Except in areas under the jurisdiction of the Department of Wildlife Resources and as provided in § 28.2-302.5, a person shall not take or catch fish 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 jurisdiction of the Commission without first obtaining a saltwater recreational fishing license. The license required by this section and issued pursuant to § 28.2-302.2, 28.2-302.2:1, 28.2-302.6, 28.2-302.7, 28.2-302.8, 28.2-302.9 or 28.2-302.10 shall not be transferable.
1992, c. 895; 1993, c. 241; 2002, c. 215; 2004, c. 486; 2005, c. 124; 2020, c. 958.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 28.2 - Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters
§ 28.2-300. License application to fish with certain nets
§ 28.2-301. License fee for fishing in tidal waters
§ 28.2-302. Commercial fishing pier; license fee; penalty
§ 28.2-302.1. Recreational license required
§ 28.2-302.1:1. Fisherman Identification Program
§ 28.2-302.2. Recreational license fee; cooperative program
§ 28.2-302.2:1. Special combined individual sportfishing licenses
§ 28.2-302.3. Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund established
§ 28.2-302.4. Virginia Recreational Fishing Advisory Board established
§ 28.2-302.5. Exemptions to saltwater recreational fishing license
§ 28.2-302.6. Temporary license
§ 28.2-302.7. Recreational boat; reporting of catch
§ 28.2-302.7:1. Reissuance of licenses for recreational boats
§ 28.2-302.8. Headboat or charterboat; rental boats
§ 28.2-302.9. Commercial fishing pier
§ 28.2-302.10:1. Lifetime saltwater recreational fishing licenses for residents and nonresidents
§ 28.2-303. Taking and sale of sturgeon prohibited; penalty
§ 28.2-305. Size of mesh and length and depth of certain nets; penalty
§ 28.2-306. Use of certain fishing devices in certain waters; penalty
§ 28.2-307. Length of fixed fishing device; gill nets; penalty
§ 28.2-308. Setting of gill nets in oceanfront; penalty
§ 28.2-310. Trotline prohibited on ocean side of Eastern Shore; penalty
§ 28.2-311. Chickahominy River in Charles City; penalty
§ 28.2-312. Rappahannock River and certain of its tributaries; penalty
§ 28.2-313. Killing fish by means of explosives, drugs, or poisons; possession; penalty
§ 28.2-314. Trawl nets and drag nets prohibited; sale of fish; penalty
§ 28.2-315. Fishing with trawl net within three-mile limit; license fee
§ 28.2-316. Trawling boat not granted license for other fishing device; penalty
§ 28.2-317. Prima facie evidence of violation; penalty