Overview
- The law Spanberger signed Thursday bans importing, selling, manufacturing, purchasing or transferring defined assault firearms and magazines over 15 rounds, and it takes effect July 1, 2026 with a grandfather clause.
- Within hours, the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition filed suits in federal and state courts, and the Justice Department said it will also seek to block enforcement.
- Violations are Class 1 misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine, and a conviction bars firearm purchases and possession for three years.
- The statute defines assault firearms to include many semiautomatics with features such as a detachable magazine plus a second handgrip or a collapsible stock, and it covers rifles or pistols that can use magazines holding more than 15 rounds.
- Virginia’s attorney general pledged to defend the measure, and prior Fourth Circuit decisions upholding Maryland’s similar ban and pending Supreme Court petitions could shape early injunctions and appeals that determine what buyers can do in the near term.