The following local ordinances apply in Chesterfield County:
- Sec. 14-7.- Firearms, etc. - Hunting with firearms on secondary and primary highways prohibited (reference)
(a) No person shall hunt or attempt to hunt with a firearm any game bird or game animal while the hunting or attempt to hunt is on any primary or secondary highway in the county.
(b) For the purpose of this section the terms "hunt" or "attempt to hunt" shall not include the necessary crossing of highways for the bona fide purpose of going into or leaving a lawful hunting area.
(c) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100.00.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-22)
State Law reference— Authority of county to adopt this section, Code of Virginia, § 29.1-526.
- Sec. 14-8. - Same—Transporting loaded rifle or shotgun. (reference)
(a) No person shall transport, possess or carry a loaded shotgun or loaded rifle in any vehicle on any primary or secondary highway within the county.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to duly authorized law enforcement officers or military personnel in the performance of their lawful duties, or to any person who reasonably believes that a loaded rifle or shotgun is necessary for his personal safety in the course of his employment or business.
(c) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100.00.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-22.1)
State Law reference— Authority of county to adopt this section, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-915.2.
- Sec. 14-9. - Same—Carrying loaded firearms on public highways. (reference)
(a) No person shall carry or have a loaded firearm in his possession, for the purpose of hunting, while standing or walking on any part of a public highway within the county when such person is not authorized to hunt on the private property on both sides of the highway along which he is standing or walking. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) persons carrying loaded firearms in moving vehicles; (ii) persons acting at the time in defense of persons or property; or (iii) persons carrying loaded firearms for purposes other than hunting.
(b)Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100.00.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-22.2; Ord. of 9-21-05(1), § 1; Ord. No. 8-22-07, § 1)
State Law reference— Authority of county to adopt this section, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1209.1.
- Sec. 14-10. - Same—Discharging firearms or shooting arrows from bows. (reference)
(a) No person shall discharge any firearm within the county within 600 feet of a (i) dwelling of another; (ii) business establishment; (iii) public building; (iv) public gathering; or (v) public meeting place.
(b) In addition to the limitations set forth in subsection (a) above, any person target shooting with a firearm shall only discharge such firearm into a natural or man-made berm or backstop so that it prevents projectiles from entering the property of another. A backstop is defined as a device to stop, redirect, and or contain bullets fired on a range. A berm is defined as an embankment used for restricting bullets to a given area, or as a protective or dividing wall between ranges.
(c) As to firearms, this section shall not apply to a (i) law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties; (ii) any person whose discharge of a firearm is justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of life or property; (iii) the discharge, on land of at least five acres that is zoned for agricultural use, of a firearm for the killing of deer pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 29.1-529; (iv) the discharge of a firearm that is otherwise specifically authorized by law; (v) the discharge of black powder firearms using blanks as part of historical re-enactments, historical living history programs and historical demonstrations; (vi) the discharge of starter blank weapons to initiate athletic competitions; or (vii) ceremonial and patriotic displays.
(d) Except for target shooting, no person shall shoot an arrow from any bow within the county within 150 feet of a (i) business establishment; (ii) public building; (iii) public gathering; (iv) public meeting place; or (v) dwelling of another, except that the 150-foot limitation shall not apply if the dwelling owner or occupant has given permission.
(e) As to shooting arrows from bows, this section shall not apply to shooting an arrow from a bow for the killing of deer pursuant to Code of Virginia § 29.1-529 on land of at least two acres that is zoned for agricultural use.
(f) For purposes of this section, bow includes all compound bows, crossbows, longbows and recurve bows having a peak draw weight of ten pounds or more. The term bow does not include bows that have a peak draw of less than ten 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.
(g) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-22.3; Ord. of 9-21-05(1), § 1; Ord. of 12-13-06(2), § 1; Ord. of 2-24-10(2), § 1; Ord. of 12-16-20(2), § 1)
State Law reference— Authority of county to adopt this section, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1209.
Editor's note— Ord. of 2-24-10(2), § 1, amended § 14-10 title to read as herein set out. Former § 14-10 title pertained to similar subject matter.
- Sec. 14-11. - Same—Hunting or carrying a loaded firearm near public schools or parks. (reference)
(a) No person shall shoot, hunt or attempt to hunt with a firearm within 100 yards of any property line of any county public school or county park.
(b) Except for handguns carried lawfully pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 18.2-308(B)(6), no person while hunting shall transport, possess or carry a loaded firearm within 100 yards of any property line of any county public school or county park.
(c) This section shall not apply to lands within a national or state park, state forest or wildlife management area.
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the discharge of a firearm for the killing of deer pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 29.1-529. This exemption shall apply on land of at least five acres that is zoned for agricultural use.
(e) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class 4 misdemeanor.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-22.4; Ord. of 9-21-05(1), § 1; Ord. of 10-24-12, § (1))
State Law reference— Authority to regulate, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1209; authority to prohibit activity, Code of Virginia, § 29.1-527.
- Sec. 14-12. - Same—Hunting with rifles or handguns. (reference)
(a) No person shall hunt deer or turkey with a rifle in Chesterfield County, except as provided in subsection (c) herein.
(b) Small game animals may be hunted only with a rifle or handgun that has a caliber no larger than .22 and only during the prescribed open seasons, unless prohibited by the Code of Virginia, Virginia Administrative Code, or federal law or regulations.
(c) It shall be lawful to hunt game animals with a muzzle-loading rifle during the prescribed open seasons. For the purpose of this section a muzzle-loading rifle is any rifle as defined by Title 29 of the Code of Virginia or Virginia Administrative Code Section VAC15-90-80.
(d) For the purpose of this section, game animals shall be those animals as defined by the Code of Virginia or the Virginia Administrative Code.
(e) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-22.5; Ord. of 4-10-02, § 1; Ord. of 5-22-02, § 1)
Editor's note— This section formerly pertained to muzzle-loading rifles; § 1 of an ordinance adopted April 10, 2002 amended § 14-12 to pertain to hunting with rifles or handguns, generally.
State Law reference— Authority of the county to adopt this section, Code of Virginia, § 29.1-528.
- Sec. 14-15. - Same—Discharging pneumatic guns across highways, etc. (reference)
(a) No person shall discharge any pneumatic gun on or across any street, sidewalk, alley, public road or public land of the county except on a properly constructed shooting range or on other property where firearms may be discharged. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use of pneumatic guns on or within private property with permission of the owner or legal possessor of the property when conducted with reasonable care to prevent a projectile from crossing the bounds of the property.
(b) Commercial or private areas designated for use a pneumatic paintball guns may be established and operated for recreational use if in compliance with all other applicable laws or regulations. 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) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-23.1; Ord. of 9-21-05(2), § 1; Ord. of 8-24-11(3), § (1))
State Law reference— Authority to regulate shooting of firearms, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1209; shooting along streets generally, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-286.
- Sec. 14-16. - Same—Discharge of pneumatic guns by minors. (reference)
(a) No minor shall discharge any pneumatic gun outdoors within 300 feet of the dwelling of another, a business establishment, private building, public gathering or public meeting place, unless the minor is accompanied by his parent or guardian, or otherwise supervised in accordance with this section.
(b) Any minor below the age of 16 who uses pneumatic guns on private or public property shall be supervised by a parent, guardian, or other adult supervisor approved by a parent or guardian.
(c) Minors the age of 16 or older may, with the written consent of a parent or guardian, use a pneumatic gun at any place designated for such use by the county or on private property with the consent of the owner.
(d) Any minor, whether permitted by a parent or guardian to use a pneumatic gun or not, shall be responsible for obeying all laws, regulations and restrictions governing such use.
(e) 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 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.
(f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of pneumatic guns at facilities approved for shooting ranges, on other property where firearms may be discharged, or on or within private property with permission of the owner or legal possessor of the property when conducted with reasonable care to prevent a projectile from crossing the bounds of the property.
(g )Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-23.3; Ord. of 9-21-05(2), § 1; Ord. of 8-24-11(3), § (1))
State Law reference— Authority to regulate shooting of firearms, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1209; shooting along streets generally, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-286.
- Sec. 14-17. - Same—Minors possessing loaded firearms or carrying firearms in certain cases. (reference)
(a) No person under 18 years of age shall carry any firearm on the streets, alleys, public roads or public lands of the county unless accompanied by his parent or guardian.
(b) No person under the age of 18 years shall carry or have in his possession while in any public place or upon any public highway a loaded firearm. This subsection (b) shall not apply to a minor (i) in his own home or the curtilage of his home, (ii) while lawfully defending persons or property, (iii) engaged in lawful hunting, or (iv) engaged in marksmanship practice at lawfully established ranges.
(c) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100.00 and the firearm shall be subject to forfeiture to the commonwealth, pursuant to the provisions of Code of Virginia, § 18.2-310, as amended.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-23.5)
- Sec. 14-18. - Same—Shooting of a compound bow, crossbow, longbow or recurve bow prohibited. (reference)
No person shall shoot a compound bow, crossbow, longbow or recurve bow, having a peak draw weight of ten pounds or more, at or upon the property of another without the permission of the owner of the property.
(Code 1978, § 15.1-23.2)
State Law reference— Authority, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-916.