Virginia Law

A. At the request of a Virginia resident or a non-Virginia resident, a dealer may request a record check by mail for a firearm transfer. In either case, the dealer shall follow the procedures as set forth in this chapter. In addition, the dealer shall follow the provisions for establishing identity and residency as set forth in 6VAC20-130-60 C 1 a and C 1 b, and, if applicable, 6VAC20-130-60 D.

B. The dealer shall mail or deliver to the department the appropriate copies of the completed VFTR form according to procedures established by the department (that shall not describe, list, or note the actual firearms to be transferred) within 24 hours of the prospective purchaser's signing and dating of the consent paragraph in section A of the VFTR form. This shall be evidenced by the dealer's notation of the mailing date on the VFTR, if mailed, or the date stamp of the department on the VFTR form or a receipt provided to the deliverer, if delivered. The original of the completed VFTR form shall be retained at the dealer's place of business.

C. The department will initiate a search only upon receipt of the appropriate copies of the VFTR form at department headquarters. The department may challenge and refuse to accept any VFTR form if there is an unreasonable, extended time period between the date of the mailing and the date of receipt of the copies of the form at the department.

D. Following its search of Virginia and national criminal history record indexes and files, the department will return to the dealer a copy of the VFTR form, marked "approved," or "not approved." When a dealer receives approval, he may transfer any firearm, as listed on the VFTR form that initiated the request for a record check, to the prospective purchaser, after his receipt of the approval. The actual transfer of the firearm shall be accomplished in a timely manner. A second record check shall not be required provided that the actual transfer of the firearm occurs within a time period specified by the department. If the transfer is disapproved, he is not authorized to transfer any firearm to the prospective purchaser.

E. In the case of written requests for criminal history record check, initiated by the submission of VFTR forms, the dealer shall wait up to 10 days after the mailing date (noted on the form) or delivery date stamp (if not mailed) of the request for written approval from the department, prior to transferring a firearm as defined in this chapter.

F. However, if 10 days elapse from the date the VFTR form was mailed (as noted on the VFTR form) or delivered to the Department of State Police (as indicated by the date stamped by the department), and the department has not responded to the request initiated by the form by approving or disapproving the transaction proposed, the dealer may complete the transfer to the prospective purchaser on his next business day, after the 10th day, or thereafter, and not be in violation of the law or this chapter. After completion of the transfer in this case, as in all cases, any new or further transfer of firearms not listed on the VFTR form that initiated the request for a record check to the same purchaser will require a new criminal history record check.