assembly reenacts it. It would change the demonstrated competence requirements, so it is worth tracking.
• HB 1525 (Chapter 1102). Reportedly raises the handgun purchase age.
• HB 901 / SB 495 (Chapters 698/699). Broadens Virginia’s substantial risk order statutes.
• Assault firearm sales restriction, effective July 1, 2026, currently subject to a preliminary injunction granted in Crump v. Katz in Lancaster County Circuit Court in June 2026. The Attorney General has appealed. This is not a final ruling on the merits.

Virginia concealed carry FAQ

I work to keep this page current, but laws change and it is your responsibility to verify before you carry. This page is informational and is not legal advice. Contact a Virginia attorney for advice on your specific situation.