Virginia’s Democrat Attorney General announced Tuesday that the state will no longer honor reciprocity privileges for out-of-state concealed carry permit holders from 25 other states.
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring made the announcement Tuesday after a months-long audit of reciprocating states that found the states’ concealed carry qualifications didn’t meet the minimum requirements in Virginia, the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.
The audit, conducted jointly by the attorney general’s office and the Virginia State Police, found that the requirements to acquire a concealed carry permit in 25 of the 30 states currently recognized by Virginia weren’t strong enough to keep a person from obtaining a permit who would be disqualified under Virginia law.
Those who would be disqualified in Virginia include people convicted of a felony, domestic abuse, or drunk driving. Mentally ill people and those dishonorably discharged from the military are also barred from carrying handguns in Virginia.
In a statement to The Washington Post, Herring said the move to block reciprocity with the states that don’t meet Virginia standards is a “common sense step” that will keep Virginians safer.
“Our General Assembly has already identified who can and cannot conceal handguns in Virginia, and we cannot have that decision undermined by recognizing permits from other states with more permissive standards,” he said.
The states that Virginia will no longer honor reciprocity with are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
A recent ranking of best states for gun owners from Guns and Ammo magazine put Virginia squarely in the middle of the pack at number 24 in the nation.
Open carry is legal throughout Virginia, and the state has a well-ranked concealed carry law, according to the magazine.
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