RICHMOND, Va. — A bill passed by Virginia's Democrat-controlled General Assembly would make it a Class 4 misdemeanor to knowingly leave a handgun unsecured and unattended in a vehicle parked in public.
The legislation now awaits action from Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who has until April 13 to sign it into law (she can also allow the legislation to take affect without her signature), make changes, or veto it.
Under the bill, gun owners would be required to keep handguns out of sight in a "locked hard-sided container," such as a gun safe, locked glove compartment, or locked center car console.
Gun owners would not be held liable under the law if a handgun is stolen from their vehicle, provided they report the theft to police within 48 hours of learning it occurred.
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards supports the measure, calling it a common-sense tool to address an ongoing problem in the city.
"It's a very modest request to ask people to secure their weapons properly," Edwards said.
Edwards said while there was a 13% drop in gun thefts from vehicles in 2025, 472 guns were still stolen. About a quarter of those thefts occurred in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom and Shockoe Slip neighborhoods.
"It's not uncommon for our officers who are on foot patrol to be walking around those neighborhoods and seeing guns in plain view in cars left completely unattended, which is obviously concerning," Edwards said. "When we interviewed the victims of these crimes, oftentimes there were first-time gun buyers that didn't understand the responsibility it takes to own a firearm. It's not just about buying a gun and a box of bullets. You should have proper ways to store your gun."
Edwards said those stolen guns could end up in the hands of people who would not otherwise be able to legally purchase a firearm and could be used in crimes.
A recent high-profile example: the Old Dominion University shooter, a convicted felon, is alleged to have purchased the gun used in the shooting from someone who stole it from a vehicle.
"What I'm really interested in is not getting people to spend a lot of money on this. I want is to get the word out to get people to understand the responsibility that the Second Amendment is a right, but it also is a responsibility," said Edwards. "I think there are a lot of these guns being used in crimes that cause real victims of violent crime. So, while it's certainly you are a victim of a property crime, we don't want to, we don't want to stigmatize those folks, but we're just asking people to use their basic common sense to secure their weapons."
The bill is part of a broader package of gun control legislation passed this session and faces opposition from gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association.
"All these bills are squarely targeted at law-abiding citizens," NRA spokesperson Justin Davis said. "Instead of attacking folks who are criminals who are stealing the firearms, they're putting new layers of regulations and legislation on folks who are simply trying to protect their families."
Davis, who lives in Virginia, said the NRA does not advise gun owners to leave handguns unsecured in vehicles. However, he argued the focus should be on education rather than legislation.
"Having education on how to properly and safely store firearms that works for the individual is the key here, not turning law abiding citizens into criminals for getting a firearm stolen," Davis said. "In these places like Richmond that are crime epicenters, they're not taking on the criminals who are stealing the guns. They're taking on the people who are getting their guns stolen. And that is just really backwards and not advancing public safety in any way."
As the legislation was being finalized in the last days of the session, a version approved by the House did include language that exempted members of the General Assembly "when such vehicle is parked in any parking structure reserved for members of the General Assembly".
That language was criticized by lawmakers in the Senate and was removed.
"This is a rules for thee but not for me piece of legislation," said Sen. Glenn Sturtevant (R-Chesterfield) during debate on the bill.
Regardless of what happens at the state level, Edwards said Richmond already has a program offering free gun safes to residents for use in the home or in a vehicle. The department has given away 593 gun safes to date.
"It's not too much to ask people to invest in that, even if they had to buy it. I think if you're going to leave your gun in your car, that's a modest request," Edwards said.
Richmond residents interested in receiving a free gun safe from the Richmond Police Department can call 804-516-0451.
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