{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/28.2-632.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/28.2-632.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/28.2-632.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/28.2-632.html"}],"law_id":356745,"edition_id":2,"section_id":356745,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-632","catch_line":"Public clamming grounds","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 28-180; 1962, c. 406, \u00a7 28.1-162; 1992, c. 836.","full_text":"Any ground in the waters of this Commonwealth not assigned to anyone for planting or bathing purposes may be, on application of twenty or more citizens to the officer assigned to the district in which the land lies, laid off and designated as public clamming grounds; or the Commissioner may do so without such petition, provided in his opinion no oyster interests will suffer thereby and the clams are of sufficient quantity for a person to realize at least 225 clams or $1.50 per day catching and taking clams from such ground. If the ground is laid off, the Commissioner shall designate by stakes the metes and bounds of such ground and also have a plat made, to be recorded in the clerk’s office of the county where the ground lies. All costs of surveying, platting, and recording shall be paid by the applicant. Such ground shall be set apart and remain a public clamming ground for the common use of the citizens of Virginia for so long as the Commissioner determines, and shall not be assigned to anyone during such period.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1327955,"text":"Any ground in the waters of this Commonwealth not assigned to anyone for planting or bathing purposes may be, on application of twenty or more citizens to the officer assigned to the district in which the land lies, laid off and designated as public clamming grounds; or the Commissioner may do so without such petition, provided in his opinion no oyster interests will suffer thereby and the clams are of sufficient quantity for a person to realize at least 225 clams or $1.50 per day catching and taking clams from such ground. If the ground is laid off, the Commissioner shall designate by stakes the metes and bounds of such ground and also have a plat made, to be recorded in the clerk’s office of the county where the ground lies. All costs of surveying, platting, and recording shall be paid by the applicant. Such ground shall be set apart and remain a public clamming ground for the common use of the citizens of Virginia for so long as the Commissioner determines, and shall not be assigned to anyone during such period.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51056,"edition_id":2,"name":"Assignment, Transfer, Condemnation; Other Grounds","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":3,"parent_id":51053,"metadata":{"child_laws":12,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:37","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:45","permalink":{"id":1418581,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51056,"identifier":"3","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3","url":"\/28.2\/II\/6\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51053,"edition_id":2,"name":"Planting Grounds","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":50998,"metadata":{"child_laws":54,"child_structures":4},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:34","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:45","permalink":{"id":1418475,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51053,"identifier":"6","token":"28.2\/II\/6","url":"\/28.2\/II\/6\/","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":356735,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-623","catch_line":"Excusing rent payment on condemned oyster grounds in the Lynnhaven River and tributaries","url":"\/28.2-623\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-623","metadata":false},{"id":356736,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-624","catch_line":"Public rocks, etc., not to be used or staked off; penalty","url":"\/28.2-624\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-624","metadata":false},{"id":356737,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-625","catch_line":"Transfer or assignment","url":"\/28.2-625\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-625","metadata":false},{"id":356738,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-626","catch_line":"Refund of rent paid under mistake","url":"\/28.2-626\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-626","metadata":false},{"id":356740,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-627","catch_line":"Relief from rent","url":"\/28.2-627\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-627","metadata":false},{"id":356739,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-627.1","catch_line":"Oyster Leasing, Conservation, and Repletion Programs Fund","url":"\/28.2-627.1\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-627.1","metadata":false},{"id":356741,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-628","catch_line":"Condemnation of oyster bottoms and grounds","url":"\/28.2-628\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-628","metadata":false},{"id":356742,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-629","catch_line":"Rights of owner to waters within lawful survey","url":"\/28.2-629\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-629","metadata":false},{"id":356743,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-630","catch_line":"Rights of riparian owners to build bulkhead or wharf","url":"\/28.2-630\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-630","metadata":false},{"id":356744,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-631","catch_line":"Grounds for clams","url":"\/28.2-631\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-631","metadata":false},{"id":356745,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-632","catch_line":"Public clamming grounds","url":"\/28.2-632\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-632","metadata":false},{"id":356746,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-633","catch_line":"Bathing grounds; assignment; rental","url":"\/28.2-633\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-633","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":356744,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-631","catch_line":"Grounds for clams","url":"\/28.2-631\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-631","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":356746,"structure_id":51056,"section_number":"28.2-633","catch_line":"Bathing grounds; assignment; rental","url":"\/28.2-633\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-633","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/28.2-632\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1962, chapter 406; in 1992, chapter 836.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1418623,"object_type":"law","relational_id":356745,"identifier":"28.2-632","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-632","url":"\/28.2-632\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/28.2-632\/","token":"28.2\/II\/6\/3\/28.2-632","dublin_core":{"Title":"Public clamming grounds","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 28.2-632","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any ground in the waters of this Commonwealth not assigned to anyone for planting or bathing purposes may be, on application of twenty or more citizens to the officer<\/span> assigned to the district in which the land lies, laid off and designated as public clamming grounds; or the Commissioner<\/span> may do so without such petition<\/span>, provided in his opinion<\/span> no oyster interests will suffer thereby and the clams are of sufficient quantity for a person to realize at least 225 clams or $1.50 per day catching and taking clams from such ground. If the ground is laid off, the Commissioner<\/span> shall designate by stakes the metes and bounds of such ground and also have a plat made, to be recorded in the clerk’s office of the county where the ground lies. All costs of surveying, platting, and recording shall be paid by the applicant. Such ground shall be set apart and remain a public clamming ground for the common use of the citizens of Virginia for so long as the Commissioner<\/span> determines, and shall not be assigned to anyone during such period.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPUBLIC CLAMMING GROUNDS (\u00a7 28.2-632)\n\nAny ground in the waters of this Commonwealth not assigned to anyone for\nplanting or bathing purposes may be, on application of twenty or more citizens\nto the officer assigned to the district in which the land lies, laid off and\ndesignated as public clamming grounds; or the Commissioner may do so without\nsuch petition, provided in his opinion no oyster interests will suffer thereby\nand the clams are of sufficient quantity for a person to realize at least 225\nclams or $1.50 per day catching and taking clams from such ground. If the ground\nis laid off, the Commissioner shall designate by stakes the metes and bounds of\nsuch ground and also have a plat made, to be recorded in the clerk’s\noffice of the county where the ground lies. All costs of surveying, platting,\nand recording shall be paid by the applicant. Such ground shall be set apart and\nremain a public clamming ground for the common use of the citizens of Virginia\nfor so long as the Commissioner determines, and shall not be assigned to anyone\nduring such period.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 28-180; 1962, c. 406, \u00a7 28.1-162; 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"}}