To replace a lost concealed carry permit in Virginia, take a notarized statement to the clerk of the circuit court that issued the permit, declaring that it was lost or destroyed. The clerk then has 10 business days to issue a replacement, and the fee is capped at $5.1Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-308.011 – Replacement Permits The replacement is a duplicate, not a new permit; it carries the same expiration date as the one you lost.
The Steps to Get a Replacement
Start with the notarized statement. It doesn’t need to be elaborate — a short written declaration that your concealed handgun permit was lost or destroyed, signed in front of a notary. Notaries are easy to find at banks, shipping stores, and the courthouse itself.
Take that statement to the clerk of the circuit court that issued the original permit. This part matters: replacements go through the issuing court, not whichever courthouse is closest to you now. If you’ve moved since your permit was issued, the paperwork still goes back to the original county or city.
Once the clerk has the notarized statement, Virginia law gives them up to 10 business days to issue the replacement.1Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-308.011 – Replacement Permits The clerk may charge up to $5. Some offices charge less, but none can charge more.
The replacement will show the same expiration date as your lost permit. You are not restarting the five-year clock. If your original permit had 18 months left, the replacement will too.
Carrying While You Wait
This is the part most people don’t think about until it becomes a problem. Virginia requires you to have your physical permit on you any time you carry a concealed handgun outside your vehicle, and to display it along with a government-issued photo ID if a law enforcement officer asks. Failing to produce them is a $25 civil penalty, though a court can waive it if you later show up with a valid permit and photo ID.2Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-308.01 – Carrying a Concealed Handgun With a Permit
The statute doesn’t carve out an exception for the days between reporting the loss and receiving the new card. During that window you have nothing to display. The penalty is civil rather than criminal and can be waived, but the safe approach is to hold off on carrying concealed until the replacement is in hand. Open carry, where otherwise legal in Virginia, doesn’t require a permit.
If You’re Also Changing Your Name or Address
A legal name change uses the same process as a lost permit: notarized statement to the issuing clerk, 10 business days, up to $5, same expiration date.1Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-308.011 – Replacement Permits
An address change works differently, so don’t assume the lost-permit process covers it. For an address change you bring your current valid permit plus a completed Department of State Police form SP-248A to the issuing clerk.1Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 18.2-308.011 – Replacement Permits3Virginia State Police. SP-248A Concealed Handgun Permit Change of Address The fee runs up to $10, split between the clerk (up to $5) and the State Police (up to $5) and paid in a single transaction. If you’ve lost your permit and also need to update your address, ask the clerk how they want to handle both at once, because the address-change form assumes you’re producing your current permit.
Check Your Expiration Date First
Virginia concealed handgun permits are valid for five years, and renewal applications can be mailed in between 90 and 180 days before expiration.4Virginia State Police. Resident Concealed Handgun Permits Because a replacement keeps the old expiration date, paying to replace a permit that expires in a couple of months means paying again to renew it shortly after. If you’re inside the renewal window already, ask the clerk whether it makes more sense to renew than to replace.
Why the Physical Card Matters Outside Virginia
Many states recognize Virginia’s concealed handgun permit, but that recognition depends on you being able to produce a valid permit. Virginia recognizes permits from all other states, but the reverse is not always true, and the State Police recommend contacting any state you plan to visit or pass through to confirm.5Virginia State Police. Reciprocity and Recognition Without the physical card, reciprocity does you no practical good at a traffic stop in another state. That’s another reason to get the replacement filed quickly rather than let it drift.