Weapons Offense in Virginia
23,089 cases across 99 jurisdictions · 2025
Charge statistics were restated in July 2026 — cases are now grouped by the Virginia Code section charged. What changed and why
Of 23,089 weapons offense cases filed in 2025 across 99 Virginia jurisdictions, 14,305 reached an outcome — an average dismissal rate of 64.1% and an average conviction rate of 33.3%. Statewide, 5.9% of Weapons Offense charges are reduced to a lesser offense. The average fine is $271.
Dismissal rate includes judicial dismissals and nolle prosequi (prosecutor-dropped cases). Conviction rate includes guilty pleas and findings of guilt at trial. Rates are averaged across 99 jurisdictions with available data. Data covers 2025 public court records. Last updated: July 8, 2026
Key takeaways
- Across 99 Virginia jurisdictions, Weapons Offense cases had an average dismissal rate of 64.1% and conviction rate of 33.3% in 2025 (23,089 cases).
- Dismissal rates ranged from 39.2% in Montgomery County to 97.7% in Lancaster County among jurisdictions with weapons offense data.
- Statewide, 5.9% of Weapons Offense charges were reduced to a lesser offense.
Exhibit · Outcomes vary by court
Where Weapons Offense cases are dismissed or dropped, by jurisdiction
Across the 10 busiest courts82.2% in Portsmouth to 40.3% in Virginia Beach — same charge, different result by court.
Select Your Jurisdiction
Outcomes vary significantly by court. Type your county or city below to find it quickly.
Comparison by Court
| Jurisdiction | Cases | Dismissal Rate | Conviction Rate | Median Duration | Avg Fine | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond City | 2,116 | 73.9% | 23.1% | 4.1 months | $71 | 2.0 years |
| Newport News | 1,664 | 78.2% | 19.5% | 4.8 months | $339 | 1.1 years |
| Norfolk | 1,542 | 64.5% | 33.1% | 4.0 months | $215 | 1.4 years |
| Virginia Beach | 1,509 | 40.3% | 57.9% | 4.3 months | $218 | 1.3 years |
| Henrico County | 1,166 | 54.3% | 42.3% | 3.9 months | $579 | 1.8 years |
| Chesterfield County | 921 | 71.6% | 25.8% | 4.7 months | $239 | 1.4 years |
| Chesapeake | 706 | 71.0% | 25.6% | 4.4 months | $328 | 1.3 years |
| Suffolk | 651 | 65.9% | 30.4% | 5.0 months | $259 | 2.2 years |
| Hampton | 648 | 66.9% | 28.2% | 4.2 months | $233 | 1.4 years |
| Portsmouth | 612 | 82.2% | 16.3% | 3.3 months | $175 | 1.2 years |
| Prince William County | 557 | 76.2% | 21.3% | 4.6 months | $375 | 1.1 years |
| Fairfax County | 552 | 84.9% | 14.1% | 4.9 months | $390 | 4.1 months |
| Roanoke City | 456 | 60.2% | 37.5% | 2.2 months | $125 | 1.3 years |
| Petersburg | 452 | 66.2% | 27.6% | 5.4 months | $273 | 1.7 years |
| Lynchburg | 344 | 59.9% | 37.6% | 4.2 months | $312 | 9.5 months |
| Danville | 328 | 68.9% | 20.4% | 3.1 months | $157 | 9.7 months |
| Stafford County | 317 | 68.7% | 31.3% | 3.5 months | $218 | 1.4 years |
| Spotsylvania County | 293 | 62.7% | 35.6% | 4.6 months | $380 | 2.2 years |
| Hanover County | 280 | 59.0% | 36.6% | 3.6 months | $263 | 1.0 years |
| Arlington County | 218 | 79.0% | 21.0% | 3.8 months | $250 | 1.2 years |
| Henry County | 202 | 56.2% | 41.4% | 3.3 months | $243 | 1.6 years |
| Montgomery County | 191 | 39.2% | 60.8% | 4.1 months | $196 | 1.3 years |
| Rockingham County | 190 | 60.2% | 39.8% | 3.5 months | $1,089 | 1.7 years |
| Hopewell | 185 | 55.1% | 44.9% | 5.3 months | $132 | 1.8 years |
| Fredericksburg | 183 | 62.1% | 33.6% | 4.1 months | $100 | 1.1 years |
| Augusta County | 182 | 68.1% | 31.9% | 3.5 months | $151 | 1.7 years |
| Bedford County | 181 | 78.2% | 21.8% | 2.8 months | $150 | 11.4 months |
| Roanoke County | 179 | 58.0% | 35.5% | 3.8 months | $50 | 1.0 years |
| Loudoun County | 178 | 77.5% | 22.5% | 3.7 months | $290 | 8.6 months |
| Colonial Heights | 169 | 76.3% | 21.5% | 5.5 months | — | 1.5 years |
| Prince George County | 164 | 72.4% | 27.6% | 5.0 months | $250 | 1.8 years |
| Wise County | 159 | 65.5% | 32.4% | 4.5 months | $183 | 1.9 years |
| Martinsville | 159 | 65.8% | 34.2% | 5.0 months | $233 | 2.1 years |
| Campbell County | 155 | 48.8% | 46.7% | 3.9 months | $106 | 1.7 years |
| Halifax County | 152 | 54.5% | 41.3% | 4.9 months | $177 | 1.9 years |
| Franklin County | 150 | 53.5% | 41.9% | 3.0 months | $47 | 1.4 years |
| Alexandria | 146 | 52.5% | 44.2% | 4.4 months | — | 1.4 years |
| Tazewell County | 145 | 64.5% | 35.5% | 3.9 months | $349 | 1.2 years |
| York County | 138 | 70.1% | 27.1% | 3.6 months | $290 | 1.6 years |
| Pulaski County | 135 | 52.9% | 45.0% | 3.3 months | $62 | 1.9 years |
| Botetourt County | 135 | 60.3% | 39.7% | 2.7 months | $250 | 1.7 years |
| Williamsburg | 134 | 54.8% | 43.9% | 4.1 months | $100 | 2.3 years |
| Frederick County | 133 | 39.4% | 60.6% | 4.1 months | $484 | 1.9 years |
| Radford | 132 | 59.1% | 40.9% | 6.0 months | $545 | 3.7 years |
| Wythe County | 129 | 46.8% | 50.6% | 5.7 months | $500 | 1.7 years |
| Smyth County | 125 | 56.0% | 41.0% | 3.8 months | $295 | 2.1 years |
| Buckingham County | 123 | 64.7% | 35.3% | 5.2 months | $125 | 2.0 years |
| Washington County | 117 | 55.5% | 44.5% | 3.6 months | — | 1.6 years |
| Albemarle County | 106 | 73.4% | 26.6% | 3.4 months | — | 1.6 years |
| Winchester | 106 | 47.5% | 52.5% | 4.1 months | $100 | 1.5 years |
| Amherst County | 100 | 72.6% | 22.3% | 4.6 months | $299 | 2.2 years |
| Prince Edward County | 99 | 47.2% | 49.9% | 3.8 months | $453 | 2.0 years |
| New Kent County | 93 | 71.6% | 26.5% | 4.0 months | $517 | 1.4 years |
| Mecklenburg County | 93 | 69.1% | 30.9% | 6.7 months | $50 | 2.9 years |
| Accomack County | 93 | 56.6% | 39.1% | 4.3 months | — | 1.9 years |
| Buchanan County | 92 | 68.6% | 31.4% | 7.5 months | $100 | 2.7 years |
| Bristol | 91 | 54.6% | 45.4% | 3.8 months | $608 | 2.2 years |
| Southampton County | 89 | 66.0% | 32.4% | 4.0 months | $416 | 2.0 years |
| Caroline County | 88 | 45.5% | 49.7% | 4.5 months | — | 1.8 years |
| Dinwiddie County | 86 | 46.6% | 51.9% | 3.7 months | $100 | 1.5 years |
| Culpeper County | 85 | 55.3% | 43.2% | 3.2 months | $238 | 1.4 years |
| Warren County | 84 | 55.0% | 42.5% | 3.4 months | $200 | 1.3 years |
| Isle of Wight County | 84 | 64.5% | 35.5% | 6.0 months | $250 | 1.9 years |
| Charlottesville | 83 | 84.9% | 13.2% | 3.3 months | — | 7.0 months |
| Carroll County | 83 | 58.9% | 38.8% | 4.3 months | $250 | 2.1 years |
| Shenandoah County | 82 | 60.9% | 37.3% | 6.1 months | $250 | 1.5 years |
| Staunton | 79 | 61.2% | 38.8% | 3.5 months | $250 | 2.0 years |
| Lee County | 79 | 57.9% | 34.1% | 3.2 months | $299 | 4.9 years |
| Nottoway County | 78 | 61.7% | 23.1% | 5.5 months | — | 1.8 years |
| Greensville County | 78 | 53.7% | 43.6% | 3.9 months | $500 | 1.9 years |
| Franklin City | 75 | 79.4% | 20.6% | 4.9 months | $58 | 4.1 months |
| Rockbridge County | 75 | 71.4% | 28.6% | 3.4 months | $75 | 1.2 years |
| Patrick County | 74 | 48.8% | 44.1% | 4.0 months | — | 2.0 years |
| Russell County | 70 | 65.2% | 34.8% | 2.9 months | $100 | 1.3 years |
| Pittsylvania County | 67 | 55.1% | 30.5% | 3.9 months | $175 | 1.2 years |
| Scott County | 67 | 54.5% | 45.5% | 3.5 months | $282 | 1.5 years |
| Brunswick County | 67 | 65.6% | 25.7% | 5.2 months | $399 | 3.0 years |
| Alleghany County | 64 | 55.3% | 43.1% | 3.0 months | $50 | 2.1 years |
| Dickenson County | 61 | 52.8% | 47.2% | 4.4 months | $83 | 4.2 years |
| Waynesboro | 61 | 52.7% | 45.5% | 3.1 months | $50 | 1.9 years |
| Gloucester County | 58 | 64.5% | 32.3% | 3.1 months | $375 | 6.3 months |
| King William County | 55 | 81.9% | 14.8% | 3.9 months | $355 | 4.0 years |
| King George County | 54 | 60.4% | 39.6% | 4.9 months | — | 2.0 years |
| Appomattox County | 54 | 42.9% | 57.1% | 3.9 months | $100 | 1.8 years |
| Louisa County | 53 | 53.8% | 34.6% | 3.0 months | $50 | 4.0 months |
| Emporia | 52 | 56.5% | 39.1% | 3.2 months | $200 | 7.5 months |
| Lancaster County | 48 | 97.7% | 0.0% | 8 days | — | — |
| Page County | 41 | 88.0% | 12.0% | 4.4 months | — | 4.5 months |
| Lunenburg County | 41 | 75.8% | 19.1% | 4.5 months | $60 | 2.5 years |
| Salem | 37 | 41.2% | 58.8% | 2.0 months | — | 4.5 months |
| Sussex County | 36 | 90.0% | 10.0% | 3.4 months | — | 1.0 years |
| Orange County | 35 | 77.8% | 22.2% | 3.5 months | — | 7.8 months |
| Northampton County | 34 | 62.5% | 37.5% | 4.3 months | $175 | 4.6 months |
| Westmoreland County | 32 | 75.0% | 25.0% | 3.7 months | — | 5.3 months |
| Nelson County | 29 | 63.6% | 18.2% | 3.0 months | $100 | 1.0 months |
| Fauquier County | 28 | 88.9% | 11.1% | 3.5 months | — | 20 days |
| Cumberland County | 24 | 88.9% | 11.1% | 4.1 months | — | 1.0 years |
| Goochland County | 23 | 92.3% | 0.0% | 3.9 months | — | — |
| Northumberland County | 20 | 83.3% | 8.3% | 1.8 months | — | 1.0 years |
Source: Virginia public court records, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Compare Weapons Offense to Related Charges
See how Weapons Offense outcomes compare side-by-side with related charges across Virginia.
Related Virginia Statutes
Virginia Code sections associated with Weapons Offense charges.
Case Dismissed?
If your Weapons Offense case was dismissed or dropped, you may be eligible to have it sealed from your record.
Data source: Virginia public court records, 2025. 23,089 cases analyzed across 99 jurisdictions. Last updated July 8, 2026. — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Common Questions
Statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. Past outcomes do not predict future results.
What's Next
Weapons Offense dismissal rates range from 39% to 98% across Virginia. Your court matters. An attorney who handles Weapons Offense cases in your court can review your case — free.
Want data specific to your court and situation? Check your case