{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/29.1-557.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/29.1-557.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/29.1-557.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/29.1-557.html"}],"law_id":357059,"edition_id":2,"section_id":357059,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-557","catch_line":"Confiscation of wild birds and animals under certain circumstances; disposition","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 29-173; 1987, c. 488.","full_text":"Wild birds, wild animals and fish are the property of the Commonwealth and may be reduced to personal possession only in accordance with law. Any wild bird, wild animal or fish which is illegally taken, possessed, sold, purchased, transported or imported shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1328826,"text":"Wild birds, wild animals and fish are the property of the Commonwealth and may be reduced to personal possession only in accordance with law. Any wild bird, wild animal or fish which is illegally taken, possessed, sold, purchased, transported or imported shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51087,"edition_id":2,"name":"Penalties in General","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":6,"parent_id":51081,"metadata":{"child_laws":18,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:15","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:53","permalink":{"id":1420245,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51087,"identifier":"5","token":"29.1\/5\/5","url":"\/29.1\/5\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51081,"edition_id":2,"name":"Wildlife and Fish Laws","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":8,"parent_id":51066,"metadata":{"child_laws":102,"child_structures":9},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:09","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:53","permalink":{"id":1419969,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51081,"identifier":"5","token":"29.1\/5","url":"\/29.1\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51066,"edition_id":2,"name":"Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating","identifier":"29.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":72,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":397,"child_structures":36},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:48","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:51","permalink":{"id":1419279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51066,"identifier":"29.1","token":"29.1","url":"\/29.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":357045,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-546","catch_line":"General penalty","url":"\/29.1-546\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-546","metadata":false},{"id":357046,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-547","catch_line":"Trapping, selling, purchasing, etc., migratory game birds","url":"\/29.1-547\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-547","metadata":false},{"id":357047,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-548","catch_line":"Killing deer illegally","url":"\/29.1-548\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-548","metadata":false},{"id":357048,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-549","catch_line":"Hunting deer from watercraft","url":"\/29.1-549\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-549","metadata":false},{"id":357049,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-550","catch_line":"Taking game or fish during closed season or exceeding bag limit","url":"\/29.1-550\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-550","metadata":false},{"id":357050,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-551","catch_line":"Assessment of value of game or fish unlawfully taken","url":"\/29.1-551\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-551","metadata":false},{"id":357051,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-552","catch_line":"Killing wild turkey during closed season","url":"\/29.1-552\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-552","metadata":false},{"id":357053,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-553","catch_line":"Selling or offering for sale; penalty","url":"\/29.1-553\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-553","metadata":false},{"id":357052,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-553.1","catch_line":"Penalty for wanton waste","url":"\/29.1-553.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-553.1","metadata":false},{"id":357055,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-554","catch_line":"Violation of sanctuaries, refuges, preserves and water used for propagation","url":"\/29.1-554\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-554","metadata":false},{"id":357054,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-554.1","catch_line":"Impeding lawful fishing in inland waters; penalty","url":"\/29.1-554.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-554.1","metadata":false},{"id":357056,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-555","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-555\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-555","metadata":false},{"id":357058,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556","catch_line":"Unlawful devices to be destroyed","url":"\/29.1-556\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556","metadata":false},{"id":357057,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556.1","catch_line":"Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty; community service","url":"\/29.1-556.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556.1","metadata":false},{"id":357059,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-557","catch_line":"Confiscation of wild birds and animals under certain circumstances; disposition","url":"\/29.1-557\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-557","metadata":false},{"id":357060,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-558","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-558\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-558","metadata":false},{"id":357061,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-561","catch_line":"Self-incrimination","url":"\/29.1-561\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-561","metadata":false},{"id":357062,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-562","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-562\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-562","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":357057,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-556.1","catch_line":"Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty; community service","url":"\/29.1-556.1\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-556.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":357060,"structure_id":51087,"section_number":"29.1-558","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/29.1-558\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-558","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/29.1-557\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1987, chapter 488.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1420303,"object_type":"law","relational_id":357059,"identifier":"29.1-557","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-557","url":"\/29.1-557\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/29.1-557\/","token":"29.1\/5\/5\/29.1-557","dublin_core":{"Title":"Confiscation of wild birds and animals under certain circumstances; disposition","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 29.1-557","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Wild birds, wild animals and fish are the property of the Commonwealth and may be reduced to personal <span class=\"dictionary\">possession<\/span> only in accordance with <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span>. Any wild bird, wild animal or fish which is illegally taken, possessed, sold, purchased, transported or imported shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONFISCATION OF WILD BIRDS AND ANIMALS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; DISPOSITION\n(\u00a7 29.1-557)\n\nWild birds, wild animals and fish are the property of the Commonwealth and may\nbe reduced to personal possession only in accordance with law. Any wild bird,\nwild animal or fish which is illegally taken, possessed, sold, purchased,\ntransported or imported shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 29-173; 1987, c. 488.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}