Second Virginia Judge Blocks July 1 Assault-Weapons Law as AG Appeals 2nd Injunction
Updated
Updated · WSET · Jun 30
Second Virginia Judge Blocks July 1 Assault-Weapons Law as AG Appeals 2nd Injunction
3 articles · Updated · WSET · Jun 30
Summary
A Washington County judge halted Virginia’s new assault-style weapons law hours before its July 1 start, barring state police and prosecutors in six localities from enforcing it.
The order follows a Lancaster County ruling last week that also found the law unconstitutional, leaving enforcement on hold and creating a patchwork of injunctions rather than a statewide block.
Attorney General Jay Jones’ office said it will appeal the latest ruling and continue defending the state’s magazine-capacity limits and assault-weapons ban as public-safety measures.
The law’s opponents say July 1 purchases can proceed as they did on June 30, while legal observers expect a federal court may ultimately need to settle the dispute statewide.
The fight could soon intersect with national precedent: the U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it will review similar state and local weapons restrictions in its next term.
With Virginia's gun ban on hold, can the state's appeal satisfy the Supreme Court's strict historical standard?
Virginia’s Assault Weapons Ban Halted: Legal Showdown Over Gun Rights and Public Safety Intensifies Ahead of July 1, 2026
Overview
Just before Virginia's new assault weapons ban was set to take effect on July 1, 2026, Lancaster County Circuit Judge John Martin issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily halted its enforcement. This decision came after a lawsuit from gun rights groups, who argued that the ban violated the right to bear arms under both the Virginia Constitution and the Second Amendment. Judge Martin based his ruling on the argument that the banned firearms, such as AR-15-style rifles and standard capacity magazines, are commonly used across the country, following the US Supreme Court's 'common use' standard. As a result, the law is paused while the legal battle continues.