18.2-287.01 - Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal. - Virginia Statutes

§ 18.2-287.01. Carrying weapon in air carrier airport terminal.

It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or transport into any aircarrier airport terminal in the Commonwealth any (i) gun or other weapondesigned or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind, (ii)frame, receiver, muffler, silencer, missile, projectile or ammunitiondesigned for use with a dangerous weapon, and (iii) any other dangerousweapon, including explosives, stun weapons as defined in § 18.2-308.1, andthose weapons specified in subsection A of § 18.2-308. Any such weapon shallbe subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer. A violation of thissection is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any weapon possessed ortransported in violation of this section shall be forfeited to theCommonwealth and disposed of as provided in subsection A of § 18.2-308.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to any police officer,sheriff, law-enforcement agent or official, or conservation police officer,or conservator of the peace employed by the air carrier airport, nor shallthe provisions of this section apply to any passenger of an airline who, tothe extent otherwise permitted by law, transports a lawful firearm, weapon,or ammunition into or out of an air carrier airport terminal for the solepurposes, respectively, of (i) presenting such firearm, weapon, or ammunitionto U.S. Customs agents in advance of an international flight, in order tocomply with federal law, (ii) checking such firearm, weapon, or ammunitionwith his luggage, or (iii) retrieving such firearm, weapon, or ammunitionfrom the baggage claim area.

Any other statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance specifically addressing thepossession or transportation of weapons in any airport in the Commonwealthshall be invalid, and this section shall control.

(2004, c. 894; 2007, cc. 87, 519.)