In Virginia a law went into effect on July 1st, 2004 which provides that if the court has not issued or denied the permit within 45 days of the date of receipt noted on the application, the clerk shall certify on the application that the 45-day period has expired, and send a copy of the certified application to the applicant. The certified application shall serve as a de facto permit, which shall expire 90 days after issuance, and shall be recognized as a valid concealed handgun permit when presented with a valid government-issued photo identification.
Mine took a few weeks. Renewals have taken about the same. Virginia hires more staff to handle any increase in applications, which makes perfect sense. Virginia can be very gun friendly, at times one of the most gun friendly in the Union. But we have a Democrat for a governor, and he just doesn't get it.
Take for example the Restaurant Ban. You cannot carry concealed in any restaurant or club serving on-premises alcohol, even if you do not drink. You have to leave the gun in your car while you walk into the restaurant, eat, and then walk back to your car. Smart huh? The (soon to be out of office) governor proudly states "alcohol and guns do not mix."
Tim Kaine, the moron governor of Virginia signed legislation in 2008 which allows the commonwealth's attorneys and their assistants to carry concealed handguns without a background check, without training, and into restaurants that serve alcohol, and the legislation does not stop them from drinking while carrying there!
The commonwealth legislature recently passed bipartisan legislation correcting this flagrant error however, again, the moron governor vetoed the legislation, stating "guns and alcohol do not mix."
You can however carry OPEN in a restaurant or club which serves alcohol, which of course makes perfect sense doesn't it?
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