VirginiaHB402026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Plastic firearms or receivers, etc., transfer, etc., prohibited; penalties.

Sponsored By: Marcus B. Simon (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

Manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The provisions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027; however, the provisions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 323.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Serial numbers required on guns and parts

Beginning January 1, 2027, you cannot make, assemble, import, buy, sell, or transfer any firearm without a valid serial number. You also cannot import, buy, sell, or transfer completed or unfinished frames or receivers unless they count as firearms under federal law and have a valid serial number. People without a federal license to manufacture firearms cannot sell or transfer guns they made, caused to be made, or knew were made by an unlicensed person. Beginning July 1, 2027, it is illegal to possess any firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that lacks a valid serial number. Breaking these serial-number rules is a Class 1 misdemeanor; a second or later offense is a Class 4 felony. Exemptions include antique guns, guns made before October 22, 1968, permanently inoperable guns, law enforcement, licensed makers and importers, common carriers, voluntary buybacks, certain nonresidents, and new residents who have 90 days to serialize, remove, or otherwise comply.

Plastic and undetectable guns banned

The law bans making, selling, buying, transferring, or possessing plastic or other undetectable firearms. A plastic firearm has less than 3.7 ounces of detectable metal in key parts and does not show up clearly on security scanners. It also covers guns that are not detectable as firearms after removing all but a major component, including machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. A violation is a Class 5 felony.

New serialization rules for gun dealers

Beginning January 1, 2027, federal firearms licensees may imprint serial numbers and must follow a set format. The serial starts with the licensee’s first three and last five FFL digits, a hyphen, then a unique number. It must meet federal size, depth, and permanence standards, and cannot duplicate another number from that licensee. Dealers must keep federal records and a transfer record with the date, buyer’s name, age, residence, and the serial number.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Marcus B. Simon

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 229 • No: 104

House vote 3/4/2026

Senate substitute agreed to by House

Yes: 64 • No: 32

Senate vote 3/2/2026

Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/2/2026

Passed Senate with substitute

Yes: 21 • No: 19

Senate vote 2/26/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/26/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/25/2026

Reported from Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 10 • No: 5

Senate vote 2/23/2026

Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 9 • No: 5

House vote 2/5/2026

Read third time and passed House

Yes: 63 • No: 34

House vote 1/30/2026

Reported from Public Safety

Yes: 15 • No: 6

House vote 1/29/2026

Subcommittee recommends reporting

Yes: 7 • No: 3

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0531)

    4/10/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter531 (Effective - see bill)

    4/10/2026Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/14/2026Governor
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

    3/14/2026House
  5. Signed by Speaker

    3/12/2026House
  6. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB40)

    3/11/2026House
  7. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB40ER)

    3/11/2026House
  8. Enrolled

    3/11/2026House
  9. Signed by President

    3/11/2026Senate
  10. Senate substitute agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A)

    3/4/2026House
  11. Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

    3/2/2026Senate
  12. Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

    3/2/2026Senate
  13. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

    3/2/2026Senate
  14. Passed by for the day

    2/27/2026Senate
  15. Read third time

    2/27/2026Senate
  16. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB40)

    2/26/2026House
  17. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/26/2026Senate
  18. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/26/2026Senate
  19. Rules suspended

    2/26/2026Senate
  20. Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/25/2026 12:50 pm)

    2/25/2026House
  21. Committee substitute printed 26108434D-S1

    2/25/2026Senate
  22. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)

    2/25/2026Senate
  23. Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N)

    2/23/2026Senate
  24. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    2/6/2026Senate
  25. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

    2/6/2026Senate

Bill Text

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