{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/18.2-295.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/18.2-295.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/18.2-295.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/18.2-295.html"}],"law_id":350669,"edition_id":2,"section_id":350669,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-295","catch_line":"Registration of machine guns","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-265; 1960, c. 358; 1972, c. 199; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1978, c. 618; 1988, c. 460.","full_text":"Every machine gun in this Commonwealth shall be registered with the Department of State Police within twenty-four hours after its acquisition or, in the case of semi-automatic weapons which are converted, modified or otherwise altered to become machine guns, within twenty-four hours of the conversion, modification or alteration. Blanks for registration shall be prepared by the Superintendent of State Police, and furnished upon application. To comply with this section the application as filed shall be notarized and shall show the model and serial number of the gun, the name, address and occupation of the person in possession, and from whom and the purpose for which, the gun was acquired or altered. The Superintendent of State Police shall upon registration required in this section forthwith furnish the registrant with a certificate of registration, which shall be valid as long as the registrant remains the same. Certificates of registration shall be retained by the registrant and produced by him upon demand by any peace officer. Failure to keep or produce such certificate for inspection shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor, and any peace officer, may without warrant, seize the machine gun and apply for its confiscation as provided in \u00a7 18.2-296. Upon transferring a registered machine gun, the transferor shall forthwith notify the Superintendent in writing, setting forth the date of transfer and name and address of the transferee. Failure to give the required notification shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor. Registration data shall not be subject to inspection by the public.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1306341,"text":"Every machine gun in this Commonwealth shall be registered with the Department of State Police within twenty-four hours after its acquisition or, in the case of semi-automatic weapons which are converted, modified or otherwise altered to become machine guns, within twenty-four hours of the conversion, modification or alteration. Blanks for registration shall be prepared by the Superintendent of State Police, and furnished upon application. To comply with this section the application as filed shall be notarized and shall show the model and serial number of the gun, the name, address and occupation of the person in possession, and from whom and the purpose for which, the gun was acquired or altered. The Superintendent of State Police shall upon registration required in this section forthwith furnish the registrant with a certificate of registration, which shall be valid as long as the registrant remains the same. Certificates of registration shall be retained by the registrant and produced by him upon demand by any peace officer. Failure to keep or produce such certificate for inspection shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor, and any peace officer, may without warrant, seize the machine gun and apply for its confiscation as provided in \u00a7 18.2-296. Upon transferring a registered machine gun, the transferor shall forthwith notify the Superintendent in writing, setting forth the date of transfer and name and address of the transferee. Failure to give the required notification shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor. Registration data shall not be subject to inspection by the public.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":50169,"edition_id":2,"name":"Uniform Machine Gun Act","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":9,"parent_id":50159,"metadata":{"child_laws":12,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:50","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:22","permalink":{"id":1394033,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50169,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/7\/5","url":"\/18.2\/7\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50159,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes Involving Health and Safety","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":7,"parent_id":50131,"metadata":{"child_laws":216,"child_structures":13},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:33","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:20","permalink":{"id":1393503,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50159,"identifier":"7","token":"18.2\/7","url":"\/18.2\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50131,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":52,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":960,"child_structures":94},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:15","permalink":{"id":1391141,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50131,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":350660,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-288","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/18.2-288\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-288","metadata":false},{"id":350661,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-289","catch_line":"Use of machine gun for crime of violence","url":"\/18.2-289\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-289","metadata":false},{"id":350663,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-290","catch_line":"Use of machine gun for aggressive purpose","url":"\/18.2-290\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-290","metadata":false},{"id":350664,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-291","catch_line":"What constitutes aggressive purpose","url":"\/18.2-291\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-291","metadata":false},{"id":350665,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-292","catch_line":"Presence prima facie evidence of use","url":"\/18.2-292\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-292","metadata":false},{"id":350667,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-293","catch_line":"What article does not apply to","url":"\/18.2-293\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-293","metadata":false},{"id":350666,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-293.1","catch_line":"What article does not prohibit","url":"\/18.2-293.1\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-293.1","metadata":false},{"id":350668,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-294","catch_line":"Manufacturer's and dealer's register; inspection of stock","url":"\/18.2-294\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-294","metadata":false},{"id":350669,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-295","catch_line":"Registration of machine guns","url":"\/18.2-295\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-295","metadata":false},{"id":350670,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-296","catch_line":"Search warrants for machine guns","url":"\/18.2-296\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-296","metadata":false},{"id":350671,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-297","catch_line":"How article construed","url":"\/18.2-297\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-297","metadata":false},{"id":350672,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-298","catch_line":"Short title of article","url":"\/18.2-298\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-298","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":350668,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-294","catch_line":"Manufacturer's and dealer's register; inspection of stock","url":"\/18.2-294\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-294","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":350670,"structure_id":50169,"section_number":"18.2-296","catch_line":"Search warrants for machine guns","url":"\/18.2-296\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-296","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-295\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1972, chapter 199; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1978, chapter 618; in 1988, chapter 460.<\/p>","references":[{"id":350664,"section_number":"18.2-291","catch_line":"What constitutes aggressive purpose","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-291\/"},{"id":350666,"section_number":"18.2-293.1","catch_line":"What article does not prohibit","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-293.1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":350670,"section_number":"18.2-296","catch_line":"Search warrants for machine guns","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-296\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1394067,"object_type":"law","relational_id":350669,"identifier":"18.2-295","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-295","url":"\/18.2-295\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-295\/","token":"18.2\/7\/5\/18.2-295","dublin_core":{"Title":"Registration of machine guns","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-295","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every machine gun in this Commonwealth shall be registered with the Department of State Police within twenty-four hours after its acquisition or, in the case of semi-automatic weapons which are converted, modified or otherwise altered to become machine guns, within twenty-four hours of the conversion, modification or alteration. Blanks for registration shall be prepared by the Superintendent of State Police, and furnished upon application. To comply with this section the application as filed shall be notarized and shall show the model and serial number of the gun, the name, address and occupation of the person<\/span> in possession<\/span>, and from whom and the purpose for which, the gun was acquired or altered. The Superintendent of State Police shall upon registration required in this section forthwith furnish the registrant with a certificate of registration, which shall be valid as long as the registrant remains the same. Certificates of registration shall be retained by the registrant and produced by him upon demand by any peace officer<\/span>. Failure to keep or produce such certificate for inspection shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor<\/span>, and any peace officer<\/span>, may without warrant, seize the machine gun and apply for its confiscation as provided in \u00a7 18.2-296<\/a>. Upon transferring a registered machine gun, the transferor shall forthwith notify the Superintendent in writing, setting forth the date of transfer and name and address of the transferee. Failure to give the required notification shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor<\/span>. Registration data shall not be subject to inspection by the public.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nREGISTRATION OF MACHINE GUNS (\u00a7 18.2-295)\n\nEvery machine gun in this Commonwealth shall be registered with the Department\nof State Police within twenty-four hours after its acquisition or, in the case\nof semi-automatic weapons which are converted, modified or otherwise altered to\nbecome machine guns, within twenty-four hours of the conversion, modification or\nalteration. Blanks for registration shall be prepared by the Superintendent of\nState Police, and furnished upon application. To comply with this section the\napplication as filed shall be notarized and shall show the model and serial\nnumber of the gun, the name, address and occupation of the person in possession,\nand from whom and the purpose for which, the gun was acquired or altered. The\nSuperintendent of State Police shall upon registration required in this section\nforthwith furnish the registrant with a certificate of registration, which shall\nbe valid as long as the registrant remains the same. Certificates of\nregistration shall be retained by the registrant and produced by him upon demand\nby any peace officer. Failure to keep or produce such certificate for inspection\nshall be a Class 3 misdemeanor, and any peace officer, may without warrant,\nseize the machine gun and apply for its confiscation as provided in \u00a7 18.2-296.\nUpon transferring a registered machine gun, the transferor shall forthwith\nnotify the Superintendent in writing, setting forth the date of transfer and\nname and address of the transferee. Failure to give the required notification\nshall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor. Registration data shall not be subject\nto inspection by the public.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-265; 1960, c. 358; 1972, c. 199; 1975, cc. 14, 15;\n1978, c. 618; 1988, c. 460.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}