While the concealed carry law was NOT changed in Virginia this year, the very long concealed carry section was reorganized into a number of smaller sections. The result: courts are increasingly requiring defendants convicted of DWI to relinquish their concealed carry permits.
And this is for people that were NOT carrying while DWI. The penalty for concealed carry while intoxicated is another Class 1 misdemeanor with up to a $2500 fine and a year in jail. Your weapon will also usually be confiscated and sometimes destroyed according to the local policy. Ouch!
Even if the court fails to “pull your permit” you cannot renew your permit for three years after conviction. The application asks specifically about DWI:
“2. HAVE YOU BEEN CONVICTED OF A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE WITHIN THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THIS APPLICATION? (INCLUDE MISDEMEANOR CONVICTIONS OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. DO NOT INCLUDE TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS OR THOSE MISDEMEANORS SET FORTH IN TITLE 46.2 CODE OF VIRGINIA.”
To learn more visit http://dwimanual.com/table-of-contents/2_punishment/concealed-carry-loss/
Our passion at Tillotson & Martin, L.L.C., is defending citizens against unfair traffic & DUI laws. We write the book for DWI defense for Virginia attorneys and provide seminars for attorneys on how to beat the breath test machine. We train extensively to develop and improve cutting edge defenses. Our attorneys are active National College for DUI Defense members, are certified in NHTSA Field Sobriety Testing, and are trained to interpret breath test and blood test data.
