1. A. Every criminal justice officer required to carry a firearm in the performance of duty shall qualify annually using the applicable firearms course approved by the Committee on Training of the board. The list of approved courses is identified under the performance outcomes for weapons and firearms training in the Virginia Criminal Justice Services Training Manual and Compulsory Minimum Training Standards available on the Department of Criminal Justice Services' website at http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/law-enforcement. Annual range qualification shall include a review of issues/policy relating to weapons safety, nomenclature, maintenance and use of force. With prior approval of the director, a reasonable modification of the firearms course may be approved to accommodate qualification on indoor ranges. No minimum number of hours is required.

   1. 1. Law-enforcement officers, jailors or custodial officers, courtroom security officers, and process service officers shall qualify annually with a minimum passing score of 70% on one of the applicable firearms courses required by subsection A of this section.
   2. 2. Officers of the Department of Corrections, Division of Operations shall qualify annually with a minimum passing score of 70% on one of the applicable firearms courses required by subsection A of this section.

2. B. Possession of or immediate availability of special weapons by law-enforcement officers, jailors or custodial officers, courtroom security officers, civil process officers and officers of the Department of Corrections, Division of Operations.

   1. 1. All agencies whose personnel possess, or have available for immediate use, shotguns or other similar special weapons, shall design an appropriate qualification weapons program and require all applicable personnel to complete annually.
   2. 2. The course, number of rounds to be fired and qualification score shall be determined by the agency or approved training school. Documentation of such qualification programs shall be available for inspection by the director or staff.

Statutory Authority

§ 9.1-102 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR240-01-2 § 8, eff. January 1, 1988; amended, Virginia Register Volume 5, Issue 18, eff. July 5, 1989; Volume 8, Issue 16, eff. July 1, 1992; Volume 23, Issue 9, eff. February 9, 2007; Volume 29, Issue 5, eff. December 20, 2012; Volume 33, Issue 2, eff. October 20, 2016.