Home / Code Sections / § 18.2-308.2 — Weapons Offense

§ 18.2-308.2 — Weapons Offense

Court outcome data from 6,143 cases across 120 jurisdictions · 2025

Source. Virginia District + Circuit Court Information Systems, 2025 Methodology Report a correction Last refreshed July 8, 2026

Of 6,143 cases filed in 2025 under § 18.2-308.2, 3,411 reached an outcome — 57.9% were dismissed or dropped and 41.2% resulted in conviction, across 120 Virginia jurisdictions.

This page provides statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. This is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.

Penalties Under § 18.2-308.2

Section 18.2-308.2 addresses possession of firearms by convicted felons in Virginia. It is a Class 6 felony carrying 1 to 5 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 5 years for those with a prior violent felony and 2 years for those with any other felony conviction within the prior 10 years.

Of 6,143 § 18.2-308.2 cases filed in 2025 across 120 Virginia jurisdictions, 3,411 reached an outcome — an average dismissal rate of 57.9% and an average conviction rate of 41.2%.

Court Outcomes Across Virginia

Across 120 Virginia jurisdictions (2025):

6,143
Total Cases
57.9%
Avg Dismissal Rate
41.2%
Avg Conviction Rate

Top Jurisdictions

Courts with the most cases related to this statute.

Jurisdiction Cases Dismissal Rate Conviction Rate Median Duration
Richmond City 612 63.1% 36.9% 3.3 months
Norfolk 400 53.8% 46.2% 3.7 months
Newport News 335 76.8% 23.2% 4.9 months
Virginia Beach 320 42.2% 57.8% 4.3 months
Henrico County 228 53.2% 46.8% 4.0 months
Suffolk 180 55.1% 44.9% 4.8 months
Chesterfield County 169 60.2% 39.8% 5.1 months
Chesapeake 159 55.4% 44.6% 3.6 months
Lynchburg 147 64.2% 35.8% 4.6 months
Portsmouth 145 73.1% 26.9% 3.4 months
Roanoke City 142 47.6% 52.4% 2.1 months
Hampton 134 64.9% 35.1% 4.1 months
Petersburg 126 75.4% 24.6% 5.8 months
Danville 110 56.1% 43.9% 3.3 months
Fairfax County 99 93.4% 6.6% 5.3 months

Source: Virginia public court records, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Explore Full Data

Weapons Offense — All Jurisdictions
3,411 resolved of 6,143 filed · 57.9% dismissed
Weapons Offense Guide
What the court data shows →

Common Questions

Of 6,143 cases filed in 2025 under § 18.2-308.2, 3,411 reached an outcome: an average dismissal rate of 57.9% and a conviction rate of 41.2% across 120 Virginia jurisdictions. Outcomes vary by court — view all jurisdictions for detailed data.
6,143 cases under § 18.2-308.2 were filed across 120 Virginia jurisdictions in 2025. For information about the current text and penalties of this statute, consult the Code of Virginia.

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