Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-146.2 — Interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity; penalty
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. § 18.2-146.2
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.
A. As used in this section, "commercial fishing activity" means the business of extracting fish, bivalves, or crustaceans from waters for sale or resale.
B. Any person who knowingly and intentionally interferes with or impedes the operation or commercial fishing activity of a commercial fishing vessel within the territorial waters of the Commonwealth is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
C. A prosecution under this section is a bar to prosecution under § 29.1-554.1 .
D. Any person convicted of a first offense under this section shall be ineligible for any license issued under Chapter 3 (§ 28.2-300 et seq.) of Title 28.2 or Chapter 3 (§ 29.1-300 et seq.) of Title 29.1 for a period of one year. Any person convicted of a second or subsequent offense under this section shall be ineligible for any such license for a period of three years.
E. In addition to any other penalties provided by law, any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be ordered to complete boating safety education as described in § 29.1-735.2 .
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-146.2.
Which Virginia statute covers interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity?
Interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-146.2 (Interference with commercial fishing vessels or activity; penalty).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.