Virginia’s Democrat Gov. Signs ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban into LawAWR Hawkins 15 May 2026
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed a ban on popular semiautomatic rifles and shotguns into law Thursday which will take effect July 1, 2026.
On March 9, 2026, Breitbart News reported the ban had cleared the Virginia legislature and was headed to Spanberger’s desk.
Ammoland News noted that the legislation, SB 749, specifies that “importing, selling, purchasing, or transferring a prohibited firearm would be a Class 1 misdemeanor.” It also “restricts the sale or transfer of certain large-capacity magazines defined in the statute.”
SB 749 also bans a number of semiautomatic shotguns and certain semiautomatic, centerfire pistols, WRIC reported
WTVR pointed out that Spanberger signed the ban Thursday and subsequently released a statement, which said in part, “I am signing this bill into law because firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets. We are taking this step to protect families and support the law enforcement officers who work every day to keep our communities safe.”
On April 10, 2026, Breitbart News noted that Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon made clear the DOJ would sue Virginia if Spanberger signed the “assault weapons” ban. Time to watch and see.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/05/15/virginias-democrat-gov-signs-assault-weapons-ban-law/