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Local Ordinances: Charlottesville City

The following local ordinances apply in Charlottesville City:

  • Sec. 33-6. - Discharge of firearms. (reference)
    • No person shall willfully discharge or cause to be discharged any firearm within the city; provided, that this section shall not apply to any law enforcement officer in the performance of their official duties, nor to any other person whose willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of their life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law; provided further, that this section shall not apply to any person shooting in licensed shooting galleries or shooting inside a building on a shooting range so constructed as to prevent the shot, projectile or other missile which has been fired from escaping or ricocheting.

      (Code 1976, § 17-32; 9-7-21(1), § 2)

      State Law reference— Authority of city to regulate or prohibit discharge of firearms, Code of Virginia, § 15.1-865.

  • Sec. 33-7. - Discharge of pneumatic guns, etc. (reference)
    • (a) No person shall discharge anywhere within the city shot, gravel, bullets or other similar substances from a sling shot or similar implement.

      (b) Pneumatic guns.
      (1) As used in this section, "pneumatic gun" means any implement, designed as a gun, that will expel a BB or a pellet by action of pneumatic pressure. "Pneumatic gun" includes a paintball gun that expels by action of pneumatic pressure plastic balls filled with paint for the purpose of marking the point of impact.
      (2) Pneumatic guns may be discharged only at facilities approved for shooting ranges, or on or within private property with permission of the owner or legal possessor. Use thereof must be conducted with reasonable care to prevent a projectile from crossing the bounds of the property. "Reasonable care" means that the gun is being discharged so that the projectile will be contained on the property by a backstop, earthen embankment, fence or other physical barrier. The discharge of projectiles across or over the bounds of the property shall create the rebuttable presumption that the use of the pneumatic gun was not conducted with reasonable care. Minors may use such implements only under the following conditions:
      (i) Minors under the age of sixteen (16) must be supervised by a parent, guardian, or other adult supervisor approved by a parent or guardian and shall be responsible for obeying all laws, regulations, and restrictions governing the use thereof.
      (ii) Minors sixteen (16) years of age and older must have the written consent of a parent or guardian and shall be responsible for obeying all laws, regulations and restrictions governing the use thereof.
      (iii) Training of minors in the use of pneumatic guns shall be done only under direct supervision of a parent, guardian, junior reserve officers training corps instructor, or a certified instructor. Training of minors above the age of sixteen (16) may also be done without direct supervision if approved by the minor's instructor, with the permission of and under the responsibility of a parent or guardian, and in compliance with all requirements of this section. Ranges and instructors may be certified by the National Rifle Association, a state or federal agency that has developed a certification program, any service of the Department of Defense, or any person authorized by these authorities to certify ranges and instructors.
      (3) Commercial or private areas designated for use of pneumatic paintball guns may be established and operated for recreational use in areas where such facilities are permitted by the city's zoning ordinance. Equipment designed to protect the face and ears shall be provided to participants at such recreational areas, and signs must be posted to warn against entry into the paintball area by persons who are unprotected or unaware that paintball guns are in use.

      (c) A violation of this section shall constitute a class 3 misdemeanor.

      (8-21-17)

      Editor's note— An ordinance adopted Aug. 21, 2017, amended § 33-7 to read as herein set out. Former § 33-7 pertained to discharge of bows and arrows, pneumatic guns, etc., and derived from Code 1976, § 17-34; and an ordinance adopted Nov. 7, 2011.

      State Law reference— Code of Virginia, § 15.2-915.4.

  • Sec. 33-9. - Discharge of bows and arrows; urban archery hunting. (reference)
    • (a) For the purposes of this section, "bow" includes all compound bows, crossbows, slingbows, longbows, and recurve bows having a peak draw weight of ten (10) pounds or more. The term "bow" does not include bows that have a peak draw weight of less than ten (10) pounds or that are designed or intended to be used principally as toys. The term "arrow" means a shaft-like projectile intended to be shot from a bow.

      (b) No person shall discharge an arrow from a bow in a manner that can be reasonably expected to result in the impact of the arrow upon the property of another without permission from the owner or tenant of such property. The discharge of an arrow across or over the boundaries of a property for which no permission has been given by the property owner shall create a rebuttable presumption that the use of the bow was not conducted with reasonable care.

      (c) No person shall discharge an arrow from a bow from, over, across or into any street, sidewalk, alley, roadway, public land or public place, or towards any building or dwelling in such a manner that the arrow may strike it.

      (d) No person shall hunt with a bow within the city except as authorized in this section.(e)Deer may be hunted with bows within the city in accordance with this subsection. Any such hunting activity shall be subject to the following conditions:
      (1) All hunting and compliance with the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to the supervision of the chief of police;
      (2) Hunting is permitted only during applicable hunting seasons designated by the state department of game and inland fisheries.
      (3) Hunters must abide by all applicable provisions of state law and state hunting regulations, including but not limited to licensing requirements.
      (4) Hunting with bows is permitted only on residential parcels which consist of one-half (0.5) acre or more. Hunting with bows is prohibited in all other areas within the city.
      (5) It is unlawful to hunt except from a stand elevated a minimum of ten (10) feet above the ground.
      (6) The property owner must obtain an annual urban archery permit from the police department. The police department shall issue the annual urban archery permit at no cost to the property owner upon application by the property owner meeting all requirements of this section. The property owner shall provide written notice to all occupants of the property before obtaining the permit.
      (7) The hunter must obtain written permission from the property owner before hunting and shall carry a copy of the written permission and a copy of the urban archery hunting permit issued to the property owner at all times while hunting.
      (8) No person shall discharge an arrow from a bow within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the property line of any school or city park.
      (9) The hunter is responsible for the appropriate disposition of the deer carcass.
      (10) If a deer which has been shot with an arrow leaves the property on which the hunter has permission to hunt, the hunter shall obtain permission from any property owner over which they must travel to pursue or retrieve the deer.
      (11) No person shall hunt deer in the city by use of a dog or dogs.

      (f) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

      (8-21-17; 9-7-21(1), § 2)

      State Law reference— Code of Virginia § 15.2-916, defining the terms "bow" and "arrow" and authorizing local ordinances prohibition on certain uses thereof; Code of Virginia § 18.2-286, prohibiting the discharge of bows in the road or right-of-way; Code of Virginia § 29.1-528.1, authorizing urban archery hunting.

  • Sec. 33-10. - Prohibition of firearms on city property. (reference)
    • (a) The possession, carrying or transportation of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof
      (1) in any buildings, or parts thereof, owned or used, by the city, or by any authority or local governmental entity created or controlled by the city, for governmental purposes; or
      (2) in parks owned or operated by the city, or by any authority or local governmental entity created or controlled by the city; or
      (3) in any recreational or community center facility operated by the city, or by any authority or local governmental entity created or controlled by the city; or
      (4) in any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public and is being used by or is adjacent to a permitted event or event that would otherwise require a permit, is prohibited. For purposes of this section, governmental purposes shall not include housing provided by the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority nor shall it include the provision of parking provided by the city.

      (b) The possession, carrying, storage or transportation of firearms by city employees, agents or volunteers in workplaces owned, operated or managed by the city is prohibited.

      (c) Pursuant to this section, the city may implement security measures that are designed to reasonably prevent the unauthorized access of such buildings, parks, recreation or community center facilities, or public streets, roads, alleys, or sidewalks or public rights-of-way or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public and is being used by or is adjacent to a permitted event or an event that would otherwise require a permit by a person with any firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof, such as the use of metal detectors and increased use of security personnel.

      (d) This section shall not apply to:
      (1) Military personnel when acting within the scope of their official duties; or
      (2) Sworn law enforcement officers engaged in the performance of their public duties or providing security to a special event pursuant to a permit issued by the Charlottesville city manager for the duration of the permitted special event; or
      (3) A Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program operated at a public or private institution of higher education in accordance with the provisions of 10 U.S.C. § 2101 et seq.;
      (4) Any intercollegiate athletics program operated by a public or private institution of higher education and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or any club sports team recognized by a public or private institution of higher education where the sport engaged in by such program or team involves the use of a firearm. Such activities shall follow strict guidelines developed by such institutions for these activities and shall be conducted under the supervision of staff officials of such institutions;
      (5) An armed security officer licensed by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services providing security to a special event pursuant to a permit issued by the Charlottesville city manager for the duration of the permitted special event; or
      (6) Historical re-enactors and any other persons who possess firearms that are inoperative or otherwise incapable of discharging a projectile, and are not loaded with inoperable ammunition, when such persons are participating in, or traveling to or from special events that involve the display or demonstration of such firearms.
      Before the use of an inoperative firearm in a special event, the individual who will be possessing the firearm shall allow a city official designated on the special event permit to inspect the firearm to ensure its inoperability and the absence of ammunition.

      (e) Notice of the restrictions imposed by this section shall be posted:
      (1) At all entrances of any building, or part thereof, owned or used by the city, or by any authority or local governmental entity created or controlled by the city, for governmental purposes;
      (2) At all entrances of any public park owned or operated by the city, or by any authority or local governmental entity created or controlled by the city;
      (3) At all entrances of any recreation or community center facilities operated by the city, or by any authority or local governmental entity created or controlled by the city; and
      (4) At all entrances or other appropriate places of ingress and egress to any public street, road, alley, or sidewalk or public right-of-way or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public and is being used by or is adjacent to a permitted event or an event that would otherwise require a permit.

      (f) For purposes of this section, the term "firearm" means any handgun, shotgun, or rifle that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material.

      (g) Any violation of section 33-10 is unlawful and shall be punished as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

      (Ord. No. O-20-118, 9-8-20)