HB916 removes NRA and USCCA courses, kills online training, and gives Virginia State Police total control over what qualifies. If you have a CHP or want one — read this.
Virginia has one of the largest concealed carry populations in the country. HB916 changes the rules for every single one of them.
HB916 doesn't tweak the training requirement. It guts the existing system and replaces it with something entirely different.
NRA-certified courses are no longer on the list of automatically approved training programs. Previously the most common path to a Virginia CHP.
USCCA training — the second-most popular option — is also removed from the approved list. Two organizations, millions of graduates, wiped from the statute.
Courses must now teach: (i) efficient, effective, and responsible concealed carry for self-defense outside the home, (ii) Virginia handgun laws, and (iii) proper storage techniques.
The new curriculum requirements — especially hands-on self-defense instruction — effectively eliminate online-only courses. You now need a classroom and a range.
The financial barrier to exercising your Second Amendment rights just multiplied. And that's before you factor in travel, ammo, and time off work.
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This is the part nobody's talking about. HB916 doesn't just change what you learn — it gives VSP discretionary power over the entire training pipeline.
That's the difference between a right codified in law and a permission granted by an agency. If VSP slow-walks approvals, sets impossible standards, or limits the number of certified instructors — the permit system grinds to a halt without a single new law being passed.
Develops course curriculum
Can approve, reject, or delay indefinitely
Takes approved course
Submits to circuit court
Every existing instructor who built their business on NRA/USCCA curricula must get re-approved through VSP. Many will drop out rather than re-certify. Fewer instructors means longer wait times — which means longer delays to getting a permit.
| Before HB916 | After HB916 | |
|---|---|---|
| NRA courses accepted | Yes — by statute | Removed |
| USCCA courses accepted | Yes — by statute | Removed |
| Online courses | Permitted | Effectively dead |
| Who approves training | Defined in statute | VSP discretion |
| Required curriculum | Basic safety | Self-defense + law + storage |
| Typical cost | $50–100 | $200–400+ |
| Time commitment | 2–4 hours (home) | 8+ hours (in-person) |
The NRA removal is the headline. The VSP gatekeeper power is the story. And the cost explosion hits working Virginians the hardest.
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