In Virginia, knowing and intentional possession or transportation of ammunition is illegal by any person: (1) convicted of a felony; (2) adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile 14 years of age or older at the time of the offense of murder, kidnapping, robbery by the threat or presentation of firearms, or rape; or (3) who is under the age of 29 and was found guilty as a juvenile (14 years of age or older) of a delinquent act which would be a felony if committed by an adult. Outside of those categories, Virginia law does not prohibit other individuals ineligible to possess firearms under state law from possessing ammunition. Nor does Virginia law prohibit the sale or possession of unreasonably dangerous ammunition, require a license for the purchase or possession of ammunition, or require a license to sell ammunition.
However, federal law requires an individual to be at least 21 years of age to purchase handgun ammunition, and at least 18 years old to purchase rifle or shotgun ammunition. Federal law does not require sellers of ammunition to verify the age or criminal backgrounds of purported buyers.
If you have been charged with unlawfully traveling with ammunition in Prince William County, reach out to an experienced gun lawyer today.
Unlawfully traveling with ammunition in Prince William County is punished as a felony. The class and sentence of the felony depend on whether the transportation is part of committing or attempting to commit another crime, and whether or not the ammunition meets the definition of “restricted ammunition.” Restricted ammunition in Virginia includes bullets, projectiles or other types of ammunition that are:
The Virginia code contains a variety of different firearm-related offenses that can be used to reduce or amend a charge to an offense, which carries much less severe consequences than others, even though the factual differences might not be substantial between the two offenses. A gun lawyer can help excuse, mitigate, and sometimes even drop ammunition charges by disputing the technical information or status of the individual or ammunition in question. Ammunition charges are often viewed as less-concerning than actual firearms offenses since they are one step removed from posing a direct threat to public safety. There are many sympathetic circumstances leading to people receiving ammunition charges that seasoned attorneys can highlight and leverage to an accused’s advantage.
Unlawfully transporting ammunition in Prince William County is always a felony offense, and often carries a mandatory minimum term of jail time of at least two years, if not five years. As such, it is a very serious charge to receive, and there may be complicated or technical defenses to the charge depending on the circumstances. A local defense lawyer will be in the best position to advise someone accused of such a crime what their case will probably involve. Call today if you are facing charges.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
