It will probably vary from county to county. State law permits overt carry. At one time, it was illegal to carry a loaded gun in your car in Culpeper Co., even though state law allowed open carry. It was disguised as a law to prevent people from poaching animals. The law has since been rewritten to permit carry. The state permits open carry in your vehicle. Northern Virginia probably has local ordinances as well. Before I got my concealed carry permit, I carried my gun right on my front seat. I got some weird looks by police during routine road checks, but never got in any trouble. I actually had one deputy attempt to unload my cocked and locked 1911, and he couldn't figure out how to operate the gun. The grip safety was giving him fits; it was a scary moment for everyone involved.