Title 29.1, Title 29.1. Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating

A Virginia resident or a resident of an adjoining jurisdiction which has inland water lying adjacent to Virginia land or water may take fish with hook and line after complying with the requirements of the laws of the jurisdiction where the fishing occurs. For purposes of this sec…

The Board shall have the necessary authority to enter into a reciprocal agreement with an adjoining jurisdiction having inland waters lying adjacent to Virginia land or water relating to the following: 1. A sport fishing license acquired in an adjoining jurisdiction shall be reco…

When taken in accordance with the provisions of law or regulation, muskrat, opossum, rabbits, raccoon and squirrels may be bought and sold during the open hunting season only, but the hides, furs or pelts of fur-bearing animals legally taken and possessed, and the carcass of any …

When taken in accordance with the provisions of this title, each species of wild bird, wild animal or fish may be possessed at any time.

A. Any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey, or elk or who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a collision with a motor vehicle may, upon compliance with the provisions of this section and at any time of year, claim such…

A. When taken in accordance with the provisions of this title, wild birds, wild animals, or fish may be transported as follows: 1. By any person properly licensed, for lawful use in or out of the county or city where taken to another county or city in the Commonwealth or to anoth…

It shall be unlawful for any person to store any wild birds, wild animals or fish if selling them is prohibited by law, except persons may store them in a bona fide domicile or in a licensed cold storage establishment. Any licensed cold storage establishment which receives any wi…

Live wolves or coyotes, or birds and animals otherwise classed as predatory or undesirable, may not be imported into the Commonwealth or liberated therein, or possessed therein, except under a special permit of the Board. Nonpredatory birds, animals or fish may be imported, but u…

It shall be lawful to possess, store, transport, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase and otherwise deal in any wild animal, bird, fish or any part thereof, which has been taken and packaged in a can, tin, pot or other receptacle outside the Commonwealth by any perso…

A. It is unlawful for any person to introduce into or stock in waters of the Commonwealth, including private ponds or lakes, the blue catfish or its hybrids or to release any blue catfish or any such hybrid into any water body other than that in which it was caught. B. Any person…

A. It shall be lawful for the licensee of a shooting preserve or his designated agents to dress, pack and sell bobwhite quail raised by him for use as food, under rules or regulations to be prescribed by the Board. B. It shall be lawful to sell mounted bobwhite quail in the Commo…

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to possess, sell, offer for sale, or liberate in the Commonwealth any live fur-bearing animal commonly referred to as nutria (Myocastor coypus). This section does not apply to employees of the Department of Wil…

Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this title shall, unless otherwise specified, be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor and may also be prohibited by the court from hunting, trapping, or fishing in the Commonwealth for a period of one to five years.

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 29.1-546 and 29.1-553, any person convicted of trapping or attempting to trap any migratory game bird, as defined in § 29.1-100, or convicted of possessing any such migratory game bird taken by means of a trap, shall be guilty of a Class 1 mis…

Any person killing a deer in violation of Board regulations, or who exceeds the bag limit for deer, or who kills a deer during the closed season shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. However, any person who kills a deer illegally during the open season shall be guilty of a Cl…

A. Any person who kills or attempts to kill any deer while the person is in a boat or other type watercraft shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. B. Every boat or other watercraft and their motors, and any firearm, slingbow, arrowgun, crossbow, bow and arrow, or speargun, use…

It is unlawful for any person to (i) take or attempt to take any wild bird, wild animal, or fish during the closed season; (ii) exceed the bag or creel limit for any wild bird, wild animal, or fish; or (iii) possess over the daily bag or creel limit for any wild bird, wild animal…

The judge or court, upon convicting any person of a violation of §§ 29.1-523, 29.1-525.1, 29.1-530.2, 29.1-548, 29.1-550 or § 29.1-552 shall, in addition to imposition of the punishment prescribed in those sections, ascertain the approximate replacement value of animals, birds or…

Any person who kills a wild turkey during the closed season, or who kills a beardless turkey during an open hunting season prescribed by the Board for bearded turkeys only, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor for each such turkey killed. However, if a person kills a beardles…

A. Any person who offers for sale, sells, offers to purchase, or purchases any wild bird or wild animal, or any part thereof, or any freshwater fish, except as provided by law, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, when the aggregate of such sales or purchases, or an…

Any person violating a regulation adopted by the Board to prohibit wanton waste shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

It shall be unlawful for any person, including a property owner, to commit the following acts, the violation of which shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor: 1. To violate any regulation of the Board concerning refuges, sanctuaries and public shooting or fishing preserves in impo…

A. It is unlawful for any person to willfully and intentionally impede the lawful fishing of any species of fish. "Fishing" means those activities defined in § 29.1-100 as "fishing." B. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Any firearm, trap, net, or other device of any kind or nature for taking wild birds, wild animals, or fish, except as specifically permitted by law, shall be considered unlawful. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and …

A. It is unlawful for any individual 16 years of age or older or other person to intentionally release, discard, or cause to be released or discarded outdoors any balloon made of a nonbiodegradable or nonphotodegradable material or any material that requires more than five minute…

Wild birds, wild animals and fish are the property of the Commonwealth and may be reduced to personal possession only in accordance with law. Any wild bird, wild animal or fish which is illegally taken, possessed, sold, purchased, transported or imported shall be forfeited to the…

No person shall be excused from testifying for the Commonwealth as to any offense committed by another under the provisions of the game, inland fish and boating laws by reason of his testimony tending to incriminate himself, but the testimony given by any such person on behalf of…

For the purposes of this article: "Conservation plan" means a document developed by the Department and approved by the Director that describes the Department's approach to managing and, if possible, recovering an endangered or threatened species of fish or wildlife. "Endangered s…

The taking, transportation, possession, sale, or offer for sale within the Commonwealth of any fish or wildlife appearing on any list of threatened or endangered species published by the United States Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the provisions of the federal Endangered …

The Board is authorized to adopt the federal list, as well as modifications and amendments thereto by regulations; to declare by regulation, after consideration of recommendations from the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation and from other reliable data sour…

A. Any person who violates the provisions of § 29.1-564 or § 29.1-566, or any regulations issued pursuant to these sections, or whoever violates any regulation or permit issued under § 29.1-568 shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor; however, the sale, offering for sale, purcha…

A. The Board may permit the taking, exportation, transportation, or possession of any fish or wildlife which is listed by the provisions of this article, for zoological, educational, or scientific purposes and for propagation of such fish or wildlife in captivity for preservation…

It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any exotic reptile or type of reptile not native to the Commonwealth of Virginia, including but not limited to the American alligator, to keep the reptile in any manner that will permit its escape or to knowingly permit the reptile …

All departments, commissions, boards, authorities, agencies, offices and institutions within any branch of the state government shall cooperate with the Board in carrying out the purposes of this article.

"Nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species" means a nonindigenous aquatic freshwater animal species whose presence in state waters poses or is likely to pose a significant threat of harm to (i) the diversity or abundance of any species indigenous to state waters; (ii) the ecological…

The Board may promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this article including, but not limited to, the designation of other nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species.

A. The Department may conduct operations and measures to suppress, control, eradicate, prevent, or retard the spread of any nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species. The maximum effort shall be made to utilize the best available scientific technology that is specific to the targete…

A. No person shall knowingly import, possess, transport, sell, purchase, give, receive, or introduce into the Commonwealth any member of a species designated as a nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species without a permit from the Director issued pursuant to § 29.1-575. B. Subsectio…

The Director shall permit the importation, possession, purchase, receipt, or transportation of a nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species for purposes of research by recognized academic institutions or government agencies upon receiving satisfactory assurance that adequate safeguar…

To carry out the purposes of this article, the Director may obtain a warrant pursuant to § 19.2-52, or with the consent of the owner enter upon and conduct reasonable inspections of any property in the Commonwealth to determine if a nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species is prese…

The Director shall establish an education program that instructs boaters and other members of the public in methods of preventing or slowing the infestation of the waters of the Commonwealth by zebra mussels, quagga mussels, or other nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species as defi…

Any person who violates any provision of this article or who knowingly obstructs the Director or his designee in carrying out his lawful duties under this article shall upon such finding by a court of proper jurisdiction (i) be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $25,000,…

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Human-caused barrier" means a road, culvert, fence, wall, commercial or residential development, or other human-made structure that has the potential to affect the natural movement of fish or wildlife acro…

A. The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Forestry, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, shall create a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan. B. The Plan shall: 1. Identify wildlife corridors, existing or planned barriers …

A. As used in this section: "Departments" means the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Wildlife Resources. "Eligible applicants" means representatives from (i) state agencies, (ii) metropo…

A. The Director shall issue licenses for all shooting preserves when such preserves meet the requirements established pursuant to regulations. Commercially operated preserves initially licensed on and after July 1, 1994 shall meet local zoning and land use requirements. A fee of …