{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/28.2-709.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/28.2-709.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/28.2-709.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/28.2-709.html"}],"law_id":356773,"edition_id":2,"section_id":356773,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-709","catch_line":"Closed season for taking crabs in certain area; penalty","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 28-174; 1962, c. 406, \u00a7 28.1-170; 1977, c. 262; 1978, cc. 107, 278; 1979, c. 128; 1992, c. 836; 2009, c. 170; 2011, c. 217.","full_text":"It is unlawful for any person to take or catch crabs for resale from the following area except during those periods established pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission. Ownership of a current license to take or catch crabs shall be prima facie evidence that such taking or catching of crabs was for resale. The limits of the area are defined as follows:\n\nBeginning at the point of origin of the center line of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel facility where such facility commences in the City of Norfolk, Virginia, and following the shoreline in a general easterly direction, and also extending 200′ out from the mean low-water mark of such shoreline into the Chesapeake Bay, to Ocean View Fishing Pier, and thence in a general northerly direction to Thimble Shoal Lighthouse; thence running in approximately a northeasterly direction to Cape Charles Lighthouse, located on Smiths Island; and thence in approximately a southwestern direction to Cape Henry Lighthouse, and bounded by the shoreline; and thence following the shoreline in a general westerly direction back to the point of beginning.\n\nA violation of this section is a Class 3 misdemeanor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1328038,"text":"It is unlawful for any person to take or catch crabs for resale from the following area except during those periods established pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission. Ownership of a current license to take or catch crabs shall be prima facie evidence that such taking or catching of crabs was for resale. The limits of the area are defined as follows:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1328039,"text":"Beginning at the point of origin of the center line of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel facility where such facility commences in the City of Norfolk, Virginia, and following the shoreline in a general easterly direction, and also extending 200′ out from the mean low-water mark of such shoreline into the Chesapeake Bay, to Ocean View Fishing Pier, and thence in a general northerly direction to Thimble Shoal Lighthouse; thence running in approximately a northeasterly direction to Cape Charles Lighthouse, located on Smiths Island; and thence in approximately a southwestern direction to Cape Henry Lighthouse, and bounded by the shoreline; and thence following the shoreline in a general westerly direction back to the point of beginning.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1328040,"text":"A violation of this section is a Class 3 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":51061,"edition_id":2,"name":"Restrictions on Harvesting Crabs","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":3,"parent_id":51058,"metadata":{"child_laws":9,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:46","permalink":{"id":1418727,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51061,"identifier":"3","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3","url":"\/28.2\/II\/7\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51058,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crabs","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":6,"parent_id":50998,"metadata":{"child_laws":14,"child_structures":3},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:45","permalink":{"id":1418701,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51058,"identifier":"7","token":"28.2\/II\/7","url":"\/28.2\/II\/7\/","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":356769,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-705","catch_line":"License restrictions; exemption; penalty","url":"\/28.2-705\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-705","metadata":false},{"id":356770,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-706","catch_line":"Restrictions on crab scraping; penalty","url":"\/28.2-706\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-706","metadata":false},{"id":356771,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-707","catch_line":"Restrictions on crab dredging; penalty","url":"\/28.2-707\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-707","metadata":false},{"id":356772,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-708","catch_line":"Limitations on sizes of crabs to be taken; inspection of catch; exemption; penalty","url":"\/28.2-708\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-708","metadata":false},{"id":356773,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-709","catch_line":"Closed season for taking crabs in certain area; penalty","url":"\/28.2-709\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-709","metadata":false},{"id":356774,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-710","catch_line":"Unlawful to place crab, eel, or fish pots in certain channels; penalty","url":"\/28.2-710\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-710","metadata":false},{"id":356775,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-711","catch_line":"Crab pots; unlawful activities; penalty","url":"\/28.2-711\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-711","metadata":false},{"id":356776,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-712","catch_line":"Identification of crab pots and eel pots; penalty","url":"\/28.2-712\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-712","metadata":false},{"id":356777,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-713","catch_line":"Limiting the taking of crabs by one boat in one day; penalty","url":"\/28.2-713\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-713","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":356772,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-708","catch_line":"Limitations on sizes of crabs to be taken; inspection of catch; exemption; penalty","url":"\/28.2-708\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-708","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":356774,"structure_id":51061,"section_number":"28.2-710","catch_line":"Unlawful to place crab, eel, or fish pots in certain channels; penalty","url":"\/28.2-710\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-710","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/28.2-709\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 7 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 1977, chapter 262; in 1978, chapters 107 and 278; in 1979, chapter 128; in 1992, chapter 836; in 2009, chapter 170<\/a>; in 2011, chapter 217<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1418745,"object_type":"law","relational_id":356773,"identifier":"28.2-709","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-709","url":"\/28.2-709\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/28.2-709\/","token":"28.2\/II\/7\/3\/28.2-709","dublin_core":{"Title":"Closed season for taking crabs in certain area; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 28.2-709","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It is unlawful for any person to take or catch crabs for resale from the following area except during those periods established pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission<\/span>. Ownership of a current license to take or catch crabs shall be prima facie evidence<\/span> that such taking or catching of crabs was for resale. The limits of the area are defined as follows:<\/p>

Beginning at the point of origin of the center line of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel facility where such facility commences in the City of Norfolk, Virginia, and following the shoreline in a general easterly direction, and also extending 200′ out from the mean low-water mark of such shoreline into the Chesapeake Bay, to Ocean View Fishing<\/span> Pier, and thence in a general northerly direction to Thimble Shoal Lighthouse; thence running in approximately a northeasterly direction to Cape Charles Lighthouse, located on Smiths Island; and thence in approximately a southwestern direction to Cape Henry Lighthouse, and bounded by the shoreline; and thence following the shoreline in a general westerly direction back to the point of beginning.<\/p>

A violation of this section is a Class 3 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCLOSED SEASON FOR TAKING CRABS IN CERTAIN AREA; PENALTY (\u00a7 28.2-709)\n\nIt is unlawful for any person to take or catch crabs for resale from the\nfollowing area except during those periods established pursuant to regulations\nadopted by the Commission. Ownership of a current license to take or catch crabs\nshall be prima facie evidence that such taking or catching of crabs was for\nresale. The limits of the area are defined as follows:\n\nBeginning at the point of origin of the center line of the Hampton Roads Bridge\nTunnel facility where such facility commences in the City of Norfolk, Virginia,\nand following the shoreline in a general easterly direction, and also extending\n200′ out from the mean low-water mark of such shoreline into the\nChesapeake Bay, to Ocean View Fishing Pier, and thence in a general northerly\ndirection to Thimble Shoal Lighthouse; thence running in approximately a\nnortheasterly direction to Cape Charles Lighthouse, located on Smiths Island;\nand thence in approximately a southwestern direction to Cape Henry Lighthouse,\nand bounded by the shoreline; and thence following the shoreline in a general\nwesterly direction back to the point of beginning.\n\nA violation of this section is a Class 3 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 28-174; 1962, c. 406, \u00a7 28.1-170; 1977, c. 262; 1978,\ncc. 107, 278; 1979, c. 128; 1992, c. 836; 2009, c. 170; 2011, c. 217.","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"}}