Weapon Policy

At William & Mary, the safety of our students is of primary concern.  As such, we have developed a policy regarding the possession of items on campus that may reasonably be construed as weapons or used in a threatening manner.

What the Handbook Says:

The full text of the Weapons policy is found in Appendix I. of the Student Handbook.

What it Means:

The general term "weapon" used in the Handbook is a broad term. The university defines a weapon as any instrument of combat, or any object that can be used for the purpose of inflicting or threatening bodily injury. 

Examples include, but are not limited to: firearms, any sort of knife with a blade longer than three inches, razors, metal knuckles, blackjacks, hatchets, bows and arrows, nunchucks, foils, etc. Possession of realistic-looking toy or replica weapons is also prohibited. 

What You Should Do:

If you have an item in your possession that might possibly be considered a weapon, contact William & Mary Police immediately. WMPD will contact you to review the item you are requesting to possess, to discuss why you seek an exception from the general weapons policy as defined in the Handbook, and if approved to have you sign an agreement as to conditions related to possession--WMPD will provide SARP a copy of the agreement.

The university reserves the right to refuse permission to any request and/or to place conditions on the approval of such requests.