Code of Virginia
Chapter 5 - Wildlife and Fish Laws
§ 29.1-523.1. Hunting deer with sights after dark; forfeiture of weapon and sighting device

A. Any person who kills or attempts to kill any deer between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise using a firearm equipped with any sighting device other than iron or open sights shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. In addition to this penalty, the court shall revoke the current hunting license and privileges of the person convicted of violating this section and prohibit that person from hunting for a period of one to five years. Notification of such revocation or prohibition shall be forwarded to the Department pursuant to subsections C and D of § 18.2-56.1.
B. Every firearm equipped with any sighting device other than iron or open sights used with the knowledge or consent of the owner in violation of this section shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth. Upon being condemned as forfeited in proceedings under Chapter 22.1 (§ 19.2-386.1 et seq.) of Title 19.2, the proceeds of the sale shall be disposed of according to law.
This section shall not apply to persons duly authorized to kill deer according to the provisions of § 29.1-529.
2001, c. 112; 2010, c. 183; 2012, cc. 283, 756.

Structure Code of Virginia

Code of Virginia

Title 29.1 - Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating

Chapter 5 - Wildlife and Fish Laws

§ 29.1-500. Reserved

§ 29.1-501. Promulgation of regulations; publication of proposed regulations or change therein; validation; evidentiary nature of publication

§ 29.1-502. Adoption of regulations

§ 29.1-503. Repealed

§ 29.1-504. Annual publication of laws and regulations

§ 29.1-505. Penalty for violation of regulations

§ 29.1-505.1. Conspiracy; penalty

§ 29.1-506. Prescribing seasons and bag limits for taking fish and game

§ 29.1-507. Closing or shortening open season

§ 29.1-508. Board to prescribe seasons, bag limits and methods of taking and killing fish and game on lands and waters owned or controlled by Board

§ 29.1-508.1. Use of drugs on vertebrate wildlife

§ 29.1-509. Duty of care and liability for damages of landowners to hunters, fishermen, sightseers, etc.

§ 29.1-510. Big game; small game

§ 29.1-511. Open season on nuisance species

§ 29.1-512. Closed season on other species

§ 29.1-513. Daily and season bag limits as promulgated by Board regulations

§ 29.1-514. Nonmigratory game birds

§ 29.1-515. Migratory game birds

§ 29.1-516. Game animals

§ 29.1-516.1. Using tracking dogs to retrieve bear, deer, or turkey

§ 29.1-516.2. Hunting with dogs; dogs to wear tags

§ 29.1-517. Trapping and shooting of fur-bearing animals during closed season

§ 29.1-518. When killing of beaver permitted

§ 29.1-519. Guns, pistols, revolvers, etc., which may be used; penalty

§ 29.1-520. Times for hunting

§ 29.1-521. Unlawful to hunt, trap, possess, sell, or transport wild birds and wild animals except as permitted; exception; penalty

§ 29.1-521.1. Willfully impeding hunting or trapping; penalty

§ 29.1-521.2. Violation of § 18.2-286 while hunting; revocation of license and privileges

§ 29.1-521.3. Shooting wild birds and wild animals from stationary vehicles by disabled persons

§ 29.1-522. Unlawful to kill male deer unless antlers visible above hair

§ 29.1-523. Killing deer by use of certain lights; acts raising presumption of attempt to kill

§ 29.1-523.1. Hunting deer with sights after dark; forfeiture of weapon and sighting device

§ 29.1-524. Forfeiture of vehicles and weapons used for killing or attempt to kill

§ 29.1-525. Employment of lights under certain circumstances upon places used by deer

§ 29.1-525.1. Deer enclosures prohibited; exceptions; penalty

§ 29.1-525.2. Fox and coyote enclosures prohibited; penalty

§ 29.1-526. Counties and cities may prohibit hunting or trapping near primary and secondary highways

§ 29.1-527. Counties, cities or towns may prohibit hunting near public schools and county, city, town or regional parks

§ 29.1-527.1. Localities may prohibit feeding of migratory and nonmigratory waterfowl

§ 29.1-527.2. Localities may prohibit feeding of deer

§ 29.1-528. Board to develop model ordinances for hunting with firearms; counties or cities may adopt

§ 29.1-528.1. Board to develop model ordinances for hunting with bow and arrow; counties or cities may adopt

§ 29.1-528.2. Local tree stand ordinance; disabled hunter exempt

§ 29.1-529. Killing of deer, elk or bear damaging fruit trees, crops, livestock, or personal property; wildlife creating a hazard to aircraft or motor vehicles

§ 29.1-530. Open and closed season for trapping, bag limits, etc.

§ 29.1-530.1. Solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink clothing required at certain times

§ 29.1-530.2. Unlawfully killing bear; penalty

§ 29.1-530.3. Remote hunting prohibited; penalty

§ 29.1-530.4. Duty of certain entities to report hunting incidents

§ 29.1-530.5. Wildlife Violator Compact

§ 29.1-531. Unlawful to take or attempt to take, possess, sell or transport fish except as permitted

§ 29.1-532. Dams and fishways

§ 29.1-533. Prohibition against use of substances injurious to fish

§ 29.1-534. Right to fish in interjurisdictional inland waters

§ 29.1-535. Reciprocal agreement as to fishing in such waters

§ 29.1-536. Sale

§ 29.1-537. Possession

§ 29.1-538. Reserved

§ 29.1-539. Keeping deer or bear struck by motor vehicle; procedure to be followed by driver

§ 29.1-540. Carriage and shipment

§ 29.1-541. Storage

§ 29.1-542. Importation

§ 29.1-543. Game and fish taken and packaged outside the Commonwealth

§ 29.1-543.1. Introduction, stocking, and release of blue catfish; penalty

§ 29.1-544. Dressing, packing and selling bobwhite quail

§ 29.1-545. Possession, sale, offering for sale or liberation of live nutria

§ 29.1-546. General penalty

§ 29.1-547. Trapping, selling, purchasing, etc., migratory game birds

§ 29.1-548. Killing deer illegally

§ 29.1-549. Hunting deer from watercraft

§ 29.1-550. Taking game or fish during closed season or exceeding bag limit

§ 29.1-551. Assessment of value of game or fish unlawfully taken

§ 29.1-552. Killing wild turkey during closed season

§ 29.1-553. Selling or offering for sale; penalty

§ 29.1-553.1. Penalty for wanton waste

§ 29.1-554. Violation of sanctuaries, refuges, preserves and water used for propagation

§ 29.1-554.1. Impeding lawful fishing in inland waters; penalty

§ 29.1-555. Reserved

§ 29.1-556. Unlawful devices to be destroyed

§ 29.1-556.1. Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty; community service

§ 29.1-557. Confiscation of wild birds and animals under certain circumstances; disposition

§ 29.1-558. Reserved

§ 29.1-561. Self-incrimination

§ 29.1-562. Reserved

§ 29.1-563. Definitions

§ 29.1-564. Taking, transportation, sale, etc., of endangered species prohibited

§ 29.1-565. Reserved

§ 29.1-566. Regulations

§ 29.1-567. Penalties; authority of conservation police officers and police officers; disposition of property seized

§ 29.1-568. When Board may permit taking of endangered or threatened species; designated experimental populations

§ 29.1-569. Keeping of reptiles generally; penalty

§ 29.1-570. Cooperation of state agencies

§ 29.1-571. Definition

§ 29.1-572. Authority of Board; regulations

§ 29.1-573. Department; powers

§ 29.1-574. Prohibitions

§ 29.1-575. Permits

§ 29.1-576. Authority for inspection; warrants

§ 29.1-576.1. Zebra mussels; education program

§ 29.1-577. Penalties

§ 29.1-578. Definitions

§ 29.1-579. Wildlife Corridor Action Plan; adoption