                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

EXEMPTIONS FROM LICENSE REQUIREMENTS (§ 29.1-301)

A. No license shall be required of landowners, their spouses, their children and
grandchildren and the spouses of such children and grandchildren, or the
landowner&#8217;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.

B. 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 minor grandchildren, resident or nonresident, to
hunt, trap and fish within the boundaries of lands and inland waters owned by
the domestic corporation.

C. 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 fishing license to fish in
such pond.

D. No license shall be required of resident or nonresident persons under 16
years of age to fish.

D1. 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; 29.1-300.1.

E. 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;
29.1-310 or a special lifetime trout fishing license as specified in &#xA7;
29.1-302.4. A resident 65 years of age or older may, upon proof of age
satisfactory to the Department and the payment of a $1 fee, apply for and
receive from any authorized agent of the Department 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; 29.1-352 et seq.) of this chapter.

F. 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.

G. No license shall be required to trap rabbits with box traps.

H. 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.

I. 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 presumption of residence, which may be rebutted by proof of actual
residence elsewhere.

J. No license to fish shall be required of legally blind persons.

K. No fishing license shall be required in any inland waters of the Commonwealth
on free fishing days. The Board shall designate no more than three free fishing
days in any calendar year. In the event that a free day is canceled as a result
of an inclement weather event, the Board may designate another free fishing day
in its place.

L. No license to fish, except for trout as provided in &#xA7; 29.1-302.4 or
subsection B of &#xA7; 29.1-310, 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
law from the requirement of possessing a valid fishing license.

M. No license to fish, except for trout as provided in subsection B of &#xA7;
29.1-310, 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.

N. No license to hunt or fish shall be required of any person who is not hunting
or fishing but is aiding a disabled person to hunt or fish when such disabled
person possesses a valid Virginia hunting or fishing license under &#xA7;
29.1-302, 29.1-302.1, or 29.1-302.2.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 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.