Virginia face-to-face sales OK?

[spartacus2002]

Does anyone know if Virginia allows face to face handgun sales without going thru a dealer, or are buyers/sellers required to do any paperwork?

Thanks!

 

[Cortland]

Face to face intrastate transfer is fine in Virginia, but you still must abide by the one handgun a month nonsense. So if you've bought a handgun in a face to face transaction in the last thirty days, it would be illegal to buy one from a dealer until the 30 days has elapsed.

 

[XLMiguel]

AFAIK, no [gov't] paperwork is required, though a prudent person would be wise to make-up a proper bill of sales with the buyer's & seller's name & address on it and make sure both parties get a copy.

Cortland -- I've never heard of 1/month applying to private party purchases (reference please) I mean, how is anyone going to know when you bought a handgun via private party purchase unless you or the the other guy tells???

 

[The Reaper]

Face to face is ok in VA. No requirement to go through an FFL unless you want to go through one. As mentioned, you should do a bill of sale and if you really want to check, ask to see a VA CHP or even a DL to verify identity. However, you are not required by law to do any of that.

The way I see the law is that if you buy via private party you cannot buy from a dealer within thirty days because the paperwork you fill out at the dealer asks about handguns from "any" source in the last thirty days. Since you aren't doing paperwork on the private party you would not be filling out a form so you would not be lying.

Maybe ethically unsound since the intent of the law is not buying more than one handgun every thirty days but technically I think you are within the law.

 

[spartacus2002]

Thanks.

I'm looking to sell my Glock 36 to fund a Springfield Armory 1911-style, and I was a bit nervous about selling it face to face.

 

[Cortland]

From Code of Virginia §18.2-308.2:2.

Except as provided in subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 of this subsection, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer to purchase more than one handgun within any 30-day period. A violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

And none of the mentioned exceptions have anything to do with private party sales. I'm sure this law is violated on a fairly regular basis in face-to-face transactions, and I doubt anything ever comes of it. Nevertheless, that's the law. If you don't like, maybe join the VCDL.

 

[Mike Irwin]

You know, I really think the one handgun a month in Virginia is a fine law...

It keeps me from going broke all at once, and it gives me something to look forward to every 30 days...

 

[Majic]

You can legally get around the 30 day law by applying for a multi-gun purchase application from the Va. State Police.

 

[NJ3]

You know, I really think the one handgun a month in Virginia is a fine law...


It keeps me from going broke all at once, and it gives me something to look forward to every 30 days...

I agree, but sometimes 30 days feels like a year.