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Virginia Open Carry Law / Statute

DoubleR

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May 8, 2006
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689
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Fairfax County, VA, ,
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I seen various postings about printing and carrying the law in regards to Open Carry. This is for the purpose of having it to prove you are legal, etc, if need be. Now, I've never quite been able to pull that verbage out of the Virginia Statute. Can't find it... All types of references as to what, where and how NOT to do something. Any help on this?:?

DoubleR
 

VAopencarry

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May 9, 2006
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Berryville-ish, VA
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Disclaimer: I am not an expert in this area.

I wouldn't worry about it. The police in Virginia seem to be well informed about the right to Open Carry.... I don't think any officer would accept a piece of paper printed out from some guys computer, quoting state laws, shrug his shoulders and say , OK I won't arrest you. jmo
 

John Pierce

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Virginia law is silent on the matter of open carry of firearms. As you pointed out, the laws of the commonwealth are designed to indicate those things that are regulated or prohibited. Anything not specifically prohibited or regulated is permitted. Hence, open carry is permitted.

If you really want something to print and carry, VCDL has a letter from the VA State Police about the legality of open carry in restaurants that serve alcohol. In this letter, Lt Kimmler states:
... the direct answers to your two questions are contained in the language of § 18.2-308 of the Code of Virginia. Paragraph A of that section notes that only weapons "hidden from common observation" may not be carried in the Commonwealth.
I hope this helps.


John
 

VApatriot

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John has it right. In Virginia we actually have some real rights, rights that are there whether the government says so or not. Open carry (and some of us would argue concealed carry) is a humanright that is not granted in the law by the government, and therefor can not be taken way by the government. At least that is how the Founding Fathers would haveviewed it.
 

GlockMan

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Jun 15, 2006
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Reston, Virginia, USA
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VApatriot wrote:
John has it right. In Virginia we actually have some real rights, rights that are there whether the government says so or not. Open carry (and some of us would argue concealed carry) is a humanright that is not granted in the law by the government, and therefor can not be taken way by the government. At least that is how the Founding Fathers would haveviewed it.

On that same note, in general, all the laws, state and federal, according to how the Founding Fathers set it up, are only designed to expicitly state what you cannot do. The laws of this country were never designed to "allow" you to do something.

Therefore, if it is not explicitly prohibited by law, then you have the RIGHT to do it. Note, that I did not say, you are "allowed'. The government does not "allow" the people to do anything, the people "allow" the government to do things.

Contemporary thought seems to have that backwards. If they taught it properly in our public schools, most people would understand that. Of course, the schools are run by the government now, so....
 

VApatriot

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May 8, 2006
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Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Well, I for one didn't get my education from a government school. I was educated at home by my mother and Rush Limbaugh.:D

And oh BTW, we had guns in the school building.:shock:
 
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