A Virginia judge issued a preliminary injunction on June 25, 2026, preventing state police from enforcing an assault weapons ban that was set to take effect on July 1. The ban, signed into law by Governor Abigail Spanberger in April, aimed to prohibit the sale, purchase, import, manufacture, and transfer of semiautomatic center-fire rifles and pistols that can hold more than 20 rounds, as well as high-capacity magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds.
The ruling came in response to a civil suit filed by gun rights activist John Crump and organizations including Gun Owners of America and the Virginia Citizens Defense League against Virginia State Police Superintendent Jeffrey Katz. The plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the Virginia Constitution's protection of the right to bear arms.
The judge's decision means that the ban will not be enforced until the end of the year, and Phillip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, though he noted that the legal battle is ongoing. Crump indicated that while he was recognized as an individual with standing in the case, the organizations involved were not. A similar case in Spotsylvania County was not granted a preliminary injunction.
The judge in Lancaster County stated that the ruling does not bind the case in Spotsylvania.