Judge Rules Preliminary Injunction Against Virginia “Assault Firearm” and Magazine Bans Secured by NRA Applies Statewide

In the NRA’s challenge to Virginia’s “assault firearm” and magazine bans, Santolla v. Katz, Judge Jeffrey L. Campbell of the Washington County Circuit Court issued a letter opinion yesterday making clear that the preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of the bans applies statewide.

The lawsuit, filed before the ink dried on Governor Spanberger’s signature, contends that the bans violate Article I, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution, which—like the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution—guarantees that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Following a hearing on June 25, Judge Campbell entered a preliminary injunction against the law on June 29. The parties disagreed over the scope of the injunction. After an additional hearing, Judge Campbell issued a July 7 letter opinion holding that the injunction has “statewide application and enjoin[s] all law enforcement agencies of the Commonwealth and its localities, to include law enforcement officers as defined in §9.1-101 of the Code of Virginia and Commonwealth Attorneys from enforcement of the provisions of the Bans within all localities and jurisdictions of the Commonwealth on the same terms and conditions as otherwise set forth in the Court’s prior letter opinion.”

The letter opinion further “amend[ed] the onset date of this injunction to July 21, 2026 to allow adequate time” for the clerk of the court to “provide notice of the statewide application of this injunction” to “all law enforcement officers as defined in §9.1-101 of the Code of Virginia and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Offices within the Commonwealth.”

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights, and please visit www.nraila.org/litigation to keep up to date on NRA-ILA’s ongoing litigation efforts.