A. For the purposes of this section, "solid blaze orange" means a safety orange or fluorescent orange hue and "solid blaze pink" means a safety pink or fluorescent pink hue.
B. During any firearms deer season, except during the special season for hunting deer with a muzzle-loading rifle only, in counties and cities designated by the Board, every hunter and every person accompanying a hunter shall (i) wear a solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink hat, except that the bill or brim of the hat may be a color or design other than solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink, or solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink upper body clothing that is visible from 360 degrees, (ii) display at least 100 square inches of solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink material at shoulder level within body reach visible from 360 degrees, or (iii) when hunting from an enclosed ground blind, display at least 100 square inches of solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink material visible from 360 degrees attached to or immediately above a blind.
C. During the special season for hunting deer with a muzzle-loading rifle only, in counties and cities designated by the Board, every muzzleloader deer hunter and every person accompanying a muzzleloader deer hunter shall wear (i) a solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink hat, except that the bill or brim of the hat may be a color or design other than solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink, or (ii) solid blaze orange or solid blaze pink upper body clothing, either of which shall be visible from 360 degrees, unless such person is physically located in a tree stand or other stationary hunting location.
D. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, pay a fine of $25.
E. Violations of this section shall not be admissible in any civil action for personal injury or death as evidence of negligence, contributory negligence, or assumption of the risk.
F. This section shall not apply when (i) hunting waterfowl from stationary or floating blinds, (ii) hunting waterfowl over decoys, (iii) hunting waterfowl in wetlands as defined in § 28.2-1300, (iv) hunting waterfowl from a boat or other floating conveyance, (v) hunting doves, (vi) participating in hunting dog field trials permitted by the Board, (vii) on horseback while hunting foxes with hounds but without firearms, or (viii) hunting with a bow and arrow in areas where the discharge of firearms is prohibited by state law or local ordinance.
1987, c. 319, § 29-147.2; 1988, cc. 474, 715; 2002, c. 39; 2005, c. 167; 2009, c. 11; 2014, c. 140; 2017, c. 347; 2018, c. 151; 2020, c. 958.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 29.1 - Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating
Chapter 5 - Wildlife and Fish Laws
§ 29.1-502. Adoption of regulations
§ 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
§ 29.1-508.1. Use of drugs on vertebrate wildlife
§ 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
§ 29.1-516.1. 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
§ 29.1-521.1. 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
§ 29.1-527.1. Localities may prohibit feeding of migratory and nonmigratory waterfowl
§ 29.1-527.2. Localities may prohibit feeding of deer
§ 29.1-528.2. Local tree stand ordinance; disabled hunter exempt
§ 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
§ 29.1-533. 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
§ 29.1-539. Keeping deer or bear struck by motor vehicle; procedure to be followed by driver
§ 29.1-540. Carriage and shipment
§ 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
§ 29.1-547. 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
§ 29.1-556. 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
§ 29.1-561. Self-incrimination
§ 29.1-564. Taking, transportation, sale, etc., of endangered species prohibited
§ 29.1-569. Keeping of reptiles generally; penalty
§ 29.1-570. Cooperation of state agencies
§ 29.1-572. Authority of Board; regulations
§ 29.1-573. Department; powers
§ 29.1-576. Authority for inspection; warrants