Virginia

[Kythas]

Does anyone know the concealed carry laws in Virginia? I'm going there for work in July. I know they have reciprocity with my Utah license, but I noticed the following in http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/VASL.pdf.

It is unlawful to carry a concealed handgun onto the
premises of any restaurant or club for which a license to sell
or serve alcoholic beverages on premises has been granted
by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board.

As pretty much any restaurant likely has a permit to sell alcohol, I take this to mean I would not be able to legally carry in any restaurant I may eat in. Anyone familiar with the laws in Virginia who can verify this?

[barres]

This is just going off of memory, so please verify this before relying on it, but I believe that open carry is allowed in restaurants that serve alcohol, while concealed carry is not. You would simply have to remove your cover garment before going in, in that case (assuming you carry on your waist).

[HerbM]

Does anyone know the concealed carry laws in Virginia? I'm going there for work in July. I know they have reciprocity with my Utah license, but I noticed the following in http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/VASL.pdf.

It is unlawful to carry a concealed handgun onto the
premises of any restaurant or club for which a license to sell
or serve alcoholic beverages on premises has been granted
by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board.

As pretty much any restaurant likely has a permit to sell alcohol, I take this to mean I would not be able to legally carry in any restaurant I may eat in. Anyone familiar with the laws in Virginia who can verify this?

You may not carry concealed where they serve alcohol in Virginia -- open carry is allowed, required actually unless you disarm, for anyone legally allowed to possess the firearm and over 18 years old. I believe banks follow the OC rule there too.

Check the VA folks on OpenCarry.org for tips about where you will likely have trouble or be welcome -- also they have links and discussion about CC as well. The forums (with the good stuff) are here: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/

VA is on of, if not THE, best Open Carry states. Next time I visit there I intend to participate at least once -- because I can.

[Kythas]

Thanks, HerbM.

I find it curious that licensed concealed carry is prohibited in establishments that serve alcohol but unlicensed open carry is not. Oh, well, different strokes for different folks.

[HerbM]

. . . Texas 51% off limits for CHL is about as silly -- designated driver and designated protection person make perfect sense for a group which wishes to drink and still have a safe shepherd(ess). . . .

I have to disagree with you here. CHLs have had a great track record for 12 years now. All it would take is just a few barroom shootings by CHLs and we'd have an avalanche of bad press that would overshadow the true success of the program. It wouldn't be fair, but it would be the result.

Chas.

[Kythas]

. . . Texas 51% off limits for CHL is about as silly -- designated driver and designated protection person make perfect sense for a group which wishes to drink and still have a safe shepherd(ess). . . .

I have to disagree with you here. CHLs have had a great track record for 12 years now. All it would take is just a few barroom shootings by CHLs and we'd have an avalanche of bad press that would overshadow the true success of the program. It wouldn't be fair, but it would be the result.

Chas.

Strange that your quote has me stating this, as I never made that statement in a post. I don't even see that quote in this thread.

[seamusTX]

I have to disagree with you here. CHLs have had a great track record for 12 years now. All it would take is just a few barroom shootings by CHLs and we'd have an avalanche of bad press that would overshadow the true success of the program. It wouldn't be fair, but it would be the result.

Chas.

Who are you and what have you done with Herb Martin?

I don't think CHL holders would go to bars, get drunk, and engage in shootouts if carrying there were legal. Anyone inclined to that kind of behavior can get drunk now at a non-51% establishment, and they don't do it.

More CHL holders minimize or elminated their drinking because of the risk that being even slightly under the influence slows down reaction time and may cloud judgment.

As with all these restrictions, there are states where it is completely legal to carry a weapon in a bar, and law-abiding people there don't turn into drunken berserkers.

- Jim

[HerbM]

I have to disagree with you here. CHLs have had a great track record for 12 years now. All it would take is just a few barroom shootings by CHLs and we'd have an avalanche of bad press that would overshadow the true success of the program. It wouldn't be fair, but it would be the result.

Chas.

Who are you and what have you done with Herb Martin?

I don't think CHL holders would go to bars, get drunk, and engage in shootouts if carrying there were legal. Anyone inclined to that kind of behavior can get drunk now at a non-51% establishment, and they don't do it.

More CHL holders minimize or elminated their drinking because of the risk that being even slightly under the influence slows down reaction time and may cloud judgment.

As with all these restrictions, there are states where it is completely legal to carry a weapon in a bar, and law-abiding people there don't turn into drunken berserkers.

- Jim

My name was left in a quote, which quoted someone else a few messages back but nothing of my words were left so it (inadvertently) looked like I wrote the quoted portion.

There is precisely ZERO reason to think that Texas CHL's would cause significant problems -- again , this is just a retread of the gun control propaganda that "blood will run in the streets". This nonsense has been in every state that proposed and passed a new CHL since at least Florida started the Modern Shall Issue movement.

Never happened. Not in any state. This propaganda is nonsense and we should know better by now but it's hard to remember when we hear it over and over in the press -- it SOUNDS so REASONABLE. It just isn't TRUE and we know it isn't true because it DOES NOT HAPPEN.

These predictions were made by the Brady Bunch and other anti-gun yahoos in Texas, in Ohio, in Louisiana, and are being told now in Illinois and Michigan until even some of us repeat them (innocently I hope.)

We must have what the feminists call a "consciousness raising" until we refuse to say these things or to accept them when others say them without evidence.

[tomc]

Does anyone know the concealed carry laws in Virginia? I'm going there for work in July. I know they have reciprocity with my Utah license, but I noticed the following in http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/VASL.pdf.

I was born and raised in Virginia but have lived in Texas for the last 30 years. I go back frequently since I have family there and I keep current with CC laws there since Texas has reciprocity with Va. Virginia has some unique laws regarding CC that are noteworthy, and Virginia has always had legal open-carry by anyone over 18 with or without a license. A couple of good references are http://www.handgunlaw.us/ , http://www.vcdl.org/ , and http://www.opencarry.org/ .

Some peculiarities are:

1) You cannot CC into any establishment that serves alcohol, but you can open carry there. Be judicious in your decision, because the local law may be called (rare).

2) Do not carry concealed or open in any part of an airport, even the check-in area before security screening. It is illegal in Va.

3) Any no-gun sign is valid, however, it is only illegal if you don't leave after being caught.

4) No CC or open carry near a school without a Va CCW license. (federal)

There may be other peculiarities, but carrying as in Texas with the above additions has kept me OK for years.

Tom

[Kythas]

Thanks for the info, everyone.