Thanks to relentless advocacy and recent legal challenges, the sweeping ban on the sale and transfer of so-called “assault weapons” has been temporarily halted by a court-ordered preliminary injunction. Furthermore, a newly passed budget amendment officially delays the enforcement of public carry restrictions for assault weapons until July 1, 2027.
As we approach the July 1 effective date, we wanted to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the barrage of anti-hunting and anti-gun laws pushed through the legislature. Our hunting and Second Amendment rights are facing an unprecedented attack, but sportsmen and gun owners have received some critical temporary reprieves in the courts and the legislature.
Here is what you need to know about your rights, firearms, and the hunting fields as of tomorrow:
Assault Weapons Sale and Transfer Ban – Injunction Paused
Legislation was passed this year by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger to ban the future sale, purchase, and transfer of many common semi-automatic firearms and standard-capacity magazines (over 15 rounds).
- The Update: Yesterday, June 29, a judge granted a statewide preliminary injunction.
- What it means: The statewide enforcement of the assault weapons sale and transfer ban has been officially paused while the legal challenges proceed in court. We will continue to monitor these court battles closely.
Assault Weapons Public Carry – Delayed to 2027
Lawmakers also enacted a public carry ban, which prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic firearms in many public spaces, parks, and roadways. This would severely hinder hunters traveling to and from prime hunting grounds or using modern sporting rifles for predator and varmint control.
- The Update: Following immense pressure from gun-rights advocates, the General Assembly recently approved a budget amendment that explicitly delays the enactment of the assault firearm public carry bill until July 1, 2027.
- What it means: Enforcement of this restriction is officially delayed. You will continue to have the right to carry and transport these firearms for the next year without facing these public carry infringements while the delay remains active.
As sportsmen, we are the true frontline guardians of a way of life that is increasingly coming under political fire. While we are actively funding conservation and managing the land and wildlife, anti-sportsmen groups are busy strategizing to erase our way of life. The threats we face today are unprecedented. It is time for our community to stand together, match their energy, and fiercely protect our right to hunt, fish, and trap. This is how we ensure the legacy we inherited is preserved for our kids, grandkids, and generations to come.
Take 30 seconds to forward this important email to your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen and urge them to join you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance in protecting, defending, and securing our outdoor freedom in the Old Dominion State.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions.
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