{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/28.2-303.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/28.2-303.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/28.2-303.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/28.2-303.html"}],"law_id":356617,"edition_id":2,"section_id":356617,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-303","catch_line":"Taking and sale of sturgeon prohibited; penalty","history":"1970, c. 629, \u00a7 28.1-49.1; 1981, c. 579; 1984, c. 13; 1985, cc. 546, 615; 1992, c. 836.","full_text":"Except as otherwise provided by regulation, it shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch or possess any sturgeon. Any sturgeon caught by any person shall be immediately returned to the water.\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any dealer or wholesaler of fish for human consumption to buy from others or to otherwise possess for purposes of resale any sturgeon.\n\nA violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1327658,"text":"Except as otherwise provided by regulation, it shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch or possess any sturgeon. Any sturgeon caught by any person shall be immediately returned to the water.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1327659,"text":"It shall be unlawful for any dealer or wholesaler of fish for human consumption to buy from others or to otherwise possess for purposes of resale any sturgeon.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1327660,"text":"A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":51043,"edition_id":2,"name":"Taking of Fish, Net, and Device Restrictions","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":3,"parent_id":51040,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:44","permalink":{"id":1418083,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51043,"identifier":"2","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2","url":"\/28.2\/II\/3\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51040,"edition_id":2,"name":"Finfish","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":50998,"metadata":{"child_laws":34,"child_structures":4},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:22","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:43","permalink":{"id":1418009,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51040,"identifier":"3","token":"28.2\/II\/3","url":"\/28.2\/II\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50998,"edition_id":2,"name":"Tidal Fisheries","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":50994,"metadata":{"child_laws":289,"child_structures":42},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:42","permalink":{"id":1417675,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50998,"identifier":"II","token":"28.2\/II","url":"\/28.2\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50994,"edition_id":2,"name":"Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters","identifier":"28.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":70,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":386,"child_structures":71},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:41","permalink":{"id":1417591,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50994,"identifier":"28.2","token":"28.2","url":"\/28.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":356617,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-303","catch_line":"Taking and sale of sturgeon prohibited; penalty","url":"\/28.2-303\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-303","metadata":false},{"id":356618,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-304","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/28.2-304\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-304","metadata":false},{"id":356619,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-305","catch_line":"Size of mesh and length and depth of certain nets; penalty","url":"\/28.2-305\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-305","metadata":false},{"id":356620,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-306","catch_line":"Use of certain fishing devices in certain waters; penalty","url":"\/28.2-306\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-306","metadata":false},{"id":356621,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-307","catch_line":"Length of fixed fishing device; gill nets; penalty","url":"\/28.2-307\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-307","metadata":false},{"id":356622,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-308","catch_line":"Setting of gill nets in oceanfront; penalty","url":"\/28.2-308\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-308","metadata":false},{"id":356623,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-309","catch_line":"Distance nets may extend across body of water or channel; prohibition; regulations; penalty","url":"\/28.2-309\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-309","metadata":false},{"id":356624,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-310","catch_line":"Trotline prohibited on ocean side of Eastern Shore; penalty","url":"\/28.2-310\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-310","metadata":false},{"id":356625,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-311","catch_line":"Chickahominy River in Charles City; penalty","url":"\/28.2-311\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-311","metadata":false},{"id":356626,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-312","catch_line":"Rappahannock River and certain of its tributaries; penalty","url":"\/28.2-312\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-312","metadata":false},{"id":356627,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-313","catch_line":"Killing fish by means of explosives, drugs, or poisons; possession; penalty","url":"\/28.2-313\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-313","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":356618,"structure_id":51043,"section_number":"28.2-304","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/28.2-304\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-304","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/28.2-303\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1970. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 629 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1970 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1981, chapter 579; in 1984, chapter 13; in 1985, chapters 546 and 615; in 1992, chapter 836.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1418085,"object_type":"law","relational_id":356617,"identifier":"28.2-303","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-303","url":"\/28.2-303\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/28.2-303\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/2\/28.2-303","dublin_core":{"Title":"Taking and sale of sturgeon prohibited; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 28.2-303","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Except as otherwise provided by regulation, it shall be unlawful for any person to take, catch or possess any sturgeon. Any sturgeon caught by any person shall be immediately returned to the water.<\/p><p>It shall be unlawful for any dealer or wholesaler of <span class=\"dictionary\">fish<\/span> for human consumption to buy from others or to otherwise possess for purposes of resale any sturgeon.<\/p><p>A violation of this section is a Class 1 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTAKING AND SALE OF STURGEON PROHIBITED; PENALTY (\u00a7 28.2-303)\n\nExcept as otherwise provided by regulation, it shall be unlawful for any person\nto take, catch or possess any sturgeon. Any sturgeon caught by any person shall\nbe immediately returned to the water.\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any dealer or wholesaler of fish for human consumption\nto buy from others or to otherwise possess for purposes of resale any sturgeon.\n\nA violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: 1970, c. 629, \u00a7 28.1-49.1; 1981, c. 579; 1984, c. 13; 1985, cc. 546,\n615; 1992, c. 836.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}