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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 15. Department of Wildlife Resources
Chapter 360. Fish: Aquatic Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Nongame Fish
12/26/2024

4VAC15-360-30. Taking of snapping turtles, crayfish and hellgrammites for sale.

A. It shall only be lawful to take and sell snapping turtles with a Permit to Collect and Sell Snapping Turtles and Hellgrammites. The director may issue, deny, modify, suspend, or revoke a Permit to Collect and Sell Snapping Turtles and Hellgrammites. Such permits shall be valid provided that the harvest of snapping turtles is not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law or regulation. To be eligible to harvest snapping turtles, an applicant must be a Virginia resident and submit an annual report.

1. It shall be unlawful to harvest any snapping turtle with less than a 13-inch curved carapace length.

2. It shall be unlawful to harvest snapping turtles from October 1 through May 31.

3. It shall be unlawful for permit holders to take any species other than snapping turtles.

4. The department will issue a maximum of 25 permits per year. No more than one individual residing at a single address may be issued a permit. Permits are not transferable.

5. It shall be unlawful to operate more than 20 traps per permit. The permit number or name and address of the permit holder shall be marked on all traps.

6. Hoop nets or similar homemade traps shall be the only lawful form of trapping snapping turtles. Hoop nets or other traps shall not exceed six feet in length with a throat opening that does not exceed 36 inches.

7. Permit holders must check all traps at least once each day and remove all captured animals.

8. Permit applications will be issued in the order received, to the maximum annual number.

9. Failure to comply with the harvest and sales reporting requirements as detailed in conditions of the permit shall be unlawful and may result in immediate permit revocation and loss of harvest privileges for a minimum of one year.

10. It shall be the permit holder's responsibility to report "no activity" when no activity occurs during the permit period.

B. It shall only be lawful to take and sell hellgrammites with a Permit to Collect and Sell Snapping Turtles and Hellgrammites or a Permit to Hold and Sell Certain Wildlife under such restrictions and conditions as the board may prescribe.

C. It shall be lawful to hold and sell crayfish with a Permit to Hold and Sell Certain Wildlife under such restrictions as the board may prescribe.

Statutory Authority

§§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR325-03-5 § 3, eff. October 15, 1990; amended, Virginia Register Volume 9, Issue 4, eff. January 1, 1993; Volume 11, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1995; Volume 22, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2006; Volume 35, Issue 13, eff. March 1, 2019.

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