{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/28.2-302.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/28.2-302.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/28.2-302.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/28.2-302.html"}],"law_id":57229,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57229,"structure_id":15008,"section_number":"28.2-302","catch_line":"Commercial fishing pier; license fee; penalty","history":"1976, c. 343, \u00a7 28.1-52.2; 1979, c. 274; 1992, c. 836; 2009, c. 9.","full_text":"A\n\nThe owner of a commercial fishing pier shall pay an annual license fee of $50 or as subsequently revised by the Commission pursuant to § 28.2-201 for each pier that is over or upon the subaqueous beds of the Commonwealth.B\n\nNet fishing shall not be permitted within 300 yards of the sides or end of a commercial fishing pier. The Commission may decrease this distance if it considers 300 yards to be an excessive distance because of the size of the body of water where the pier is located. A violation of this subsection is a Class 3 misdemeanor.C\n\nThe construction or erection of a commercial fishing pier on a subaqueous bed of the Commonwealth is subject to the permit requirements of § 28.2-1203.D\n\nFor purposes of this section, a commercial fishing pier means any pier whose primary purpose is to allow fishing by the public for a fee. A public fishing pier operated by a political subdivision shall be considered to be a commercial fishing pier, although no fee is charged.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":209647,"text":"The owner of a commercial fishing pier shall pay an annual license fee of $50 or as subsequently revised by the Commission pursuant to § 28.2-201 for each pier that is over or upon the subaqueous beds of the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":209648,"text":"Net fishing shall not be permitted within 300 yards of the sides or end of a commercial fishing pier. The Commission may decrease this distance if it considers 300 yards to be an excessive distance because of the size of the body of water where the pier is located. A violation of this subsection is a Class 3 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":209649,"text":"The construction or erection of a commercial fishing pier on a subaqueous bed of the Commonwealth is subject to the permit requirements of § 28.2-1203.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":209650,"text":"For purposes of this section, a commercial fishing pier means any pier whose primary purpose is to allow fishing by the public for a fee. A public fishing pier operated by a political subdivision shall be considered to be a commercial fishing pier, although no fee is charged.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15008,"edition_id":1,"name":"Licenses","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13475,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:27","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:27","permalink":{"id":191009,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15008,"identifier":"1","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1","url":"\/28.2\/II\/3\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13475,"edition_id":1,"name":"Finfish","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12814,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:58","permalink":{"id":191007,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13475,"identifier":"3","token":"28.2\/II\/3","url":"\/28.2\/II\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12814,"edition_id":1,"name":"Tidal Fisheries","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12813,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","permalink":{"id":190673,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12814,"identifier":"II","token":"28.2\/II","url":"\/28.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12813,"edition_id":1,"name":"Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters","identifier":"28.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","permalink":{"id":190589,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12813,"identifier":"28.2","token":"28.2","url":"\/28.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":59101,"structure_id":15008,"section_number":"28.2-300","catch_line":"License application to fish with certain nets","url":"\/28.2-300\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1\/28.2-300","metadata":false},{"id":77888,"structure_id":15008,"section_number":"28.2-301","catch_line":"License fee for fishing in tidal waters","url":"\/28.2-301\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1\/28.2-301","metadata":false},{"id":57229,"structure_id":15008,"section_number":"28.2-302","catch_line":"Commercial fishing pier; license fee; penalty","url":"\/28.2-302\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1\/28.2-302","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":77888,"structure_id":15008,"section_number":"28.2-301","catch_line":"License fee for fishing in tidal waters","url":"\/28.2-301\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1\/28.2-301","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/28.2-302\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1976. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 343 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 1976 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 1979, chapter 274; in 1992, chapter 836; in 2009, chapter 9<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":57031,"section_number":"28.2-302.3","catch_line":"Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund established","order_by":null,"url":"\/28.2-302.3\/"},{"id":66179,"section_number":"28.2-302.5","catch_line":"Exemptions to saltwater recreational fishing license","order_by":null,"url":"\/28.2-302.5\/"},{"id":74897,"section_number":"28.2-302.9","catch_line":"Commercial fishing pier","order_by":null,"url":"\/28.2-302.9\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":65052,"section_number":"28.2-201","catch_line":"Authority of Commission to make regulations, establish licenses, and prepare fishery management plans; accept federal grants; enforcement; penalty for violation of regulation","order_by":null,"url":"\/28.2-201\/"}],"permalink":{"id":191019,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57229,"identifier":"28.2-302","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1\/28.2-302","url":"\/28.2-302\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/28.2-302\/","token":"28.2\/II\/3\/1\/28.2-302","dublin_core":{"Title":"Commercial fishing pier; license fee; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 28.2-302","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The owner of a commercial fishing<\/span> pier shall pay an annual license fee of $50 or as subsequently revised by the Commission<\/span> pursuant to § 28.2-201<\/a> for each pier that is over or upon the subaqueous beds of the Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Net fishing<\/span> shall not be permitted within 300 yards of the sides or end of a commercial fishing<\/span> pier. The Commission<\/span> may decrease this distance if it considers 300 yards to be an excessive distance because of the size of the body of water where the pier is located. A violation of this subsection is a Class 3 misdemeanor<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The construction or erection of a commercial fishing<\/span> pier on a subaqueous bed of the Commonwealth is subject to the permit requirements of § 28.2-1203<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> For purposes of this section, a commercial fishing<\/span> pier means any pier whose primary purpose is to allow fishing<\/span> by the public for a fee. A public fishing<\/span> pier operated by a political subdivision shall be considered to be a commercial fishing<\/span> pier, although no fee is charged. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCOMMERCIAL FISHING PIER; LICENSE FEE; PENALTY (\u00a7 28.2-302)\n\nA. The owner of a commercial fishing pier shall pay an annual license fee of $50\nor as subsequently revised by the Commission pursuant to § 28.2-201 for\neach pier that is over or upon the subaqueous beds of the Commonwealth.\n\nB. Net fishing shall not be permitted within 300 yards of the sides or end of a\ncommercial fishing pier. The Commission may decrease this distance if it\nconsiders 300 yards to be an excessive distance because of the size of the body\nof water where the pier is located. A violation of this subsection is a Class 3\nmisdemeanor.\n\nC. The construction or erection of a commercial fishing pier on a subaqueous bed\nof the Commonwealth is subject to the permit requirements of § 28.2-1203.\n\nD. For purposes of this section, a commercial fishing pier means any pier whose\nprimary purpose is to allow fishing by the public for a fee. A public fishing\npier operated by a political subdivision shall be considered to be a commercial\nfishing pier, although no fee is charged.\n\nHISTORY: 1976, c. 343, \u00a7 28.1-52.2; 1979, c. 274; 1992, c. 836; 2009, c. 9.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}