Step-by-step guide
Virginia Non-Resident Guide
How a New York resident gets a Virginia Nonresident Concealed Handgun Permit, all by mail.
Where You Can Carry — See the Map
Everything Is Done by Mail. No Trip to Virginia.
At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):
Can a New Yorker apply? Yes, 21 or older. No NY carry license needed
Training: Proof of an in-person course (online certificates are returned). For example an NRA or USCCA course, a class by a state-, NRA- or USCCA-certified instructor, or an in-person hunter education course
Fingerprints: 1 FD-258 card rolled by a police department (or a private company acting as its agent)
In person: None in Virginia
Cost: $100
Processing: No set deadline; recent applicants report about 2 weeks to 2 months
Valid for: 5 years
Good to know: Virginia currently honors a valid New York license, so a NY licensee can already carry in Virginia. That changes on July 1, 2027, when Virginia will honor only states its Attorney General finds "substantially similar." A Virginia non-resident permit is valid in Virginia either way.
Step 1 - Check That You Qualify
Non-residents 21 or older can apply to the Virginia State Police (VSP).
The usual disqualifications apply, for example being barred from owning firearms; a DUI, drug offense, or assault, brandishing or stalking conviction within the last 3 years (some within 5); pending felony charges; certain protective orders; and a dishonorable discharge. VSP lists them all on its page.
Step 2 - Proof of Training
Virginia law: the applicant "shall demonstrate competence with a handgun in person" by one of these (send a photocopy of the certificate):
Any NRA or USCCA firearms safety or training course (for example NRA Basic Pistol, in person).
Any in-person firearms course taught by a state-certified, NRA-certified or USCCA-certified instructor.
A hunter education course approved by Virginia or a similar agency of another state (in person).
Current military service or an honorable discharge, or a law-enforcement or security guard firearms course.
Online course certificates are returned unprocessed (VSP, since January 1, 2021). No live fire is required.
The NYS 16+2 class is not named by VSP. It fits if your instructor is NRA- or USCCA-certified; applicants report VSP accepted a NYS 16+2 certificate (2023).
Step 3 - Fingerprints and Photo
One FD-258 fingerprint card rolled by a law enforcement agency (your local police department or sheriff). A private company acting as an agent of a law enforcement agency is accepted. Electronic prints must be printed onto an FD-258 card; electronic submission is not available.
You and the person who took the prints both sign the card, and you include that person's phone number (VSP calls to verify). An agency stamp on the back is requested.
Photo: 2x2 inches, taken within 6 months, full face, plain white or off-white background, no hat or headgear (religious attire worn daily is allowed; VSP does not say whether that includes a yarmulke). VSP's page and checklist ask for one photo; the law says two identical photos, so sending two is the safe choice.
Step 4 - Fill Out the Application
Download form SP-248 (revised 11-24-2025) (link) or request a packet from VSP (it comes with a fingerprint card, checklist and return envelope).
Check NONRESIDENT PERMIT, answer every question and sign. Incomplete or unreadable applications are not processed.
The current form has no notary section, but the older state regulation still mentions an oath before a notary. Having it notarized does no harm.
Attach a photocopy of your NY driver's license or U.S. passport and a photocopy of your training certificate.
Step 5 - Pay and Mail
$100 money order or cashier's check payable to Virginia State Police. No personal checks. Non-refundable. A package without payment is returned.
Put your return address on the envelope and mail the completed application packet (use Priority Mail with Return Receipt) to the address on the current VSP page and form:
Virginia State Police
Firearms Transaction Center, Nonresident CHP Permits
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
P.O. Box 85608
Richmond, VA 23285-5608
(VSP's older 2022 checklist and the regulation still show P.O. Box 85141. The current page and form say 85608.)
Step 6 - After You Apply
There is no legal deadline for non-resident permits. VSP's emailed receipt has said 1 to 2 months; recent applicants report about 11 days to 2 weeks.
The permit is mailed to you (a laminated card).
Valid for 5 years. To renew, request a renewal packet in writing (with your permit file number) and send it at least 2 months before expiration: same $100 fee, new fingerprints and photos, no new training proof.
Report an address change in writing with your permit file number.
If denied, you can appeal in writing to the VSP Superintendent within 30 days.
Where It Is Valid
Not valid in New York.
VSP does not publish a list of states that honor the Virginia non-resident permit. It tells holders to check each state's own rules. Some states honor only resident permits.
Tips from Others' Experience
From users on the chats (paraphrased). These are personal experiences, not official rules, and may change.
A New Yorker (2023) used the NYS 16+2 course certificate; VSP accepted it, and the permit came 11 days after the packet arrived.
Recent timelines: about 2 weeks from VSP receiving the packet to the permit in hand (2024 and April/May 2026). Reports from 2020 to 2021 were 5 to 6 months, so times have improved.
New Yorkers call Virginia one of the cheapest and easiest permits, all by mail.
Some NYC license holders were unsure whether Virginia counts a NYC-issued license as "issued by another state"; a Virginia permit removes the doubt.
Good to Know
Carry the permit and a government photo ID and show them on request. Virginia law does not require you to tell an officer you are carrying.
Places of worship: Virginia law makes it a misdemeanor to carry a gun "without good and sufficient reason, to a place of worship while a meeting for religious purposes is being held" (Va. Code 18.2-283).
You may carry concealed in a restaurant or club that serves alcohol, but you may not drink there. Carrying while under the influence (including marijuana) is a crime.
No carry on posted private property, in courthouses, on school property (except inside your vehicle) or in airport terminals.
Since July 1, 2026, Virginia bans buying, selling or bringing in magazines over 15 rounds. From July 1, 2027, public carry of an "assault firearm" (which includes some pistols) is banned with no permit exemption.
Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.
This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you apply. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.
Official Sources
Checked November 1, 2026.
Virginia State Police, Nonresident Concealed Handgun Permits: link
Va. Code 18.2-308.06 (non-resident permits): link
Form SP-248 (rev. 11-24-2025): link
VSP Nonresident Application Checklist: link
VSP Reciprocity and Recognition: link
Va. Code 18.2-308.014 (recognition of other states, changes July 1, 2027): link
Va. Code 18.2-283 (places of worship): link
Va. Code 18.2-309.1 (magazines): link
Where You Can Carry
You Cannot Carry in These States (14)
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington State, Washington, DC
Dark green: you can carry. Your licenses are honored there (or it is the state that issued the permit).
Light green: you can carry with no permit. That state lets visitors carry with no permit at all. Age limits and rules apply.
Red: you cannot carry here. None of your licenses is honored there, and visitors may not carry without one. Do not carry.
Washington, DC does not recognize any other state's license — you need a DC Concealed Carry Pistol License.
Virginia: changes July 1, 2027 — a new law (SB 115) replaces honoring all states with an Attorney General list not yet published.
Before You Travel
- Check every state on your route. Read the official state police or attorney general website for each state you will pass through. Laws change, and this map can fall behind.
- Verify your exact permit type is honored. Many states honor only permits issued to residents of the issuing state, not non-resident permits.
- Resident vs. non-resident rules differ. A state may treat the same permit differently depending on where you live.
- Permitless carry has limits. Some permitless-carry states allow it only for their own residents, or only from a certain age.
- Review each state's carry laws. Know where carry is banned (schools, government buildings, bars, parks, transit and more) and the rules for carrying in a car.
- Duty to inform. Some states require you to tell a police officer right away that you are carrying.
- Ammunition. Some states restrict hollow-point ammunition (for example, New Jersey). Check what you may carry.
- Magazine capacity. Magazine limits differ by state.
- Type of firearm. Some places ban certain firearms (for example, AR-style rifles are not allowed in New York City).
- Interstate travel (safe passage). Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 926A (part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, signed by President Reagan), you may transport a firearm through a state where you cannot legally carry, if you may lawfully possess and carry it at both your starting point and your destination. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition may be readily accessible from the passenger compartment: keep them in the trunk, or, in a vehicle without a trunk, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Stops along the way can complicate this protection, so verify before you travel. Read 18 U.S.C. § 926A
Checked November 2026. Laws change: always verify before you travel. This is general information, not legal advice.
Last checked: November 1, 2026
New to the terms? See the 2A Glossary.
You Carry the Responsibility. We Carry the Process.
The decision to carry is yours. The stress of getting approved doesn't have to be. White Glove is a full service: we handle the process with you, make sure every requirement is met 100%, and stay with you to the finish line. Every completed application we've handled has been approved.
- Full service - we take the stress of doing it all
- Every requirement checked and met, 100%
- We Prepare and Submit All Your Paperwork
- Notary services available*
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- We Prep You for the Fingerprinting and Interview Appointment
- Guided step by step - and We Assist You Once You're Approved
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