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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia HB 129

Deer; permit may be issued to kill if damaging residential plants and certain property.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Killing of deer damaging residential plants and certain property. Allows the Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer when such deer cause damage to residential plants and the Director or his designee determines, upon inspection, that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. Upon a landowner or lessee's request, the bill also requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill antlerless deer on commercial agricultural production lands when such deer cause damage to fruit trees, Christmas trees, crops, horticultural plants, or personal property utilized for commercial agricultural production within the Commonwealth. When such damage is caused by antlered deer, the bill requires the Director or his designee to issue a permit to kill a limited number of antlered deer if the Director or his designee determines that there is clear and convincing evidence that the damage was done by antlered deer. The bill also changes the extent to which a person can assist in hunting when his hunting license has been revoked or suspended in the Commonwealth by prohibiting such person from assisting in hunting until the hunting restriction has been lifted. Current law allows such a person to assist in hunting after a certain period of time.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 10, 2026
House
H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 9, 2026
Senate
Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 5, 2026
Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 3, 2026
Senate
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 10, 2026
House
H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 4, 2026
House
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Jan 28, 2026
House
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

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