On Wednesday, some much-needed good news for Virginia’s sporting community came when Lynchburg Circuit Judge Patrick Yeatts stopped the state’s latest push to conduct universal background checks on all private gun sales.
Attorney General Jay Jones (D) was the driving force behind the state’s request.
After the controversial law went into effect last year, gun rights advocates won an injunction in October, which was all well and good until Second Amendment opponents took control of the state in early 2026. In January, anti-gun forces in the Virginia legislature passed a law to counteract the judge’s order and resume the checks.
State agency quickly updated its website after Wednesday’s ruling
In Wednesday’s ruling, Yeatts wrote that “the Virginia Department of State Police (VSP) is enjoined and prohibited from administering, enforcing, or otherwise imposing upon any person the requirements (of the background check law).”
The VSP immediately amended its website after the ruling and asserted it is “in compliance with the injunction.” Officials told inquirers that the agency “currently cannot provide criminal history background checks for the private sale of firearms.”
2A advocates can celebrate a win against Virginia’s gun control regime
Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) successfully sued the state over the statute. Both sides in the dispute are expected to return to the Lynchburg courtroom later this month, but the injunction remains in full effect.
VCDL head Philip Van Cleave told a phone interviewer that his organization is pleased that the judge stepped in and restored separation of powers.
“This is what we had hoped for and felt would happen,” he said. “The governor and the General Assembly have violated the Constitution, and when you do that, you’re going to be struck down.”
Lawmakers passed the mandate for background checks for private sales in 2020, but the federal age requirement for gun buyers under 21 led to a protracted legal battle. State authorities enforced the short-lived law for a single week before the latest court decision.
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