Overview
- A Lancaster County judge granted a preliminary injunction in Crump v. Katz that bars the Virginia State Police from enforcing Senate Bill 749, a law that would have restricted sales and transfers of certain semiautomatic firearms and limited magazines to 15 rounds.
- The injunction was issued Thursday and remains in place through Dec. 31, 2026 or until a final court order, temporarily stopping the law from taking effect on July 1 as planned.
- The suit was brought by gun-rights plaintiff John Crump with groups including Gun Owners of America and the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which argued the ban violates Article I, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution.
- Attorney General Jay Jones said the commonwealth will seek an emergency stay and appeal the ruling, while many local commonwealth’s attorneys have publicly opposed the law and some say they will not enforce it, creating divergent enforcement choices across counties.
- The legal fight is not settled because a Spotsylvania County injunction request was denied last week and a Washington County challenge is pending, leaving gun dealers, owners, and law enforcement with near-term uncertainty about sales, prosecutions, and the law’s statewide reach.