Pa. reaches reciprocity agreement with Virginia for concealed carry permit holders
Virginians who hold a permit to carry a concealed handgun will be able to keep it on their persons or in their cars when visiting Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a reciprocity agreement with Virginia that allows people with Licenses to Carry Firearms to do so in both states.
'Shortly after taking office, I asked my staff to review opportunities to maximize reciprocity agreements with willing states, and ensure all existing and future agreements protect and respect standing law and constitutional rights,' Sunday said. 'Our research of law in both states revealed nothing conflicting that would disallow permit holders to carry in both states.'
The legal staff in Sunday's office reached out to Virginia State Police leaders in early April about renewing a Memorandum of Agreement that provides 'mutual recognition of a license to carry a firearm' issued by Pennsylvania and a license or permit to carry a gun issued by another state.
The permitting process is different in each state. In Pennsylvania, applicants apply through their county sheriff's office and a background check is conducted through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS). The application process in Virginia goes through the clerk of the circuit court of the county or city where the person lives and requires proof of handgun competency. That could include things like completing a hunter safety course or any National Rifle Association or United States Concealed Carry Association firearms safety or training course.
The agreement, which applies only to handguns, allows a license holder from Virginia to carry a concealed handgun on their person or in a vehicle, in Pennsylvania, and vice versa, with a Pennsylvania license holder able to do the same in Virginia.
It requires permit holders to be at least 21-years-old, carry photo ID, display the permit when asked by law enforcement, and not have a concealed carry permit previously revoked.
According to Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel Matthew D. Hanley, his state has recognized all out-of-state permits, including from Pennsylvania, since July 2016.
In a May 21 letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, he noted the execution of the agreement serves to expand the rights of Virginians since their concealed carry permits will now be recognized in the Keystone State.
Pennsylvania now has concealed carry reciprocity agreements with 30 states, including Ohio and West Virginia. State police say as of June 2, nearly 1.7 million people have a license to carry permit in Pennsylvania.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
3 days ago
- The Hill
Virginia Democrats troll Youngkin, Republicans ahead of rally
The Democratic Party of Virginia will troll Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and his Republican allies ahead of a rally on Tuesday. The party is highlighting Youngkin's previous call for Republican lieutenant gubernatorial nominee John Reid to suspend his campaign on a mobile billboard outside of Reid's first event with the governor, gubernatorial nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R ) and Attorney General Jason (R). The Hill was the first outlet to report on the billboard, which will travel through Northern Virginia throughout the day. The billboard features pictures of Reid and Youngkin in the shape of a broken heart, with the caption quotes 'step down' from Youngkin, as well as Reid telling Youngkin to 'cease and desist from publishing lies.' The event on Tuesday in Vienna, Va., marks the first time Youngkin, who is term-limited, and the Republican ticket will appear publicly with each other on the campaign trail ahead of November's election. Questions about Republican unity in the race were raised in April when Youngkin called for Reid to suspend his campaign after a report that Republican researchers came across sexually explicit photos on Tumblr posted by an account with the same username Reid uses on other sites. Reid has adamantly denied the allegations and went as far as to accuse Youngkin's team of extortion. Reid, who is openly gay, has also said the reason he is being targeted is because of his sexuality. 'It's a distraction for campaigns and it's a distraction from people paying attention to the most important issues. And here we are today talking about fentanyl and saving lives, and the distraction is present,' Youngkin said at a press conference. 'That's why I called him on Friday morning.' 'And the decision is John's and up to John,' he said. A lawyer representing Reid sent a cease and desist letter to the then-executive director of Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC Matt Moran, who later stepped down from his post. Virginia Republicans were quick to come to Reid's defense in the face of the controversy, calling Youngkin's move 'an unforced error' and laying blame on the Spirit of Virginia PAC. Last month Youngkin acknowledged Reid as the party's lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, telling reporters 'he has clearly made up his mind that he's going to stay in.' Sears echoed Youngkin's comments in her own statement. 'This week, focus on the lieutenant governor nominee distracted from that mission and cannot continue,' Earle-Sears said, referring to the mission 'to unite and inspire Virginians of all backgrounds.' 'John Reid is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. It is his race, and his decision alone to move forward. We all have our own race to run.'
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Is your state patriotic or not? Here's where it ranks
The Fourth of July is around the corner, but some states aren't exactly bleeding red, white and blue. New York was found to be the second least patriotic state in the nation, according to a new report that looked at a dozen metrics like military service and voter turnout. The Empire State, along with New Jersey, were the two states with the least veterans per capita, having three times fewer than Alaska, which topped that category. 4 New York came last behind only Arkansas. Jimin Kim/SOPA Images/Shutterstock New York also fared poorly when it came to patriotism at the ballot box, ranking 44th out of 50 states for voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election. The only state less patriotic than New York was Arkansas, the WalletHub study found. It ranked dead last in civic engagement, with the worst voter turnout in the country, at 53%. New Jersey did slightly better, but not by much, ranking 43rd overall. 4 The Big Apple ranked 49th out of 50 states for patriotism this year. Jack Forbes / NY Post Design The most patriotic place in the union was Old Dominion State. 'Virginians love to think that they're basically the bedrock of the country as we know it,' WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo told The Post. 'They're very big on history, very big patriotism.' 4 Virginia was found to be the most patriotic state in the country. Mediteraneo – Virginia has a strong military culture, and is home to a large naval base, the Pentagon, CIA headquarters and Arlington National Cemetery. It is across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. The full list can be found here. Other metrics the study looked at included civics education requirements, jury participation and share of residents who volunteer and participate in organizations. 4 With July 4th around the corner, the study looked at patriotism across the 50 states. kieferpix –
CNBC
6 days ago
- CNBC
University of Virginia president resigns amid Trump admin investigation of diversity initiatives
The president of the University of Virginia is resigning following pressure from the Trump administration to step aside amid a Justice Department probe into the school's diversity practices. James E. Ryan convened a meeting with his senior leadership on Friday and announced that he would be stepping down, according to a source who attended the UVA Board of Visitors meeting. The Justice Department had demanded Ryan step down in order to resolve an investigation over the school's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to The New York Times, which was first to report the news of his resignation. The university's governing Board of Visitors voted in March to end its DEI office under the Trump administration's order that U.S. schools end diversity programs or risk losing federal funding. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin had praised the decision, saying the board "voted for common sense." "DEI is done at the University of Virginia. We stand for the universal truth that everyone is created equal, and opportunity is at the heart of Virginians' and Americans' future," he said in a March 7 news release. But the Justice Department accused the school of failing to completely dismantle DEI and sent a letter dated June 17 warning that it needed to act fast, the NYT reported. The DOJ and the University of Virginia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said in a joint statement Friday that it was "outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan." They called him a "strong leader" who served the school "honorably and moved the university forward." "Virginia's economy and prosperity depend on the strength and integrity of our higher education system," the statement read. "Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future." The school's board accepted Ryan's resignation, The New York Times reported. He has served as the school's ninth president since 2018.
