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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145 — Protection of homing pigeons

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 7: Damage to and Tampering with Property, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145

Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
It shall be unlawful for any person at any time or in any manner to hunt, pursue, take, capture, wound, maim, disfigure, or kill any homing pigeon of another person, or to make use of any pit or pitfall, scaffold, cage, snare, trap, net, baited hook or similar device or drug, poison chemical or explosive, for the purpose of injuring, capturing or killing any such homing pigeon, provided that any officer, employee or agent of a city or county acting pursuant to authority of an ordinance thereof may take, capture and kill pigeons in, on and about any building or structure devoted to business, commercial or industrial purposes when any pigeons are using such premises for roosting, resting or congregating thereon; all pigeons taken upon such premises shall be conclusively deemed not to be homing pigeons or the property of any person. Any person violating any of the foregoing provisions shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

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Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is damaging or destroying research farm product a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: damaging or destroying research farm product ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145.1.

Damaging or destroying research farm product (value under $1,000): class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145.1A) · Damaging or destroying research farm product (value $1,000 or more): class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145.1A)

Is protection of homing pigeons a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

Protection of homing pigeons is a class 3 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145.

Which Virginia statute covers protection of homing pigeons?

Protection of homing pigeons is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-145 (Protection of homing pigeons).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.