HB97 • 2026

Precious metals dealers; permit requirements.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 54.1-4108 of the Code of Virginia, relating to professions and occupations; precious metals dealers; permit requirements.</p>

Crime

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Ballard
Last action: 2026-02-18
Official status: Failed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes details that go beyond what is explicitly stated or implied by the official source material.

Changes to Precious Metals Dealer Permit Requirements

This bill removes fingerprint submission requirements for precious metals dealer permits and mandates a background check.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement that applicants submit fingerprints when applying for a permit.
Requires chief law-enforcement officers to issue permits after confirming through a criminal background check that an applicant has not been convicted of certain crimes within seven years.

Who It Names or Affects

Precious metals dealers who need to apply for permits in Virginia.

Terms To Know

Felony: A serious crime that can lead to a prison sentence of more than one year.
Crime of moral turpitude: An offense involving dishonesty, fraud, or immoral behavior.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the consequences if an applicant fails the background check.
It is unclear how this change will affect existing dealers who already have permits.

Bill History

2026-02-18 House
Left in Committee Education
2026-02-18 House
Left in Committee General Laws
2026-02-05 Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (7-Y 2-N)
2026-01-23 Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
Assigned HGL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
2026-01-02 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101124D
2026-01-02 General Laws
Referred to Committee on General Laws

Official Summary Text

Professions and occupations; precious metals dealers; permit requirements.
Eliminates the requirement that an applicant for a precious metals dealer permit submit fingerprints to the chief law-enforcement officer of the appropriate jurisdiction as part of the application process. The bill instead requires the chief law-enforcement officer to issue a permit to an applicant after confirming via a fingerprint-based or computerized criminal background check that such applicant has not been convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude within seven years prior to the date of application.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A BILL to amend and reenact §
54.1-4108
of the Code of Virginia, relating to professions and occupations; precious metals dealers; permit requirements.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
54.1-4108
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
54.1-4108
. Permit required; method of obtaining permit; no convictions of certain crimes; approval of weighing devices; renewal; permanent location required.

A. No person shall engage in the activities of a dealer
,
as defined in §
54.1-4100
,
without first obtaining a permit from the chief law-enforcement officer of each county, city, or town in which he proposes to engage in business.

B. To obtain a permit, the dealer shall file
with the proper chief law-enforcement officer
an application form
which
with the proper chief law-enforcement officer that
includes the dealer's full name
,
and
any aliases, address, age, date of birth,
sex, and fingerprints
and gender
; the name, address, and telephone number of the applicant's employer, if any; and the location of the dealer's place of business. Upon filing this application and the payment of a $200 application fee, the dealer shall be issued a permit by the chief law-enforcement officer or his designee, provided that the applicant has not been convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude within seven years prior to the date of application
, as confirmed by a finger
print-based or computerized criminal background check
.
The
No
permit shall be
denied
issued
if the applicant has been denied a permit or has had a permit revoked under any ordinance similar in substance to the provisions of this chapter.

C. Before a permit may be issued, the dealer
must
shall
have all weighing devices used in his business inspected and approved by local or state weights and measures officials and present written evidence of such approval to the proper chief law-enforcement officer.

D.
T
his
A
permit
issued pursuant to this section
shall be valid for one year from the date issued and may be renewed in the same manner as such permit was initially obtained with an annual permit fee of $200. No
such
permit shall be transferable.

E.
If
With the exception of Saturdays, Sundays, and recognized holidays
, if
the business of the dealer is not operated without interruption,
with Saturdays, Sundays, and recognized holidays excepted,
the dealer shall notify the proper chief law-enforcement officer of all closings and reopenings of such business. The business of a dealer shall be conducted only from the fixed and permanent location specified in his
permit
application
for a permit
.

F. The chief law-enforcement officer may waive the permit fee for retail merchants that are not required to be licensed as pawnbrokers under Chapter 40 (§
54.1-4000
et seq.), provided the retail merchant has a permanent place of business and purchases of precious metals and gems do not exceed five percent of the retail merchant's annual business.