Guns in Virginia homes with kids must be locked up

If you keep a gun at home in Virginia and know a child covered by the law lives there or is visiting, the gun has to be secured. The law defines that child as someone under 18 who is not authorized to use or possess a firearm under existing Virginia law. You can keep the gun in a locked box, compartment, or cabinet the child can’t get into, or make it unable to fire with a gun lock. A loaded gun can stay in a safe with a combination, keypad, or fingerprint lock if the child can’t open it. The same rule applies when someone who is legally prohibited from possessing guns is in the home. A gun you’re lawfully carrying on you and antique firearms are exempt. Parents can still lawfully authorize their children to use guns under existing law.

Before this law, Virginia’s general child-access statute punished someone who recklessly left a loaded, unsecured gun in a way that endangered a child under 14. Violating the new storage rule is a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Gun dealers must post a notice explaining the rule.

Del. Mark Downey carried the House bill, and Sen. Jennifer Boysko carried an identical Senate bill. Both chambers passed it. Gov. Abigail Spanberger added the gun-lock option, the General Assembly accepted that change on April 22, 2026, and she signed it the same day. It took effect July 1, 2026.