Va. Gun Permit Compromise Includes Gun Show Concession

RICHMOND, VA — Gun permits from 25 states that were expected to be void on Monday. Instead, they will continue to be honored, at least for another month, while Virginia’s GOP-led legislature hammers out a compromise on other Democrat-sponsored gun control measures.

Those concessions include the opportunity for more background checks at gun shows and a clear gun ban for the subjects of a protective order.

In December, Attorney General Mark Herring announced that gun permits from 25 states did not meet Virginia’s standards for reciprocity and would be invalidated, effective Monday, Feb. 1.

It was a priority of Republicans to protect reciprocity, leading them to bend on two gun control issues that had stalled in the legislature.

The first puts a Virginia State Police trooper at every gun show to perform background checks on firearm sales for private sellers who request the service. Currently, only a firearms dealer can access the federal system for instant background checks.

The other concession prohibits the subjects under domestic violence protectives orders from owning firearms. Currently, those individuals are only prevented from purchasing and transporting a gun.

“We have achieved an agreement that will ensure the constitutional rights of Virginians are protected,” said House Speaker William Howell, R-Fredericksburg. “We are also sending a clear signal about the mutual willingness of both parties to protect victims of domestic violence. This a good deal for the Commonwealth.”