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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64316</law_id><section_number>29.1-301</section_number><catch_line>Exemptions from license requirements</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>29.1-300</reference><reference>29.1-302.1</reference><reference>29.1-408</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="29.1">Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Licenses</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Licenses</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No license shall be required of landowners, their spouses, their children and grandchildren and the spouses of such children and grandchildren, or the landowner&#x2019;s parents, resident or nonresident, to hunt, trap and fish within the boundaries of their own lands and inland waters or while within such boundaries or upon any private permanent extension therefrom, to fish in any abutting public waters. <a id="paragraph-234082" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No license shall be required of any stockholder owning 50 percent or more of the stock of any domestic corporation owning land in this Commonwealth, his or her spouse and children and <span class="dictionary">minor</span> grandchildren, resident or nonresident, to hunt, trap and fish within the boundaries of lands and inland waters owned by the domestic corporation. <a id="paragraph-234083" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> No license shall be required of bona fide tenants, renters or lessees to hunt, trap or fish within the boundaries of the lands or waters on which they reside or while within such boundaries or upon any private permanent extension therefrom, to fish in any abutting public waters if such individuals have the written consent of the landlord upon their person. A guest of the owner of a private fish pond shall not be required to have a <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> license to fish in such pond. <a id="paragraph-234084" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> No license shall be required of resident or nonresident persons under 16 years of age to fish. <a id="paragraph-234085" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D1"><p><span class="prefix-number">D1.</span> No license shall be required of resident persons under 12 years of age to hunt, provided such person is accompanied and directly supervised by an adult who has, on his person, a valid Virginia hunting license as described in subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certification of competence in hunter education; incentives" href="/29.1-300.1/">29.1-300.1</a>. <a id="paragraph-234086" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#D1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> No license shall be required of a resident person 65 years of age or over to hunt or trap on private property in the county or city in which he resides. An annual license at a fee of $1 shall be required of a resident person 65 years of age or older to fish in any inland waters of the Commonwealth, which shall be in addition to a license to fish for trout as specified in subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Fees to fish" href="/29.1-310/">29.1-310</a> or a special lifetime trout <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> license as specified in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Special lifetime trout fishing licenses for residents and nonresidents" href="/29.1-302.4/">29.1-302.4</a>. A resident 65 years of age or older may, upon proof of age satisfactory to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> and the payment of a $1 fee, apply for and receive from any authorized agent of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> a nontransferable annual license permitting such person to hunt or an annual license permitting such person to trap in all cities and counties of the Commonwealth. Any lifetime license issued pursuant to this article prior to July 1, 1988, shall remain valid for the lifetime of the person to whom it was issued. Any license issued pursuant to this section includes any damage stamp required pursuant to Article 3 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Damage stamp program established; purpose; intent" href="/29.1-352/">29.1-352</a> et seq.) of this chapter. <a id="paragraph-234087" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> No license to fish shall be required of nonresident persons under 16 years of age when accompanied by a person possessing a valid license to fish in Virginia. <a id="paragraph-234088" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> No license shall be required to trap rabbits with box traps. <a id="paragraph-234089" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="H"><p><span class="prefix-number">H.</span> No license shall be required of resident persons under 16 years of age to trap when accompanied by any person 18 years of age or older who possesses a valid state license to trap in this Commonwealth. <a id="paragraph-234090" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#H"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="I"><p><span class="prefix-number">I.</span> No license to hunt, trap or fish shall be required of any Indian who habitually resides on an Indian reservation or of a member of the Virginia recognized tribes who resides in the Commonwealth; however, such Indian must have on his person an identification card or paper signed by the chief of his tribe, a valid tribal identification card, written confirmation through a central tribal registry, or certification from a tribal office. Such card, paper, confirmation, or certification shall set forth that the person named is an actual resident upon such reservation or member of the recognized tribes in the Commonwealth, and such card, paper, confirmation or certification shall create a <span class="dictionary">presumption</span> of residence, which may be rebutted by proof of actual residence elsewhere. <a id="paragraph-234091" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#I"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="J"><p><span class="prefix-number">J.</span> No license to fish shall be required of legally blind persons. <a id="paragraph-234092" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#J"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="K"><p><span class="prefix-number">K.</span> No <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> license shall be required in any inland waters of the Commonwealth on free <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> days. The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall designate no more than three free <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> days in any calendar year. In the event that a free day is canceled as a result of an inclement weather event, the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> may designate another free <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> day in its place. <a id="paragraph-234093" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#K"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="L"><p><span class="prefix-number">L.</span> No license to fish, except for trout as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Special lifetime trout fishing licenses for residents and nonresidents" href="/29.1-302.4/">29.1-302.4</a> or subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Fees to fish" href="/29.1-310/">29.1-310</a>, in Laurel Lake and Beaver Pond at Breaks Interstate Park shall be required of a resident of the State of Kentucky who (i) possesses a valid license to fish in Kentucky or (ii) is exempt under Kentucky <span class="dictionary">law</span> from the requirement of possessing a valid <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> license. <a id="paragraph-234094" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#L"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="M"><p><span class="prefix-number">M.</span> No license to fish, except for trout as provided in subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Fees to fish" href="/29.1-310/">29.1-310</a>, shall be required of a member of the armed forces of the United States, on active duty, who is a resident of the Commonwealth while such person is on official leave, provided that person presents a copy of his leave papers upon request. <a id="paragraph-234095" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#M"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="N"><p><span class="prefix-number">N.</span> No license to hunt or fish shall be required of any person who is not hunting or <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> but is aiding a disabled person to hunt or fish when such disabled person possesses a valid Virginia hunting or <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> license under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Special license for certain resident disabled veterans" href="/29.1-302/">29.1-302</a>, <a class="law" title="Special lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for residents and nonresidents" href="/29.1-302.1/">29.1-302.1</a>, or <a class="law" title="Special lifetime fishing license; permanently disabled persons" href="/29.1-302.2/">29.1-302.2</a>. <a id="paragraph-234096" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-301/#N"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 29-52; 1950, pp. 619, 627; 1954, c. 623; 1962, c. 526; 1964, c. 445; 1968, c. 673; 1974, c. 363; 1977, c. 392; 1980, cc. 494, 500; 1981, c. 16; 1985, c. 154; 1987, cc. 126, 488, 507; 1988, cc. 180, 488; 1992, c. 262; 1996, cc. 118, 151; 1997, c. 267; 2000, cc. 110, 142; 2001, cc. 49, 597; 2002, c. 67; 2004, c. 846; 2008, c. 279; 2010, c. 345; 2016, c. 63; 2018, cc. 116, 507.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
