{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/29.1-539.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/29.1-539.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/29.1-539.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/29.1-539.html"}],"law_id":357037,"edition_id":2,"section_id":357037,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-539","catch_line":"Claiming deer, bear, turkey, or elk struck by motor vehicle","history":"1950, pp. 441, 442, \u00a7\u00a7 29-155.2 to 29-155.4; 1980, c. 271; 1987, c. 488; 2007, c. 87; 2024, c. 83.","full_text":"A\n\nAny 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 animal for his own use as if the animal had been killed by that person during hunting season for the animal.\n\nB\n\nAny person so killing any 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 shall immediately report the accident to a conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer of the county or city where the accident occurred. The conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer shall view such animal and if he believes that such animal was killed by a collision with a motor vehicle or injured to such an extent as to require its death, he shall award the animal to the person claiming it and shall give the person a call for service number or a report number.\n\nC\n\nIf any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey, or elk, or person who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a collision with a motor vehicle, does not claim such animal, a conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer may award such animal to any other person who wishes to claim it pursuant to this section.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1328783,"text":"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 animal for his own use as if the animal had been killed by that person during hunting season for the animal.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1328784,"text":"Any person so killing any 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 shall immediately report the accident to a conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer of the county or city where the accident occurred. The conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer shall view such animal and if he believes that such animal was killed by a collision with a motor vehicle or injured to such an extent as to require its death, he shall award the animal to the person claiming it and shall give the person a call for service number or a report number.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1328785,"text":"If any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey, or elk, or person who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a collision with a motor vehicle, does not claim such animal, a conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer may award such animal to any other person who wishes to claim it pursuant to this section.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":51086,"edition_id":2,"name":"Possession, Transportation, and Sale of Game and Fish","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51081,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:14","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:53","permalink":{"id":1420199,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51086,"identifier":"4","token":"29.1\/5\/4","url":"\/29.1\/5\/4\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51081,"edition_id":2,"name":"Wildlife and Fish Laws","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":8,"parent_id":51066,"metadata":{"child_laws":102,"child_structures":9},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:09","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:53","permalink":{"id":1419969,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51081,"identifier":"5","token":"29.1\/5","url":"\/29.1\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51066,"edition_id":2,"name":"Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating","identifier":"29.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":72,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":397,"child_structures":36},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:48","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:51","permalink":{"id":1419279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51066,"identifier":"29.1","token":"29.1","url":"\/29.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":357034,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-536","catch_line":"Sale","url":"\/29.1-536\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-536","metadata":false},{"id":357035,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-537","catch_line":"Possession","url":"\/29.1-537\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-537","metadata":false},{"id":357036,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-538","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-538\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-538","metadata":false},{"id":357037,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-539","catch_line":"Claiming deer, bear, turkey, or elk struck by motor vehicle","url":"\/29.1-539\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-539","metadata":false},{"id":357038,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-540","catch_line":"Carriage and shipment","url":"\/29.1-540\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-540","metadata":false},{"id":357039,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-541","catch_line":"Storage","url":"\/29.1-541\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-541","metadata":false},{"id":357040,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-542","catch_line":"Importation","url":"\/29.1-542\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-542","metadata":false},{"id":357042,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-543","catch_line":"Game and fish taken and packaged outside the Commonwealth","url":"\/29.1-543\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-543","metadata":false},{"id":357041,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-543.1","catch_line":"Introduction, stocking, and release of blue catfish; penalty","url":"\/29.1-543.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-543.1","metadata":false},{"id":357043,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-544","catch_line":"Dressing, packing and selling bobwhite quail","url":"\/29.1-544\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-544","metadata":false},{"id":357044,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-545","catch_line":"Possession, sale, offering for sale or liberation of live nutria","url":"\/29.1-545\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-545","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":357036,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-538","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-538\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-538","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":357038,"structure_id":51086,"section_number":"29.1-540","catch_line":"Carriage and shipment","url":"\/29.1-540\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-540","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/29.1-539\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\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 1980, chapter 271; in 1987, chapter 488; in 2007, chapter 87<\/a>; in 2024, chapter 83<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1420213,"object_type":"law","relational_id":357037,"identifier":"29.1-539","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-539","url":"\/29.1-539\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/29.1-539\/","token":"29.1\/5\/4\/29.1-539","dublin_core":{"Title":"Claiming deer, bear, turkey, or elk struck by motor vehicle","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 29.1-539","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> 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 animal for his own use as if the animal had been killed by that person during hunting season for the animal. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Any person so killing any 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 shall immediately report the accident to a conservation police officer or other law<\/span>-enforcement officer of the county or city where the accident occurred. The conservation police officer or other law<\/span>-enforcement officer shall view such animal and if he believes that such animal was killed by a collision with a motor vehicle or injured to such an extent as to require its death, he shall award the animal to the person claiming it and shall give the person a call for service number or a report number. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> If any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey, or elk, or person who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a collision with a motor vehicle, does not claim such animal, a conservation police officer or other law<\/span>-enforcement officer may award such animal to any other person who wishes to claim it pursuant to this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCLAIMING DEER, BEAR, TURKEY, OR ELK STRUCK BY MOTOR VEHICLE (\u00a7 29.1-539)\n\nA. Any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey, or\nelk or who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a\ncollision with a motor vehicle may, upon compliance with the provisions of this\nsection and at any time of year, claim such animal for his own use as if the\nanimal had been killed by that person during hunting season for the animal.\n\nB. Any person so killing any deer, bear, turkey, or elk or who discovers a deer,\nbear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a collision with a motor vehicle\nshall immediately report the accident to a conservation police officer or other\nlaw-enforcement officer of the county or city where the accident occurred. The\nconservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer shall view such\nanimal and if he believes that such animal was killed by a collision with a\nmotor vehicle or injured to such an extent as to require its death, he shall\naward the animal to the person claiming it and shall give the person a call for\nservice number or a report number.\n\nC. If any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey,\nor elk, or person who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been\nkilled in a collision with a motor vehicle, does not claim such animal, a\nconservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer may award such\nanimal to any other person who wishes to claim it pursuant to this section.\n\nHISTORY: 1950, pp. 441, 442, \u00a7\u00a7 29-155.2 to 29-155.4; 1980, c. 271; 1987, c.\n488; 2007, c. 87; 2024, c. 83.","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"}}