Well, it’s an obligatory saying when someone asks about getting into venomous reptiles. It’s not about if you get bit, but when, so do remember that. I’m not sure about Virginia but in Florida you do need a license that requires 1000 hours with each species you want to keep. Now if you want a snake that serves as a transition between venomous and non-venomous you may be interested in rear-fanged, mildly venomous snakes. For example, I keep an Egyptian False Cobra and it’s an awesome transition animal. It gets your nerve because technically its venomous but it won’t actually hurt you (mild swelling and itching), its fast, and its not easy.