West Virginia AG: concealed-carry permits good in Virginia

A plan to limit out-of-state concealed handgun permit holders in Virginia because the state’s top attorney finds similar laws to be less strict in North Carolina and 24 other states has drawn the ire of some gun owners and cheers from gun-control activists.

“The 420,000 concealed handgun permits that Virginia has issued are still valid and nothing has changed about the permitting process or who is/isn’t qualified”, spokesman Michael Kelly said in an email to CNNMoney.

“Strong, consistent enforcement of Virginia’s laws and safety standards can prevent disqualified people who may be risky or irresponsible from utilizing a concealed handgun permits”, said Herring, in a press release.

“In his announcement, the attorney general has not pointed to a single crime committed by an out-of-state concealed weapons permit holder legally carrying in Virginia under the reciprocity agreement; not one”, Obenshain said, adding that the state police said that they are not aware of any such cases either. Five states still meet Virginia’s qualifications for concealed carry permits, including Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Utah and West Virginia.

Pennsylvanians with concealed-carry permits no longer will be able to use them in Virginia.

The new rule goes into effect February 1, 2016.

Virginia Del. Rob Bell, a Republican looking to unseat Herring in 2017, called the new policy “another Washington-style overreach from a nakedly partisan attorney general”.

Still, Thomm said it was his understanding that GOP lawmakers in Virginia were already, or would be shortly, drafting legislation to make Herring’s actions a “moot point” once legislation “to flip it back” is approved sometime next year.

McAuliffe says the 25 states whose permits will no longer be recognized in Virginia just have lower standards.

“Evenly, consistently and fairly enforcing Virginia’s concealed handgun permit law, as we are now doing, means that it will be more hard for potentially risky individuals to hide their handguns here in Virginia and that will make Virginians safer, especially Virginian law enforcement”, Herring said.

In Virginia, applicants may pass an online course to obtain a concealed gun permit.

But Virginia permit holders won’t experience any change within their own state. “I don’t know if that’s possible, but you never know until you try”.