Question 1

Are ghost guns and 80% lowers legal in Virginia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unfinished frames and unserialized self-built firearms remain legal under current Virginia law. A restriction takes effect 2027-01-01. Controlling law: Va. Code § 18.2-308.5:2 (2026 Acts ch. 532).

Question 2

What law covers unfinished frames and unserialized firearms in Virginia?

Accepted Answer

The controlling law is Va. Code § 18.2-308.5:2 (2026 Acts ch. 532). Unfinished frames and unserialized self-built firearms remain legal under current Virginia law.

Question 3

When will Virginia's unfinished frame or unserialized firearm restriction take effect?

Accepted Answer

Virginia's rule will take effect 2027-01-01. The law is enacted but not operative on the August 18, 2026 verification date. Its purchase and transfer clause requires the item to be deemed a firearm under federal law and serialized, so Defense Distributed v. Blanche creates a federal-reference issue for protected parties. The completed-firearm manufacturing rule is independent. Ordinary possession is not prohibited until July 1, 2027, and new residents receive a 90-day compliance window.

Question 4

Are 80% lowers and self-built firearms legal under federal law?

Accepted Answer

Federal law does not prohibit making a firearm for personal use, but prohibited-person, detectable-firearm, and unlicensed manufacturing-for-sale rules still apply. On August 17, 2026, Defense Distributed v. Blanche held 27 C.F.R. §§ 478.11 and 478.12(c) unconstitutional, but the judgment did not vacate those regulations and its declaratory and injunctive relief is party-scoped. Buyers outside the protected parties remain subject to the 2022 federal frame-or-receiver rule while litigation continues; state serialization, transfer, possession, and manufacturing laws apply independently.

Federal baseline verified 2026-08-18. Scope: Unfinished firearm frames and receivers, including products marketed as 80% lowers or pistol-frame blanks, plus firearms privately made without a serial number. Serialized stripped receivers transferred as firearms are outside this class's unfinished/unserialized restrictions.

Are Ghost Guns and 80% Lowers Legal in Virginia?

Litigation Status and Details

Federal baseline

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