IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT August 20, 2025
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
In Re: )
) STANDING ORDER
Possessions of Firearms, ) No. 2025-10
Dangerous Weapons, and )
Body Armor Inside Courthouses )
This Standing Order supersedes and replaces Standing Order No. 2018-5. It
appearing proper, it is hereby ORDERED as follows:
1. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 930, and except as provided in Paragraphs 2, 3,
and 4 of this Standing Order, no person shall possess a firearm or other
dangerous weapon within a federal court facility or courthouse in this
District.
2. Law enforcement officers, regardless of jurisdiction, will secure all
firearms in U.S. Marshals Service-provided gun storage located near entry
screening to the building. This includes all officers—federal, state, and
local—with the exception of the following officers, who shall be deemed
exempt:
a. United States Marshals Service Court Security Officers (USMS
CSO(s)), who also may possess a personally owned, non-duty
firearm consistent with the restrictions in Paragraph 3 below;
b. U.S. Marshals, including their Contract Guards;
c. Federal Protective Service officers;
d. Federal law enforcement officers whose offices are located in a
federal court facility or courthouse within this District;
e. Federal Probation Officers;
f. Law enforcement officers in direct control of prisoners, as
authorized by the Marshals Service;
g. Law enforcement officers acting in a dignitary protection role, as
authorized by the Marshals Service; and
h. Law enforcement officers acting in an emergency situation to
prevent serious bodily injury or death.
3. Any USMS CSO is permitted to carry a personally owned firearm into a
courthouse or federal court facility within this District only after (1) providing a
copy of a valid concealed-carry permit from the Commonwealth of Virginia or
valid Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) card, which holds
reciprocity with the Commonwealth of Virginia; and (2) signing an
acknowledgement of the conditions of this order. A USMS CSO personally
owned firearm is required to be concealed and not in public view when entering
and departing for official duty and must be secured, in an approved gun safe
only, after entering the courthouse or facility and before reporting for official
duty. Any such firearms may not be carried while on official duty and may not
be carried as backup weapons. Additionally, nothing contained within this order
limits the United States Marshal for the Western District of Virginia from
imposing any additional firearms security requirements as necessary to carry out
the intent of this paragraph.
4. Aside from the limitations on personally owned firearms by USMS CSOs,
nothing in this Order shall prevent an officer listed as exempt in paragraph 3
from carrying a firearm or other dangerous weapon within a courthouse or
federal court facility in this District.
5. All weapons brought in by law enforcement officers for judicial proceedings (e.g.,
evidence) will be secured and handled in accordance with U.S. District Court
rules or guidance. Firearms will be inspected by the U.S. Marshals Service
operational personnel to ensure they are unloaded, inoperable, and otherwise
incapable of being discharged. Flexible plastic cuffs shall be used to prohibit the
operation of the firearm.
6. The possession or wearing of body armor, which is defined under 18 U.S.C.
§ 921(35) as a personal protective body covering intended to protect against
gunfire, regardless of whether the product is to be worn alone or is sold as a
complement to another product or garment, is prohibited in federal court
facilities or court-occupied spaces, except for introduction as evidence in a court
case or as authorized equipment for law enforcement personnel who enter such
facilities or space for law enforcement purposes.
7. The U.S. Marshal, authorized Deputy Marshals, and USMS CSOs, are authorized
to confiscate any and all weapons carried by (or in the possession of) persons
entering the courthouse or federal court facility who are not otherwise authorized
under the provisions of this weapons policy to carry or possess such weapons.
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The Clerk of this Court is directed to enter this Standing Order in the order
books for each Division of this Court and to certify a copy of this Order to the United
States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
ENTER this 20th day of August, 2025.
/s/ Elizabeth K. Dillon
Elizabeth K. Dillon
Chief United States District Judge
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