Virginia SB727 expands the assault firearm carry ban statewide, removes the "loaded" requirement, and offers zero grandfather clause. If signed, there is no registration path and no compliance option.
The bill redefines what qualifies as an "assault firearm" and bans carrying any of the following in any public place in Virginia — loaded or unloaded. Here's how each firearm type is classified.
Previous law only applied to 13 specific localities (Alexandria, Richmond, Fairfax, etc.) and only to loaded firearms. SB727 removes both limitations — it applies to every public street, sidewalk, park, and right-of-way in the entire Commonwealth, regardless of whether the firearm is loaded.
From 13 cities → entire CommonwealthA semi-automatic center-fire rifle with a detachable magazine that also has any one of the following features:
Any stock that folds, telescopes, or collapses. This covers the majority of modern AR-platform rifles and many tactical-style rifles on the market today.
A thumbhole stock or any pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. This includes most ergonomic grips designed for comfortable shooting.
A second handgrip or protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand. Vertical foregrips and angled grips both qualify under this definition.
A threaded barrel capable of accepting a sound suppressor, flash suppressor, muzzle brake, or muzzle compensator. Most modern sporting rifles ship from the factory with threaded barrels as a standard feature.
Most common trigger featureThe bill explicitly lists grenade launchers as a qualifying feature. While uncommon on civilian rifles, this broadens the statutory definition.
A semi-automatic center-fire rifle qualifies as an assault firearm if it meets any one of these criteria — no detachable magazine required:
Any magazine with a capacity exceeding 20 rounds — whether fixed or detachable. If your rifle can accept a magazine this size, it qualifies.
Any rifle designed to accept a silencer or sound suppressor. This captures rifles that were manufactured or marketed with suppressor compatibility, even if one was never attached.
A rifle equipped with a folding stock and a fixed magazine capacity exceeding 10 rounds. This combination alone is sufficient — no other features required.
A semi-automatic center-fire pistol with a detachable magazine that also has any one of the following features:
A second handgrip or protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand. Any aftermarket grip accessory on a pistol platform qualifies.
A magazine that attaches to the pistol at a point outside of the pistol grip. This covers certain unconventional pistol configurations.
A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned.
A threaded barrel capable of accepting a sound suppressor, flash suppressor, barrel extender, or forward handgrip.
The bill explicitly includes "a buffer tube, an arm brace, or any other part that protrudes horizontally behind the pistol grip and is designed or redesigned to allow or facilitate a firearm to be fired from the shoulder." This captures the vast majority of AR-platform pistols currently on the market, including those with stabilizing braces that were previously considered distinct from rifles.
This is the provision most pistol owners will trip onTwo separate paths make a shotgun an "assault firearm" under SB727:
Any semi-auto shotgun with a stock that folds, telescopes, or collapses qualifies as an assault firearm.
A thumbhole stock or pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the shotgun.
Any semi-auto shotgun with the ability to accept a detachable magazine, regardless of the magazine's capacity.
A semi-auto shotgun with a fixed magazine exceeding 7 rounds, or one with a revolving cylinder.
This is not limited to semi-autos. Any shotgun — pump-action, lever-action, or otherwise — with a magazine holding more than 7 rounds qualifies as an assault firearm. No additional features required.
Pump-action shotguns can qualifyAny firearm equipped with a belt ammunition feeding device is classified as an assault firearm, regardless of other features.
Any firearm that has been modified to function as one of the above classifications. The definition follows the current configuration — not what you originally purchased. Add a pistol grip to a standard rifle after the fact? It now qualifies.
"Designed or redesigned" languageEach violation is a Class 1 Misdemeanor — Virginia's most serious misdemeanor classification.
Up to 12 months in jail per offense. Simply carrying an unloaded rifle with a threaded barrel down a public sidewalk is enough to trigger prosecution.
Up to $2,500 per offense, in addition to or instead of jail time. The court has discretion to impose both.
No registration path. No grandfather clause. No phase-in period. Unlike California, New York, and Massachusetts, Virginia's bill offers no mechanism to keep legally owned firearms legal.
Send them this page before April 13.
Other states with assault weapon bans gave existing owners a path: register what you have and keep it legally. Virginia didn't.
If you legally purchased an AR-15 in Virginia last month, and Governor Spanberger signs SB727, carrying that same rifle to a public range means you've committed a Class 1 Misdemeanor. There's no form to file, no deadline to register, no exemption for existing owners. The bill doesn't distinguish between someone who bought their rifle yesterday and someone who's owned one for twenty years. The day it takes effect, the only legal move is to leave it at home — permanently, as far as public spaces are concerned.
Most modern sporting rifles ship from the factory with a threaded barrel — it's a standard manufacturing feature. Under SB727, a semi-auto center-fire rifle with a detachable magazine and a threaded barrel "capable of accepting a sound suppressor, flash suppressor, muzzle brake, or muzzle compensator" is an "assault firearm." In practice, that's what threaded barrels are designed to accept. Many gun owners don't even realize their off-the-shelf rifle has this qualifying feature.
Previous Virginia law (the existing § 18.2-287.4) only applied to loaded assault firearms. SB727 removes the word "loaded" entirely. An unloaded, cased rifle in a bag on your shoulder qualifies.
The bill explicitly includes "a buffer tube, an arm brace, or any other part that protrudes horizontally behind the pistol grip" as an assault firearm feature for pistols. This captures most AR-platform pistols on the market.
A Concealed Handgun Permit does not exempt you from SB727's carry ban. The bill carves out exceptions for law enforcement, military, and security guards — not permit holders.
The bill covers firearms "modified to function as" assault firearms. Add a pistol grip to a standard rifle after purchase? It now qualifies. The definition follows the configuration, not the original sale.
Every other state with an assault weapon ban gave existing owners some kind of path. Virginia didn't.
| Feature | Virginia SB727 | California | New York | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandfather Clause | NONE | YES | YES | YES |
| Registration Path | NONE | Available | Available | Limited |
| Loaded Requirement | Removed | N/A (Possession) | N/A (Possession) | N/A (Possession) |
| Scope | Statewide | Statewide | Statewide | Statewide |
| Arm Brace Explicitly Named | YES | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Penalty (First Offense) | Class 1 Misdemeanor | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Virginia is about to become the only state in America to ban carrying assault firearms statewide with no grandfather clause, no registration, and no way to comply — if the governor signs by April 13.
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