Gun-safety law leaves gaps in Virginia’s safety landscape

Virginia ranks among the stronger states nationally on gun safety, with laws designed to restrict firearm access during high-risk situations and protect people from gun-related harm. But recent reporting shows that key protections — including the state’s Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO law) — are applied unevenly, with wide variation in how often localities use them. Combined with the governor’s veto of several gun-safety bills since 2022, these gaps leave some women less protected than others, even within an otherwise strong legal framework.

Why it Matters

For women in dangerous situations, the ERPO process can be a critical tool — but only when it is understood, accessible, and consistently used. Research shows that:

Firearms are the leading cause of intimate-partner homicide for women in Virginia
More than half of all female homicide victims in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner
The presence of a gun in a domestic-violence situation increases the risk of homicide fivefold

ERPO advocates note that local law enforcement training, awareness, and comfort with the process largely determine how — or whether — this protection is used. The result is an uneven landscape in which the availability of firearm-removal protections depends heavily on where you live in Virginia.

Background

Virginia enacted its ERPO law in 2020 to prevent shootings in situations where a person poses a danger to themselves or others. But statewide ERPO usage data reveals significant variation between localities. Some counties filed dozens of petitions, while others filed none or nearly none, even in areas with similar population sizes or high rates of domestic-violence calls.

Reporting from the Virginia Mercury highlights Fairfax County as one of the few localities where ERPO use has been examined publicly. Even there — despite a large population and frequent threat reports — officials described the use of the red-flag law as cautious, reinforcing concerns that ERPOs remain underused across much of the state.

At the state level, lawmakers passed several gun-safety bills this year intended to strengthen protections for families affected by domestic violence and firearm access. Governor Youngkin vetoed these measures, arguing that Virginia’s existing laws were sufficient and that the proposals placed unnecessary burdens on lawful gun owners. Youngkin has vetoed 42 gun reform bills since he took office in 2022.

Things to Know

Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPOs) — sometimes called “red-flag laws” — are civil court orders that temporarily require firearm surrender and prohibit new gun purchases when a person is deemed a danger to themselves or others. They help families and law enforcement intervene early when warning signs appear, offering time for de-escalation, evaluation, and support. As of 2025, 21 states and Washington, D.C. have ERPO laws. Their effectiveness, however, depends on whether communities understand the tool and use it consistently — something that varies widely across states and within them.