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Alexandria is First Virginia City to Prohibit Firearms on City Property Using New Law

First jurisdiction in Virginia to make it the law–no guns allowed on Alexandria City Property. (Image licensed by The Zebra Press from Adobe Stock)

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Following a public hearing June 20, the Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting firearms and ammunition in City facilities, parks and areas requiring special event permits.

Effective July 1, it will be a Class 1 misdemeanor to possess, carry or transport firearms or ammunition in any building, park or recreational or community facility owned or operated by the City for governmental purposes; or at any special event requiring a permit and being held on a City public street, road, alley, sidewalk or public right of way. The ordinance also applies to City employees, agents or volunteers in workplaces that are owned, operated or managed by the City.

Exemptions from the ordinance include military personnel acting within the scope of their official duties; sworn law enforcement officers; private security personnel hired by the City; museum exhibits and historical re-enactments involving unloaded firearms; and official Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and collegiate sports programs.

A similar City ban on firearms in the 1990s was overturned by a law passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002, which prohibited localities from regulating firearms in their buildings. The General Assembly reversed this policy during the 2020 legislative session, permitting localities to regulate firearms and ammunition in public buildings, parks and special event areas requiring permits. The City is the first jurisdiction in Virginia to adopt such an ordinance under the new law.

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Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, founded by her in 2010. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, VA and has lived and worked in the Alexandria publishing community since 1987.

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2 Comments

  1. So that means when the protesters come to town you can’t protect yourself.
    I guess it’s OK to burn down Business’s and homes. OK to tearing down Statues of our History. But the Law Abiding Citizen can’t Carry his gun. Anyone in that City who owns a gun should do Business elsewhere until they get the message. Buy gas, grocery’s, in another County, city, or own. Also pay your Taxes on the very last day you can without paying a penalty. The less revenue they get the better you can get your point across.

  2. Long, long overdue! Guns don’t save lives but words do! You should be celebrating the law, not deriding it! Now Alexandria can truly call itself civilized!

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