                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CARRYING A FIREARM OR EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL WITHIN CAPITOL SQUARE AND THE
SURROUNDING AREA, INTO A BUILDING OWNED OR LEASED BY THE COMMONWEALTH, ETC.;
PENALTY (§ 18.2-283.2)

A. For the purposes of this section, &#8220;Capitol Square and the surrounding
area&#8221; means the grounds, land, real property, and improvements in the City
of Richmond bounded by Bank, Governor, Broad, and Ninth Streets, and the
sidewalks of Bank Street extending from 50 feet west of the Pocahontas Building
entrance to 50 feet east of the entrance of the Capitol of Virginia.

B. It is unlawful for any person to carry any firearm as defined in &#xA7;
18.2-308.2:2 or explosive material as defined in &#xA7; 18.2-308.2 within (i)
the Capitol of Virginia; (ii) Capitol Square and the surrounding area; (iii) any
building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof; or (iv) any
office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agency thereof are regularly
present for the purpose of performing their official duties.

C. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any
firearm or explosive material carried in violation of this section shall be
subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the
Commonwealth and disposed of as provided in &#xA7; 19.2-386.28.

D. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following while acting
in the conduct of such person&#8217;s official duties: (i) any law-enforcement
officer as defined in &#xA7; 9.1-101; (ii) any authorized security personnel;
(iii) any active military personnel; (iv) any fire marshal appointed pursuant to
&#xA7; 27-30 when such fire marshal has police powers provided by &#xA7;
27-34.2:1; or (v) any member of a cadet corps who is recognized by a public
institution of higher education while such member is participating in an
official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.

E. The provisions of clause (ii) of subsection B shall not apply to (i) any
State Police officer who is off-duty or (ii) any retired State Police officer
who has participated in annual firearms training and has qualified to the
standards required of active law-enforcement officers in the Commonwealth, in
accordance with subsection C of &#xA7; 18.2-308.016.
			The provisions of clauses (iii) and (iv) of subsection B shall not apply to
(a) any State Police officer who is off-duty; (b) any retired State Police
officer who has participated in annual firearms training and has qualified to
the standards required of active law-enforcement officers in the Commonwealth,
in accordance with subsection C of &#xA7; 18.2-308.016; (c) any retired
law-enforcement officer who has participated in annual firearms training, has
qualified pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; 18.2-308.016, and is visiting a gun
range owned or leased by the Commonwealth; (d) any of the following employees
authorized to carry a firearm while acting in the conduct of such
employee&#8217;s official duties: (1) a bail bondsman as defined in &#xA7;
9.1-185, (2) an employee of the Department of Corrections or a state juvenile
correctional facility, (3) an employee of the Department of Conservation and
Recreation, or (4) an employee of the Department of Wildlife Resources; (e) any
individual carrying a weapon into a courthouse who is exempt under &#xA7;
18.2-283.1; (f) any property owned or operated by a public institution of higher
education; (g) any state park; or (h) any magistrate acting in the conduct of
the magistrate&#8217;s official duties.

F. Notice of the provisions of this section shall be posted conspicuously along
the boundary of Capitol Square and the surrounding area and at the public
entrance of each location listed in subsection B, and no person shall be
convicted of an offense under subsection B if such notice is not posted at such
public entrance, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions in
subsection B.

HISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 527, 548; 2023, c. 810.