SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS - BE SURE TO READ THIS ENTIRE SECTION!
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Tom Lambert, with the Virginia State Police, just sent me an update on
Virginia's reciprocity status with several other states. I want to
thank Tom for his professionalism and his diligent work to setup
reciprocity with as many states as possible. The rant that follows
has nothing to do with Tom - I want to make that perfectly clear.
As I looked at Tom's latest update, one glaring problem jumps out at
me: the Virginia State Police's demand that all reciprocal states
have a system in place to verify the validity of their permits 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, is crushing a lot of reciprocal agreements!
The net effect is that YOU are left defenseless in many states as you
travel solely because if this unnecessary requirement by YOUR state
police. And many guests to this state are similarly and unnecessarily
disarmed.
That is unacceptable and we need to do whatever we can to get that
24/7 requirement struck out of Virginia law.
Let me show you just how inane and how serious a problem this is.
***Virginia has JUST stopped recognizing South Carolina concealed
handgun permits. ***
Why?
Because apparently South Carolina does not have the 24/7 validation
capability. For years now Virginia thought they did and has been
recognizing their permits! Virginia just now discovered the problem
while reviewing information with South Carolina!
So for years not one single Virginia police officer has needed to
verify a South Carolina CHP. If they had, this problem would have
surfaced a long time ago.
That confirms what VCDL has been saying all along: WHILE THE STATE
POLICE DEMAND 24/7 VALIDATION, VCDL DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY EVER OR
**EXTREMELY RARELY** USE IT!!
Here is what the State Police's 24/7 validation demand has caused gun
owners across the country:
1. After many, many years, South Carolina has just offered Virginia
reciprocity, BUT because we have just stopped recognizing South
Carolina over the 24/7 issue, the deal is DEAD! :-(
2. Virginia will not recognize Idaho, even though they have honored
our permits for years, because Idaho does not have 24/7 validation.
3. Virginia will not recognize Indiana, even though they have honored
our permits for years, because Indiana does not have 24/7 validation.
4. Virginia will not setup reciprocity with Maine because Maine
doesn't have 24/7 validation.
5. Virginia will not setup reciprocity with Alabama because Alabama
doesn't have 24/7 validation.
6. Virginia will not setup reciprocity with New Hampshire because New
Hampshire doesn't have 24/7 validation.
7. In a "what's good for the goose is good for the gander", Nevada
has turned Virginia down because our damned 24/7 validation isn't
automated!
The State Police and the General Assembly need to understand this is
not a game. Lives are at stake and we need to get rid of the road
blocks that are fragmenting the 2nd Amendment and our right to defend
ourselves and our families.
This whole issue has just been bumped up in VCDL's legislative agenda
for next year.
We finally get offered reciprocity by South Carolina and the Virginia
State Police force us to fumble the ball. I'm livid!
If you are from South Carolina, you are going to have to use either a
Florida, Utah, or a Virginia non-resident permit to carry concealed
here, I'm embarrassed to say.