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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65438</law_id><section_number>28.2-302.1</section_number><catch_line>Recreational license required</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>28.2-226.1</reference><reference>28.2-241</reference><reference>28.2-302.2:1</reference><reference>28.2-302.3</reference><reference>28.2-302.7</reference><reference>28.2-302.8</reference><reference>28.2-302.9</reference><reference>29.1-310.2</reference><reference>29.1-311</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="28.2">Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Tidal Fisheries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Finfish</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1.1">Saltwater Recreational Fishing</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Except in areas under the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the Department of Wildlife Resources and as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Exemptions to saltwater recreational fishing license" href="/28.2-302.5/">28.2-302.5</a>, a person shall not take or catch <span class="dictionary">fish</span> with rod and reel, hand line, by spearing or gigging, with a cast net, with a dip net, or by using up to two eel pots in the tidal waters of the Commonwealth under the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> without first obtaining a saltwater recreational <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> license. The license required by this section and issued pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Recreational license fee; cooperative program" href="/28.2-302.2/">28.2-302.2</a>, <a class="law" title="Special combined individual sportfishing licenses" href="/28.2-302.2_1/">28.2-302.2:1</a>, <a class="law" title="Temporary license" href="/28.2-302.6/">28.2-302.6</a>, <a class="law" title="Recreational boat; reporting of catch" href="/28.2-302.7/">28.2-302.7</a>, <a class="law" title="Headboat or charterboat; rental boats" href="/28.2-302.8/">28.2-302.8</a>, <a class="law" title="Commercial fishing pier" href="/28.2-302.9/">28.2-302.9</a> or <a class="law" title="Special lifetime saltwater recreational fishing license; permanently and totally disabled persons" href="/28.2-302.10/">28.2-302.10</a> shall not be transferable.</p></section></text><history>1992, c. 895; 1993, c. 241; 2002, c. 215; 2004, c. 486; 2005, c. 124; 2020, c. 958.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
