Virginia Administrative Code

Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

It shall be unlawful to buy, sell, barter, exchange, traffic or trade in, bargain for, solicit for, purchase, or transport out of the Commonwealth any otter pelts until the pelts have been sealed by an agent of or other individual designated by the department. This requirement sh…

Except as otherwise specifically provided in the sections appearing in this chapter, it shall be lawful to hunt pheasant during the period when it is lawful to take quail. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

(Repealed.)

A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, it shall be lawful to hunt quail from the Saturday prior to the second Monday in November through January 31, both dates inclusive. B. It shall be unlawful to hunt quail on all public lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.St…

(Repealed.)

The bag limit for quail shall be six a day. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

(Repealed.)

It shall be lawful to release pen-raised bobwhite quail on private lands with permission of the landowner. Released pen-raised quail may be recaptured using a call back cage. For the purposes of this section, a call back cage is defined as a cage, pen, box, or barrel with one or …

A. Words and phrases used in any regulations made by the board shall have the same meaning as is given for such words and phrases in Title 29.1 (§ 29.1-100 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. B. The following word or term when used in …

It shall be unlawful on department-owned lands to drive through or around gates designed to prevent entry with any type of motorized vehicle or to use such vehicles to travel anywhere on such lands except on roads open to vehicular traffic. Nothing in this section shall be constr…

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

A. The board hereby adopts the Federal Endangered and Threatened Species List, Endangered Species Act of December 28, 1973 (16 USC §§ 1531 through 1543), as amended as of October 10, 2024, and declares all species listed thereon to be endangered or threatened species in the Commo…

For the purposes of §§ 29.1-564 through 29.1-570 of the Code of Virginia, 4VAC15-20-130, and this section: 1. "Endangered species" means any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the Commonwealth, other than a species…

A. It shall be unlawful to construct, maintain or occupy any permanent structure, except by permit, on department-owned lands and national forest lands. This provision shall not apply to structures, stands or blinds provided by the department. B. It shall be unlawful to maintain …

A. It shall be unlawful to plant, manipulate, cut, mutilate, destroy, or remove vegetation or to remove other minerals, artifacts, or other property from department-owned lands. B. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the gathering of mushrooms, picking of berries, or collectio…

It shall be unlawful to target shoot on any department-owned or department-managed lands, except at designated ranges. Target shooting is defined as the discharge of a firearm (as defined in § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia), muzzleloader (as defined in 4VAC15-50-71), or ar…

A. Authorization. It shall be unlawful to camp without camping authorization. B. Camping periods. Unless otherwise posted or authorized, it shall be unlawful to camp for more than 14 consecutive nights, or more than 14 nights in a 28-day period on department-owned or controlled l…

The board hereby designates the following species as nuisance species pursuant to § 29.1-100 of the Code of Virginia. 1. Mammals. a. House mouse (Mus musculus); b. Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus); c. Black rat (Rattus rattus); d. Coyote (Canis latrans); e. Feral hog (Sus scrofa; a…

(Repealed.)

A. Earthworms. Earthworms may be taken at any time for private or commercial use. B. Other invertebrates. Except as otherwise provided for in §§ 3.1-1020 through 3.1-1030 and 29.1-418 of the Code of Virginia and in 4VAC15-20-130, 4VAC15-30-10 et seq. and 4VAC15-360-10 invertebrat…

When used in regulations of the board, "designated stocked trout waters" will include those waters that are stocked with harvestable-sized trout and are listed by the director in the annual Trout Stocking Plan. These waters will only be considered designated stocked trout waters …

Whenever the words "counties east of the Blue Ridge Mountains," or language equivalent to that, appear in a regulation of the board, such words shall apply to the following counties and cities: Accomack Albemarle Amelia Amherst Appomattox Arlington Bedford Brunswick Buckingham Ca…

A. Pursuant to §§ 29.1-417, 29.1-418, 29.1-422, and other applicable provisions of the Code of Virginia, except as provided by this chapter the following annual fees shall be paid by applicants for the specified permits before any such permit may be issued.Permit TypeCostLate Fee…

In addition to the species already listed in § 29.1-571 of the Code of Virginia, the board hereby designates the following species as nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species pursuant to § 29.1-100 of the Code of Virginia. 1. Fish. a. Black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) 2. Inverteb…

A. Whenever a disease threatens wildlife in the Commonwealth, the director is authorized to undertake measures to prevent, control or eradicate the spread of such disease including, but not limited to, the delineation of wildlife disease management, surveillance, and quarantine a…

The color of paint prescribed for posting land in accordance with § 18.2-134.1 of the Code of Virginia shall be aluminum or purple. Statutory Authority§ 29.1-501 of the Code of Virginia.

A. Except as authorized by the director or the director's designee, it shall by unlawful at any time for any person to use a drone or unmanned aircraft: 1. To hunt, take, or kill a wild animal or to drive or herd any wild animal for the purpose of hunting, trapping, or killing. 2…

Whenever the words "counties west of the Blue Ridge Mountains," or language equivalent to that, appear in a regulation of the board, such words shall apply to the following counties: Alleghany Augusta Bath Bland Botetourt Buchanan Carroll Clarke Craig Dickenson Floyd Frederick Gi…

Whenever the words "Dismal Swamp Line," or language equivalent to that, appear in a regulation of the board, such words shall apply to a line: Beginning at a point on State Highway 10 where it intersects the Isle of Wight County line, thence along such highway to its intersection…

A. In accordance with § 29.1-100 of the Code of Virginia, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them by this section when used in regulations of the board: "Native animal" means those species and subspecies of animals naturally occurring in Virginia, as included…

The word "person," when used in the regulations of the board, may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate as well as individuals. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

In accordance with the authority of the board under subdivision 16 of § 29.1-103 of the Code of Virginia, the following fees are established for hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses and permits:Virginia Resident Licenses to HuntType licenseFeeOne-year Resident License to Hunt,…

A. Pursuant to the authority of the board under subdivision 14 of § 29.1-103 of the Code of Virginia and in accordance with § 29.1-113 of the Code of Virginia, a daily fee of $3.00 or an annual fee equal to the price of an annual basic state resident fishing or hunting license is…

Any violation of any regulation or part of that of the board is made a misdemeanor by §§ 29.1-505 and 29.1-746 of the Code of Virginia and persons convicted of such violation will be punished as provided in said sections or other applicable provisions of the Code of Virginia. Sta…

A. This section is adopted pursuant to authority granted to the Board of Wildlife Resources under §§ 29.1-103 and 29.1-530.5 of the Code of Virginia. B. Definitions used in this section, unless the contrary is clearly indicated are those used in § 29.1-530.5 of the Code of Virgin…

(Repealed.)

Drilling, dredging and any other operation designed to recover or obtain shell, minerals or any other substance shall be unlawful on lands owned by or under the control of the Commonwealth of Virginia under Back Bay, its tributaries and the North Landing River from the North Caro…

Except as otherwise specifically provided by the sections appearing in this chapter, it shall be lawful to hunt rabbit from the Saturday prior to the first Monday in November through the last day in February , both dates inclusive.Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of th…

The following words or terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Import" means to transport a carcass or carcass parts, other than those outlined in 4VAC15-200-60, into the Commonwealth in such a manner th…

The bag limit for rabbit shall be six a day. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

It shall be lawful to trap rabbits with box traps from October 15 through January 31, both dates inclusive; provided, that no traps shall be set on the lands of another without written permission; provided further, that it shall be lawful to live-trap rabbits and transport them o…

(Repealed.)

No person shall import or possess a whole carcass or any part of a carcass of a wild rabbit originating from outside the Commonwealth, except for a fully dressed carcass with the skin, feet, head, and internal organs removed. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502…

All wild rabbit carcasses or carcass parts must be buried at least two feet below ground, incinerated, or securely bagged and discarded in household trash for ultimate disposal in a permitted landfill.Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

A. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, there shall be a continuous open season for chasing raccoon with dogs, without capturing or taking, except on department-controlled lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on national forest lands. B. It shall be la…