SB496 • 2026

Handguns in unattended motor vehicle; definitions, penalty.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 18.2-308.7:1, relating to handguns in unattended motor vehicles.

Children Crime Firearms

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Marsden
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Rules for Storing Handguns in Unattended Cars

This act makes it illegal to leave a handgun in an unattended car unless the gun is locked in a hard-sided container or the glove compartment.

What This Bill Does

Defines what a 'handgun' and 'vehicle' are for this law.
Requires that any person who leaves a handgun in an unattended vehicle must store it securely in a locked hard-sided container, like a lockable box or the car's locked glove compartment.
Makes leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle without proper storage a Class 4 misdemeanor offense.
Exempts antique firearms, law enforcement officers, and people who report stolen guns to police from this requirement.

Who It Names or Affects

People who leave handguns in their cars
Law enforcement agencies that handle reports of stolen or lost firearms

Terms To Know

Class 4 misdemeanor: A minor criminal offense with a small fine but no jail time.
Locked hard-sided container: A box or case that can be locked and is made of sturdy material like metal or thick plastic.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify what happens if someone forgets to lock the gun in a container.
It's unclear how strictly police will enforce this new rule.
The effective date for when this law starts is not provided.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SB496AC

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment proposes to reject a previous version of the bill and accept a new substitute version to address disagreements.

Rejects the House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108965D).
Accepts a new Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110004D) to resolve differences.

The specific details and content of the new substitute amendment are not provided, making it hard to explain further changes concretely.

SB496AC1

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment recommends rejecting a previous version of the bill and accepting a new substitute version to address disagreements.

Rejects the House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108965D).
Accepts a new Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110085D) to resolve differences.

The text does not provide details about what changes are made in the new substitute amendment.
It is unclear from this text alone how the new amendment will affect the original bill's intent regarding handguns in unattended vehicles.

SB496ASC1

2026-02-11 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes how handguns are defined and stored in unattended vehicles.

Changes the definition of 'handgun' to include any firearm with a barrel length less than 16 inches.
Removes specific requirements for storing guns in glove compartments or center consoles, instead allowing them to be stored in any locked container attached to the vehicle's interior.

The amendment does not specify what types of containers are acceptable beyond stating they must be locked and affixed to the vehicle.

SB496AS1

2026-02-12 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes how handguns are stored in unattended vehicles by specifying that they must be kept in a secure container and defines what qualifies as a handgun.

Changes the definition of 'handgun' to include any firearm with a barrel length less than 16 inches.
Removes the requirement for a locked glove compartment or center console, replacing it with a new rule that requires handguns to be stored in a container secured by steel cable, bolt, or welding.
Clarifies that a secure container can also be a locked glove compartment or center console.

The amendment text does not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance with these new storage requirements.

SB496AS2

2026-02-13 • Member

Senator Marsden Amendments

Plain English: The amendment withdraws proposed changes that would have required handguns in unattended vehicles to be placed out of plain view and in a specific type of locked container.

Removes the requirement for handguns left in an unattended vehicle to be placed out of plain view.

The amendment text is marked as withdrawn, so it does not make any actual changes to the bill. The exact reasons and implications are unclear without further context.

SB496S2

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section that allows members of the General Assembly to leave handguns in unattended motor vehicles under certain conditions.

Adds a new section, §18.2-308.7:1, which permits members of the General Assembly to leave handguns in unattended motor vehicles when parked in designated parking structures reserved for them.

The amendment text is incomplete and does not provide full details about all conditions or penalties related to leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle.
It's unclear how the new section interacts with existing laws regarding firearms storage outside of this specific context.

SB496S3

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about leaving handguns in unattended vehicles and sets penalties for not following these rules.

Defines 'handgun' and 'vehicle', including boats as vehicles but excluding bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, motorized skateboards or scooters, and mopeds.
Requires that any handgun left in an unattended vehicle must be out of plain view and locked in a hard-sided container affixed to the vehicle's interior.
Specifies exceptions for antique firearms, law enforcement officers, and individuals who report theft or loss of a firearm.

The amendment text does not specify all possible types of containers that could be considered 'locked hard-sided'.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 561 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 561 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0561)
2026-04-07 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB496)
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-30 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB496ER)
2026-03-17 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB496)
2026-03-14 Senate
Second conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-14 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate
2026-03-14 Senate
Second conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-14 Senate
Senate Conferees: Marsden, Surovell, Obenshain
2026-03-14 House
House acceded to request for second conference committee
2026-03-14 House
House Conferees: Laufer, Simon, Morefield
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Senate
Senate requested second conference committee (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Second Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-14 House
House Conferees: Laufer, Simon, Morefield
2026-03-14 House
Conference report agreed to by House (60-Y 36-N 0-A)
2026-03-14 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-03-13 House
House Conferees: Laufer, Simon, Morefield
2026-03-13 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-13 House
House Conferees: Laufer, Simon, Morefield
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Laufer, Clark, Morefield
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate Conferees: Marsden, Surovell, Obenshain
2026-03-10 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 House
House insisted on substitute
2026-03-09 House
House requested conference committee
2026-03-06 Senate
House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 Public Safety
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB496)
2026-03-04 House
Read third time
2026-03-04 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-03-04 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-03-04 House
Passed House with substitute (63-Y 36-N 0-A)
2026-03-03 House
Read second time
2026-03-02 Public Safety
Committee substitute printed 26108965D-H1
2026-02-27 Public Safety
Reported from Public Safety with substitute (15-Y 7-N)
2026-02-19 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-19 House
Read first time
2026-02-19 Public Safety
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
2026-02-16 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB496)
2026-02-16 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-13 Senate
Senator Marsden Amendments withdrawn
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute as amended (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate as amended
2026-02-13 Courts of Justice
Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
2026-02-13 Courts of Justice
Courts of Justice Amendments agreed to
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Floor offered
2026-02-11 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments (9-Y 6-N)
2026-02-11 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-05 Courts of Justice
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB496)
2026-02-03 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-03 Senate
Motion to recommit to Courts of Justice agreed to
2026-02-03 Courts of Justice
Recommitted to Courts of Justice
2026-02-02 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-02 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-01-30 Senate
Read second time
2026-01-30 Senate
Read second time
2026-01-30 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-01-29 Senate
Read second time
2026-01-29 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-01-28 Senate
Read second time
2026-01-28 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-01-28 Courts of Justice
Committee substitute printed 26106227D-S1
2026-01-27 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-01-27 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-01-27 Senate
Read first time
2026-01-27 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-01-27 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-01-26 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 5-N)
2026-01-26 Courts of Justice
Senate committee offered
2026-01-26 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-01-20 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB496)
2026-01-13 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104067D
2026-01-13 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; penalty.
Creates a Class 4 misdemeanor for any person who, when leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle, fails to securely store such handgun in a locked hard-sided container, including a locked container that is affixed to the vehicle's interior by steel cable, bolt, or welding. The bill provides that such locked container includes a locked glove compartment or a locked center console. The bill contains certain exemptions, including an exemption for a person who reports the theft or loss of such firearm to a law-enforcement agency as provided in relevant law. This bill is identical to HB 110.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
18.2-308.7:1
, relating to handguns in unattended motor vehicles.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
18.2-308.7:1
as follows:
§
18.2-308.7:1
. Firearm in unattended motor vehicle; penalty.
A. For purposes of this section:
"Handgun" means any pistol or revolver or other firearm originally designed, made, and intended to fire single or multiple projectiles by means of an explosion of a combustible material from one or more barrels when held in one hand.
"Vehicle" has the same meaning as ascribed to "motor vehicle" in §
46.2-364
. A "boat" is considered a vehicle and is defined as any vessel or other watercraft, privately owned, whether moved by oars, paddles, sails, or other power mechanism, inboard or outboard, or any other vessel or structure floating on water in the Commonwealth, whether or not capable of self-locomotion, including cruisers, cabin cruisers, runabouts, houseboats, and barges. However, bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards or scooters, and mopeds are not vehicles. A vehicle is considered to be unattended if (i) such vehicle is left unattended (a) on a public highway or other public property or (b) any parking area, lot, or structure intended for commercial or retail use, including such parking areas, lots, or structures exclusively reserved and used by commercial or retail employees, and (ii) the owner, operator, or any passenger of such motor vehicle is unable to observe such motor vehicle.
B. No person shall knowingly leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle or trunk unless such handgun is placed out of plain view in a locked hard-sided container, including a locked container that is affixed to the vehicle's interior by steel cable, bolt, or welding. A locked container affixed to the vehicle's interior includes a locked glove compartment or a locked center console. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) the storage of any antique firearm as defined in §
18.2-308.2:2
, (ii) a law-enforcement officer as defined in §
9.1-101
, or (iii) a person who reports the theft or loss of a firearm to a law-enforcement agency as provided in §
18.2-287.5
.