Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed five anti-gun bills into law and used an “emergency” clause to make one take effect immediately. That bill also orders the Virginia State Police (VSP) to break a court order.
Gov. Spanberger signed HB 1525 into law. The bill contained an emergency clause, making it effective immediately upon signing. All other laws take effect on July 1, 2026. This bill makes it a criminal offense for anyone under 21 to purchase a handgun or certain semi-automatic long guns, such as AR-15-style rifles. The bill also directs VSP to restore universal background checks (UBC). Democrats call this “closing the Lynchburg loophole,” but what the bill really does is order the State Police to violate a court order that struck down universal background checks as unconstitutional.
Earlier this week, attorney David Browne, who represented Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) in the case that knocked down UBC for private sales, sent a letter to the Virginia State Police warning them not to violate the court order. He reminded them that no matter what the Governor or General Assembly says, universal background checks are still enjoined in the Commonwealth. If the Virginia State Police began processing background checks for private sales, they would risk being held in contempt of court. The executive and legislative branches cannot overrule the judicial branch when deciding whether a law is constitutional.
The letter reads: “Of course, a statute expressly requiring the violation of the terms of a court order is null and void – dead on arrival. Indeed, we submit that HB 1525 shows a gross disregard of – even contempt for – the constitutional separation of powers and the proper role of judicial authority. As the U.S. Supreme Court has explained, ‘[a]n injunction duly issuing out of a court of general jurisdiction with equity powers upon pleadings properly invoking its action, and served upon persons made parties therein and within the jurisdiction, must be obeyed by them…. It is for the court of first instance to determine the question of the validity of the law, and until its decision is reversed for error by orderly review, either by itself or by a higher court, its orders based on its decision are to be respected, and disobedience of them is contempt of its lawful authority, to be punished.’ Howat v. Kansas, 258 U.S. 181, 189-90 (1922).”
AmmoLand News reached out to the Virginia State Police to request a comment on whether they plan to enforce the unconstitutional provisions of HB 1525, an action that could expose them to legal consequences. The VSP did not respond to requests for comment, but its website has not changed. AmmoLand News has set up a monitoring system to track the website for real-time changes.
After AmmoLand’s initial inquiry, a Virginia State Police notice began circulating that stated HB 1525 “was signed as an emergency act and took effect immediately after it was signed.” The notice also acknowledged that the new law “conflicts with a court order” entered by the Lynchburg Circuit Court in Raul Wilson, Wyatt Lowman, Virginia Citizens Defense League, Gun Owners of America, Inc., and Gun Owners Foundation v. Colonel Matthew D. Hanley.
— Philip Van Cleave VCDL (@VCDL_ORG) April 28, 2026
The second and third bills signed into law were SB 727 and HB 1524. Both bills were identical. They ban the carry of an “assault firearm” on any public street, road, sidewalk, or public park. While the bill includes a provision for those “engaged in lawful hunting,” it does not protect the transporting of the firearm to or from the hunting grounds. There is no protection for anyone else who wants to carry these commonly owned firearms for self-defense or most other activities. This new law will take effect on July 1, 2026.
The final two bills signed into law are also identical: HB 871 and SB 348. These new laws are mandatory “safe storage” legislation. They require people to lock up their firearms if a minor or a prohibited person is present in the home. The laws also require gun dealers to post signs about the requirement. The bill takes a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to account for individual circumstances. Failure to follow the law is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
These are just the latest gun bills signed into law in Virginia. Others are expected to be signed or allowed to become law if the former CIA agent Governor doesn’t sign them within 30 days. Many of these bills are expected to trigger lawsuits from gun rights organizations and possibly even the federal government.
Post-Bruen Gun Rights Cases Put Public Carry, NFA Rules & AR-15 Bans in Focus
About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
