HB1209: Machine guns; Superintendent of VSP to be notified in writing of change of address of registrant.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1209
Offered January 13, 2010
A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-295 of the Code of Virginia, relating to registration of machine guns.
Patron-- Ward

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 18.2-295 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.2-295. Registration of machine guns.

Every machine gun in this Commonwealth shall be registered with the Department of State Police within twenty-four 24 hours after its acquisition or, in the case of semi-automatic weapons which are converted, modified or otherwise altered to become machine guns, within twenty-four 24 hours of the conversion, modification or alteration. Blanks for registration shall be prepared by the Superintendent of State Police, and furnished upon application. To comply with this section the application as filed shall be notarized and shall show the model and serial number of the gun, the name, address and occupation of the person in possession, and from whom and the purpose for which, the gun was acquired or altered. The Superintendent of State Police shall upon registration required in this section forthwith furnish the registrant with a certificate of registration, which shall be valid as long as the registrant remains the same. Certificates of registration shall be retained by the registrant and produced by him upon demand by any peace officer. Failure to keep or produce such certificate for inspection shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor, and any peace officer, may without warrant, seize the machine gun and apply for its confiscation as provided in § 18.2-296. The registrant shall forthwith notify the Superintendent, in writing, of the change of address of the registrant or the change of the address of the permanent physical location of the machine gun. Upon transferring a registered machine gun, the transferor shall forthwith notify the Superintendent in writing, setting forth the date of transfer and name and address of the transferee. Failure to give the required notification shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor. Registration data shall not be subject to inspection by the public.