Concealed carry and printing (VA specifically)

Since purchasing my Glock 26 and carrying concealed, I've been trying to find clear laws on printing in Virginia. The only thing I can find that is illegal is "brandishing" or holding, which is defined by doing so "as to instill reasonable fear of causing injury/bodily harm". So my question is, can I be charged with a crime if the gun were to print on my shirt? Warm weather is coming up and I'm looking forward to being able to conceal under a T-shirt. Granted, the G26 in my Galco King Tuk BARELY prints under even a close fitting T shirt (I've tested it around the house with my wife). I just want to know where exactly my boundaries are. Thanks in advance.

It's VA. Open carry!!!

Sometimes I do. Sometimes I conceal. Personal choice, and off topic from the question I was asking.

I am not aware of any printing laws but since VA is open carry legal IMO I can't see you having any problems if you have a recognized permit. That way you can avoid the stupidity of we can tell you have a concealed firearm because we can see it.

Right, it would make sense that if I'm legally able to open and concealed carry that printing wouldn't be an issue. It was just brought to my attention that some states have laws against printing. Maybe that mainly applies to states that allow concealed but not open.

Open carry, legal. Concealed carry with permit, legal. But carrying concealed where you can see you have a gun means you're concealed but you're not. Kinda of a gray area at the sign post up ahead. YOU'VE JUST ENTERED THE "TWI-LIGHT ZONE".

VA has no "printing" statute. If no law exists to prohibit an activity, then that activity is legal.

Printing is legal in VA--not advisable, or good "CC Etiquette", but there is no law against it.

But just because something is legal doesn't mean it's a good idea. If you're going to CC, then make sure it's CONCEALED. If you need help doing that, just ask for pointers--there are lots of folks here who can give you a LOT of advice on how to modify your wardrobe, and help with the proper holsters to effectively avoid "printing".

I wasn't planning on printing on purpose. Just wanted to make sure that in the event I bent over the wrong way or something unexpected happened I would be in the clear. Doubtful it would even happen, but it's always nice to know the consequences.

There are two methods of carry:

Open and Concealed. Bth are legal in VA, and WA for that matter...if you are not concealed, you are OC. The only problem comes in when you do not have a license, (at least here in WA, and i am pretty sure VA is the same) and you conceal on a routine basis. That is a no-no.

To OC, or CC, with a license, is not a problem, so why should printing be a problem? VA is not TX, FL or OK where OC is not an option (though I understand that is about to change in OK)

Dr Phil said:

Right, it would make sense that if I'm legally able to open and concealed carry that printing wouldn't be an issue. It was just brought to my attention that some states have laws against printing. Maybe that mainly applies to states that allow concealed but not open.

Click to expand...

Just anecdotal, but everytime I hear of printing being an issue, it's always from states that, as you say, do not allow open carry, places like Florida or Texas or South Carolina. When I hear "printing isn't an issue" it's always from states that do not stop you from open carry of firearms (Ohio, South Dakota, Wyoming, New Hampshire, etc). The reasoning seems clear in both cases, as printing seems to sit on the edge of "not quite concealed ergo kind of open" by a lot of common sense standards, so if you can open carry then printing is a non-starter, but if you cannot open carry then printing while CC seems to have some kind of legal issue (in most cases).

In Virginia, I suspect that you're fine, since they are gold star regarding open carry. I'm not a lawyer of course, and I'm not a Virginian, I'm simply a guy applying Ohio legal standards to a state that is not Ohio. :lol: