Virginia law requires the State Police to be available at gun shows and conduct a background check on any purchaser or transferee prior to the completion of any firearm transaction at a gun show. The law provides immunity from liability to any person who sells or transfers a firearm to a person after receiving a determination from the State Police that the person is not prohibited from possessing a firearm.¹ Virginia law also provides an exception to the normal background check requirement for gun sales between unlicensed individuals for individuals who use this procedure.² The promoter of a gun show must provide adequate space for the State Police to make these determinations, and must ensure that a notice that these determinations are available is prominently displayed at the show.³

Virginia law requires any person, firm, corporation, club, association, or organization holding a firearms show to give notice at least 30 days prior to the show to the State Police and the sheriff or chief of police of the locality in which the firearms show will be held.⁴ The notice must be given on a form provided by the State Police. A separate notice is required for each firearms show.⁵

The promoter must also maintain for the duration of the show a list of all vendors or exhibitors in the show for immediate inspection by any law-enforcement authorities.⁶ Within five days after the conclusion of the show, the promoter must transmit a copy of the complete vendor or exhibitor list to the law-enforcement authorities to which the 30-day prior notice was required. The vendor or exhibitor list must contain the full name and residence address and the business name and address, if any, of the vendors or exhibitors.⁷

Virginia law exempts from these requirements any firearms shows held in any town with a population of not less than 1,995 and not more than 2,010, according to the 1990 United States census.⁸

See Universal Background Checks in Virginia for more information.

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1. Va. Code Ann. § 54.1-4201.2.[↩]
2. See Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308.2:5.[↩]
3. Va. Code Ann. § 54.1-4201.2.[↩]
4. Va. Code Ann. § 54.1-4201.1(A).[↩]
5. Id.[↩]
6. Id.[↩]
7. Id.[↩]
8. Va. Code Ann. § 54.1-4201.1(C).[↩]