{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/29.1-748.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/29.1-748.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/29.1-748.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/29.1-748.1.html"}],"law_id":357173,"edition_id":2,"section_id":357173,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-748.1","catch_line":"Local ordinances; operation on lakes; minimum distance from shoreline; penalty","history":"2003, c. 117; 2007, c. 813; 2018, c. 426.","full_text":"A\n\nAny locality in Planning District 23 may, by ordinance, prohibit the operation of a personal watercraft on a public lake measuring less than 50 acres in extent. Such ordinance shall provide that a violation of the prohibition constitutes a Class 4 misdemeanor. Any violation of such an ordinance shall be subject to the provisions of subsection C of § 29.1-748.\n\nB\n\nThe City of Virginia Beach may, by ordinance, regulate in any portion of a waterway located solely within its territorial limits, the minimum distance that personal watercraft may be operated from the shoreline in excess of the slowest possible speed required to maintain steerage and headway. Such ordinance shall provide for distances of 100 feet from the shoreline and 200 feet from swimmers in ocean waters, and shall provide for local enforcement and penalties not exceeding those applicable to Class 4 misdemeanors. Nothing in this subsection prohibits access to and from waters where operation is not otherwise restricted.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1329261,"text":"Any locality in Planning District 23 may, by ordinance, prohibit the operation of a personal watercraft on a public lake measuring less than 50 acres in extent. Such ordinance shall provide that a violation of the prohibition constitutes a Class 4 misdemeanor. Any violation of such an ordinance shall be subject to the provisions of subsection C of § 29.1-748.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1329262,"text":"The City of Virginia Beach may, by ordinance, regulate in any portion of a waterway located solely within its territorial limits, the minimum distance that personal watercraft may be operated from the shoreline in excess of the slowest possible speed required to maintain steerage and headway. Such ordinance shall provide for distances of 100 feet from the shoreline and 200 feet from swimmers in ocean waters, and shall provide for local enforcement and penalties not exceeding those applicable to Class 4 misdemeanors. Nothing in this subsection prohibits access to and from waters where operation is not otherwise restricted.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":51097,"edition_id":2,"name":"Personal Watercraft","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51092,"metadata":{"child_laws":8,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:30","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:55","permalink":{"id":1420773,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51097,"identifier":"4","token":"29.1\/7\/4","url":"\/29.1\/7\/4\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51092,"edition_id":2,"name":"Boating Laws","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":12,"parent_id":51066,"metadata":{"child_laws":85,"child_structures":5},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:21","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:54","permalink":{"id":1420455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51092,"identifier":"7","token":"29.1\/7","url":"\/29.1\/7\/","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":357172,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-747","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/29.1-747\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-747","metadata":false},{"id":357174,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-748","catch_line":"Restrictions on operation; penalty","url":"\/29.1-748\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748","metadata":false},{"id":357173,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-748.1","catch_line":"Local ordinances; operation on lakes; minimum distance from shoreline; penalty","url":"\/29.1-748.1\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748.1","metadata":false},{"id":357178,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749","catch_line":"Owner of personal watercraft permitting violation; penalty","url":"\/29.1-749\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749","metadata":false},{"id":357175,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.1","catch_line":"Identification of personal watercraft rentals","url":"\/29.1-749.1\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.1","metadata":false},{"id":357176,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.2","catch_line":"Local regulation of personal watercraft rentals; penalty","url":"\/29.1-749.2\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.2","metadata":false},{"id":357177,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.3","catch_line":"Personal watercraft instruction; rental agents","url":"\/29.1-749.3\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.3","metadata":false},{"id":357179,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-750","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/29.1-750\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-750","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":357174,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-748","catch_line":"Restrictions on operation; penalty","url":"\/29.1-748\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":357178,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749","catch_line":"Owner of personal watercraft permitting violation; penalty","url":"\/29.1-749\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/29.1-748.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2003. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 117<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 2007, chapter 813<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 426<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":357174,"section_number":"29.1-748","catch_line":"Restrictions on operation; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/29.1-748\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1420783,"object_type":"law","relational_id":357173,"identifier":"29.1-748.1","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748.1","url":"\/29.1-748.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/29.1-748.1\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Local ordinances; operation on lakes; minimum distance from shoreline; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 29.1-748.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Any locality in Planning District 23 may, by ordinance<\/span>, prohibit the operation of a personal watercraft<\/span> on a public lake measuring less than 50 acres in extent. Such ordinance<\/span> shall provide that a violation of the prohibition constitutes a Class 4 misdemeanor<\/span>. Any violation of such an ordinance<\/span> shall be subject to the provisions of subsection C of § 29.1-748<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The City of Virginia Beach may, by ordinance<\/span>, regulate in any portion of a waterway located solely within its territorial limits, the minimum distance that personal watercraft<\/span> may be operated from the shoreline in excess of the slowest possible speed required to maintain steerage and headway. Such ordinance<\/span> shall provide for distances of 100 feet from the shoreline and 200 feet from swimmers in ocean waters, and shall provide for local enforcement and penalties not exceeding those applicable to Class 4 misdemeanors<\/span>. Nothing in this subsection prohibits access to and from waters where operation is not otherwise restricted. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLOCAL ORDINANCES; OPERATION ON LAKES; MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM SHORELINE; PENALTY\n(\u00a7 29.1-748.1)\n\nA. Any locality in Planning District 23 may, by ordinance, prohibit the\noperation of a personal watercraft on a public lake measuring less than 50 acres\nin extent. Such ordinance shall provide that a violation of the prohibition\nconstitutes a Class 4 misdemeanor. Any violation of such an ordinance shall be\nsubject to the provisions of subsection C of § 29.1-748.\n\nB. The City of Virginia Beach may, by ordinance, regulate in any portion of a\nwaterway located solely within its territorial limits, the minimum distance that\npersonal watercraft may be operated from the shoreline in excess of the slowest\npossible speed required to maintain steerage and headway. Such ordinance shall\nprovide for distances of 100 feet from the shoreline and 200 feet from swimmers\nin ocean waters, and shall provide for local enforcement and penalties not\nexceeding those applicable to Class 4 misdemeanors. Nothing in this subsection\nprohibits access to and from waters where operation is not otherwise restricted.\n\nHISTORY: 2003, c. 117; 2007, c. 813; 2018, c. 426.","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"}}