Virginia Implements Monthly Limits on Handguns

Virginia adopted some of the strictest gun regulations in the country on Wednesday after a judge rejected a bid to block a one-handgun-a-month limit from taking effect.

Virginia Democrats made gun control a top priority after taking control of both the state legislature and governor's mansion in 2019 and quickly pushed through one of the most restrictive packages in the country. Residents in the commonwealth are now subject to universal background checks, red flag laws, and a monthly limit on how many handguns they can purchase.

Gun-rights activists had attempted to block the July 1 implementation date of those measures in separate suits. A state judge rejected a request to temporarily block the one-gun-a-month law on Thursday. The same group of gun-rights activists requested a stay in a new suit against the universal background check law, but were unable to secure a hearing before the law took effect.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), which is involved in both current lawsuits and considering two more, expects the new laws to anger Virginians. The new laws are at odds with a traditional pro-gun culture in the state and the quick implementation of strict gun-control measures could rankle residents enough to drive them to the polls.