{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/29.1-556.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/29.1-556.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/29.1-556.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/29.1-556.html"}],"law_id":357058,"edition_id":2,"section_id":357058,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556","catch_line":"Unlawful devices to be destroyed","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 29-172; 1962, c. 469; 1979, c. 264; 1987, c. 488; 2007, c. 87.","full_text":"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 the device shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth. Nets, traps or other such devices, excluding firearms, shall be destroyed by the conservation police officer if the owner or user of the device cannot be located within thirty days. Unlawful fixed devices may be destroyed by the conservation police officer at the place where the devices are found.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1328825,"text":"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 the device shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth. Nets, traps or other such devices, excluding firearms, shall be destroyed by the conservation police officer if the owner or user of the device cannot be located within thirty days. Unlawful fixed devices may be destroyed by the conservation police officer at the place where the devices are found.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51087,"edition_id":2,"name":"Penalties in General","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":6,"parent_id":51081,"metadata":{"child_laws":18,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:15","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:53","permalink":{"id":1420245,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51087,"identifier":"5","token":"29.1\/5\/5","url":"\/29.1\/5\/5\/","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":357045,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-546","catch_line":"General penalty","url":"\/29.1-546\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-546","metadata":false},{"id":357046,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-547","catch_line":"Trapping, selling, purchasing, etc., migratory game birds","url":"\/29.1-547\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-547","metadata":false},{"id":357047,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-548","catch_line":"Killing deer illegally","url":"\/29.1-548\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-548","metadata":false},{"id":357048,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-549","catch_line":"Hunting deer from watercraft","url":"\/29.1-549\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-549","metadata":false},{"id":357049,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-550","catch_line":"Taking game or fish during closed season or exceeding bag limit","url":"\/29.1-550\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-550","metadata":false},{"id":357050,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-551","catch_line":"Assessment of value of game or fish unlawfully taken","url":"\/29.1-551\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-551","metadata":false},{"id":357051,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-552","catch_line":"Killing wild turkey during closed season","url":"\/29.1-552\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-552","metadata":false},{"id":357053,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-553","catch_line":"Selling or offering for sale; penalty","url":"\/29.1-553\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-553","metadata":false},{"id":357052,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-553.1","catch_line":"Penalty for wanton waste","url":"\/29.1-553.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-553.1","metadata":false},{"id":357055,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-554","catch_line":"Violation of sanctuaries, refuges, preserves and water used for propagation","url":"\/29.1-554\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-554","metadata":false},{"id":357054,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-554.1","catch_line":"Impeding lawful fishing in inland waters; penalty","url":"\/29.1-554.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-554.1","metadata":false},{"id":357056,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-555","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-555\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-555","metadata":false},{"id":357058,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556","catch_line":"Unlawful devices to be destroyed","url":"\/29.1-556\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556","metadata":false},{"id":357057,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556.1","catch_line":"Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty; community service","url":"\/29.1-556.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556.1","metadata":false},{"id":357059,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-557","catch_line":"Confiscation of wild birds and animals under certain circumstances; disposition","url":"\/29.1-557\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-557","metadata":false},{"id":357060,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-558","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-558\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-558","metadata":false},{"id":357061,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-561","catch_line":"Self-incrimination","url":"\/29.1-561\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-561","metadata":false},{"id":357062,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-562","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-562\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-562","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":357056,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-555","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-555\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-555","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":357057,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556.1","catch_line":"Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty; community service","url":"\/29.1-556.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/29.1-556\/","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 1962, chapter 469; in 1979, chapter 264; in 1987, chapter 488; in 2007, chapter 87<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1420295,"object_type":"law","relational_id":357058,"identifier":"29.1-556","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556","url":"\/29.1-556\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/29.1-556\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556","dublin_core":{"Title":"Unlawful devices to be destroyed","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 29.1-556","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any firearm<\/span>, trap, net, or other device of any kind or nature for taking wild birds, wild animals, or fish, except as specifically permitted by law<\/span>, shall be considered unlawful. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor<\/span>, and the device shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth. Nets, traps or other such devices, excluding firearms<\/span>, shall be destroyed by the conservation police officer if the owner or user of the device cannot be located within thirty days. Unlawful fixed devices may be destroyed by the conservation police officer at the place where the devices are found.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUNLAWFUL DEVICES TO BE DESTROYED (\u00a7 29.1-556)\n\nAny firearm, trap, net, or other device of any kind or nature for taking wild\nbirds, wild animals, or fish, except as specifically permitted by law, shall be\nconsidered unlawful. Any person who violates the provisions of this section\nshall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and the device shall be forfeited to\nthe Commonwealth. Nets, traps or other such devices, excluding firearms, shall\nbe destroyed by the conservation police officer if the owner or user of the\ndevice cannot be located within thirty days. Unlawful fixed devices may be\ndestroyed by the conservation police officer at the place where the devices are\nfound.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 29-172; 1962, c. 469; 1979, c. 264; 1987, c. 488; 2007,\nc. 87.","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"}}