HB 40 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Plastic firearms or receivers, etc.; transfer, etc., prohibited, penalties.

Summary
Manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties. Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number. The bill also creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, for any person to manufacture or assemble, cause to be manufactured or assembled, import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any firearm that is not imprinted with a valid serial number. The provisions of the bill prohibiting unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027; however, the provisions of the bill prohibiting the knowing possession of a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 323.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Dec 23, 2025 Signed Apr 10, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Enrolled Chaptered · 3 edits
MINOR
This bill updates the official title and session information for HB 40, changing the session year from 2026 to 2026 and adding a specific chapter number (531) and approval date (April 10, 2026). It also reorders the legislative text to place the chapter number before the act's title. No substantive policy changes regarding the manufacture, sale, or penalties for plastic firearms are present in this specific diff.
TECHNICAL

Updated the session header and chapter designation to reflect the final enacted version of the bill.

Added the specific approval date of April 10, 2026, to the text.

Reordered the introductory text to place the chapter number before the act's title.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 26, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 5, 2026

How they voted

390
Passed
Total votes 39
Feb 26, 2026
D Democratic20
20 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
35
Key actions
12
Committee
7
Apr 10, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor-Chapter531 (Effective - see bill)
executive
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB40ER)
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
upper
Feb 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (63-Y 34-N 0-A)
lower
Jan 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Public Safety (15-Y 6-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)
lower
Jan 16, 2026
Committee
Assigned HPS sub: Firearms
lower
Dec 23, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
lower
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors

Sponsors