Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.01 — Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 4: Dangerous Use of Firearms or Other Weapons, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.01
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or transport into any air carrier airport terminal in the Commonwealth any (i) gun or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind, (ii) frame, receiver, muffler, silencer, missile, projectile or ammunition designed for use with a dangerous weapon, and (iii) any other dangerous weapon, including explosives, stun weapons as defined in § 18.2-308.1 , and those weapons specified in subsection A of § 18.2-308 . Any such weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any weapon possessed or transported in violation of this section shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth and disposed of as provided in § 19.2-386.28 .
The provisions of this section shall not apply to any police officer, sheriff, law-enforcement agent or official, conservation police officer, conservator of the peace employed by the air carrier airport, or retired law-enforcement officer qualified pursuant to subsection C of § 18.2-308.016 , nor shall the provisions of this section apply to any passenger of an airline who, to the extent otherwise permitted by law, transports a lawful firearm, weapon, or ammunition into or out of an air carrier airport terminal for the sole purposes, respectively, of (i) presenting such firearm, weapon, or ammunition to U.S. Customs agents in advance of an international flight, in order to comply with federal law, (ii) checking such firearm, weapon, or ammunition with his luggage, or (iii) retrieving such firearm, weapon, or ammunition from the baggage claim area.
Any other statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance specifically addressing the possession or transportation of weapons in any airport in the Commonwealth shall be invalid, and this section shall control.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.01.
Which Virginia statute covers carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal?
Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.01 (Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.