The following local ordinances apply in Martinsville City:
- Sec. 24-2. - Discharging firearms—Generally. (reference)
(a) No person shall fire or discharge any gun, cannon, pistol or other firearm at any place within the city. A violation of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(b) This section shall not apply to:
(1) Any law-enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties, including the killing of coyotes or any other vicious or nuisance animal, as defined by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland fisheries; said discharge shall be as directed in policies and procedures adopted by the chief of police;
(2) Any other person whose willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property or is otherwise specifically authorized by section 24-3 or by state law;
(3) Veterans' organizations, historical heritage organizations, honor guards and color guards discharging blank cartridges at funerals, burials, parades or other commemorative, celebratory or educational events, or during practice exercises prior to such events.(c) Pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1113, this section shall not apply to any person discharging a firearm while killing a deer pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 29.1-529, on land of at least five (5) acres that is zoned for agricultural use.
(Code 1971, § 11-42; Ord. No. 2016-1, 8-9-2016; Ord. No. 2020-5, 11-10-2020)
Charter reference— Authority of city to prohibit discharge of firearms, Ch. 1, § 2(22).
Cross reference— Penalty for Class 1 misdemeanor, § 1-11.
State Law reference— Authority of city to regulate or prohibit discharge of firearms, Code of Virginia, § 15.1-865; discharging firearms in streets or other public places, §§ 18.2-280, 18.2-286.
- Sec. 24-5. - Discharge of air guns, gravel shooters, etc. (reference)
No person shall shoot any air gun, gravel shooter, slingshot or any other type of missile-throwing device, which is capable of doing injury to persons or property, at any place within the city. A violation of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. This section shall not apply to the following:
(1) Any ROTC student who is required to shoot an air gun or pellet gun as part of his training; providing this is done in the presence of, and under the supervision of, the ROTC instructor and/or his assistant at a site designated for this purpose by said instructor and approved by the chief of police.
(2) Any person who shoots any missile-throwing device, such as the air gun, pellet gun or archery equipment, in the presence of, and under the supervision of, the operator, owner or designee of a facility designed for such use and approved by the chief of police.(Code 1971, § 11-3; Ord. No. 86-7, 9-25-86; Ord. No. 90-11, 7-24-90)
Cross reference— Penalty for Class 1 misdemeanor, § 1-11.
- Sec. 24-6. - Killing of deer. (reference)
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other ordinance in the Code of the city, it shall be legal for persons to discharge an arrow from a compound, recurve or cross bow, for the purpose of taking deer, within the city.
(b) It shall be legal for any landowner in the city, or his designated agent, to discharge an arrow from a compound, recurve or cross bow, for the purpose of taking deer, at any time within the city, upon such landowner's filing of a statement with the city police department that deer have caused damage upon his or her property, and upon the police department's investigation and determination that such damage has in fact occurred and an official kill permit has been issued.
(c) Any such discharge shall be subject to the regulations established by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and subject also to the following:
(1) The police department is empowered to adopt such regulations additional to this section as it deems necessary for the administration of this section and granting of the permits.
(2) All applicants for such hunting permits shall have held a valid Virginia hunting license and big game license. All applicants shall obtain written permission, evidenced by a form approved by the police department, from the owner of property on which he or she wishes to hunt. All permits and any such permission obtained from a landowner shall include a clause wherein both hunter and landowner agree to indemnify the city from all claims or other litigation arising from hunting pursuant to this section.
(3) At all times while hunting pursuing to this section, hunters shall have on their person, the applicable Virginia licenses and the written permission of the landowner. No firearms other than a bow and arrow may be in the hunter's possession.
(4) No discharge of an arrow shall be made toward any person, any animal other than a deer, any structure or any vehicle in such a manner as the arrow may strike such person, animal, structure or vehicle, nor shall a discharge be made in such a manner that the arrow may strike in any roadway. An arrow striking any of the foregoing shall create a rebuttable presumption that it was discharged in violation of this section. Discharge of an arrow is permitted only in order to take a deer pursuant to this section.
(5) All hunting shall be conducted from platforms elevated at least seven (7) feet above the ground; such platform may include hunting stands, porches and decks. Any hunting stands employed to hunt deer shall be temporary or ladder stands; permanent stands may not be installed. Any disabled hunter unable to hunt from such a platform must comply with all regulations established by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for the discharge of crossbows.
(6) No pursuit of an injured or wounded deer shall be permitted upon the land of neighboring landowners unless the hunter has first obtained permission from that landowner. No field dressing of deer shall be permitted without the permission of the landowner. Any person hunting pursuant to this section must make a good faith effort to locate any such landowner and to obtain the required permission. In the event the landowner cannot be located and a deer carcass is left upon such property, a written note must be left by the hunter on any residence or, lacking a residence, upon the largest structure upon the property stating that a deer carcass has been left on the property. A hunter with permission to hunt or to enter property must remove all deer harvested from the property.
(7) Violation of this section shall be punished as a Class 1 misdemeanor.(Ord. No. 2003-10, 7-8-2003; Ord. No. 2004-7, 3-23-2004; Ord. No. 2004-18, 10-26-2004; Ord. No. 2006-2, 4-25-2006)