A. Any person who offers for sale, sells, offers to purchase, or purchases any wild bird or wild animal, or any part thereof, or any freshwater fish, except as provided by law, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, when the aggregate of such sales or purchases, or any combination thereof, by any person totals $1,000 or more during any 90-day period, that person shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.
B. Whether or not criminal charges have been placed, when any property is taken possession of by a conservation police officer for the purpose of being used as evidence of a violation of this section or for confiscation, the conservation police officer making such seizure shall immediately report the seizure to the Attorney for the Commonwealth.
C. In any prosecution for a violation of this section, photographs of the wild bird, wild animal, or any freshwater fish, or any part thereof shall be deemed competent evidence of such wild bird, wild animal, or freshwater fish, or part thereof and shall be admissible in any proceeding, hearing, or trial of the case to the same extent as if such wild bird, wild animal, or any freshwater fish, or part thereof had been introduced as evidence. Such photographs shall bear a written description of the wild bird, wild animal, or freshwater fish, or parts thereof, the name of the place where the alleged offense occurred, the date on which the alleged offense occurred, the name of the accused, the name of the arresting officer or investigating officer, the date of the photograph, and the name of the photographer. The photographs shall be identified by the signature of the photographer.
D. Any licensed Virginia auctioneer or licensed auction firm that sells, as a legitimate item of an auction sale, wildlife mounts that have undergone the taxidermy process, shall be exempt from the provisions of this section and subdivision A 11 of § 29.1-521.
Code 1950, § 29-164; 1962, c. 469; 1986, c. 182; 1987, c. 488; 1989, c. 203; 1994, c. 848; 1997, c. 172; 2005, c. 170; 2007, c. 87; 2018, cc. 764, 765; 2020, cc. 89, 401.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
7
cases (
2 in the last 5 years), 1999–2026 · leading case:
Goble v. Commonwealth, 698 S.E.2d 931 (Va. Ct. App. 2010).
Goble v. Commonwealth, 698 S.E.2d 931 (Va. Ct. App. 2010).
· cites it 96× “Jon Goble appeals his convictions for selling or offering to sell wild animal parts in violation of Code § 29.1-553. Goble argues that the trial court erred in exercising jurisdiction *934 because the sales of the wild animal parts occurred in Pennsylvania.”
United States v. Dove, 70 F. Supp. 2d 634 (W.D. Va. 1999).
· cites it 13× “Va.Code Ann. § 29.1-553 (Michie 1997). As of January 18,1999, there was no Virginia law that provided for the sale of black bear gall bladders.”
Commonwealth v. Antle, 930 S.E.2d 382 (Va. 2026).
· cites it 5× “5 Code § 29.1-553 states: Any person who offers for sale, sells, offers to purchase, or purchases any wild bird or wild animal, or any part thereof, or any freshwater fish, except as provided by law, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”
United States v. Dove, No. 00-4248 (4th Cir. Apr. 13, 2001).
· cites it 8× “Code Ann. § 29.1-553 (Michie 1997 & Supp.”
Commonwealth v. Goble, 82 Va. Cir. 603 (Augusta Cir. Ct. 2009).
· cites it 6× “Motion for Bill of Particulars In his Motion for Bill of Particulars, the Defendant has requested that the Court order the Commonwealth to furnish a written Bill of Particulars setting forth: (1) the date of each alleged sale, offer to sell, offer to purchase or purchase of any…”
Douglas Olgers v. Commonwealth of Virginia, No. 1776982 (Va. Ct. App. Nov. 23, 1999).
· cites it 2× “Code § 29.1-553 provides as follows: A. Any person who offers for sale, sells, offers to purchase, or purchases any wild bird or wild animal, or any part thereof, .”
Va. Code Ann. § 29.1-553(A): 4 cases
Goble v. Commonwealth, 698 S.E.2d 931 (Va. Ct. App. 2010).
“Jon Goble appeals his convictions for selling or offering to sell wild animal parts in violation of Code § 29.1-553. Goble argues that the trial court erred in exercising jurisdiction *934 because the sales of the wild animal parts occurred in Pennsylvania.”
Commonwealth v. Antle, 930 S.E.2d 382 (Va. 2026).
“5 Code § 29.1-553 states: Any person who offers for sale, sells, offers to purchase, or purchases any wild bird or wild animal, or any part thereof, or any freshwater fish, except as provided by law, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”
Commonwealth v. Goble, 82 Va. Cir. 603 (Augusta Cir. Ct. 2009).
“Motion for Bill of Particulars In his Motion for Bill of Particulars, the Defendant has requested that the Court order the Commonwealth to furnish a written Bill of Particulars setting forth: (1) the date of each alleged sale, offer to sell, offer to purchase or purchase of any…”
Va. Code Ann. § 29.1-553(D): 1 case
Goble v. Commonwealth, 698 S.E.2d 931 (Va. Ct. App. 2010).
“Jon Goble appeals his convictions for selling or offering to sell wild animal parts in violation of Code § 29.1-553. Goble argues that the trial court erred in exercising jurisdiction *934 because the sales of the wild animal parts occurred in Pennsylvania.”
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treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.