Virginia Governor Signs Legislation to Allow Sunday Hunting on Public Lands

On Apr. 5, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Senate Bill 8, to allow Sunday hunting on public lands. It will go into effect on July 1, 2022.

Senate Bill 8 expands hunting opportunities in Virginia by allowing Sunday hunting on public lands, while keeping the prohibition against hunting within 200 yards of a place of worship on Sundays. This ensures that hunters have the time to continue hunting, or to introduce new hunters, and also ensures that public land may be enjoyed by those who fund it.

“This legislation encourages Virginians to take full advantage of the many outdoor opportunities our great Commonwealth has to offer,” said Governor Youngkin. “This legislation will open up new opportunities for hunters to enjoy the sport they love.”

One of the biggest challenges that hunters face today is access to land. Our modern lifestyles of work and school essentially mean that most working adults and their children can only hunt on the weekends. Hunters and gun owners fund conservation efforts and maintenance of state public hunting land through hunting license fees and Pittman-Robertson excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. Without Sunday hunting, Saturday is the only day for most hunters to be able to get out into the field.

NRA thanks bill patron, Senator Chap Petersen (D-34), and Speaker Todd Gilbert, for their strong leadership guiding this bill through the General Assembly, and Gov. Youngkin for signing it into law to protect Virginia’s hunting heritage and pass it down to future generations.