Norfolk, VA Cannabis Regulations: Home Cultivation (2026)
Key Facts
- Plant limit
- Four plants per household, no matter how many adults live there
- Minimum age
- 21 years of age or older
- Where
- Only at the grower's main place of residence
- Visibility
- No plant visible from a public way without optical aids
- Tag required
- Name, license or ID number, and a personal-use notation
- Civil penalty over cap
- $250 for 5 to 10 plants on a first offense
- Tag or visibility violation
- Civil penalty of no more than $25
Summary
Norfolk residents 21 or older can grow up to four marijuana plants at their main residence for personal use, and the whole household shares that four-plant cap. Every plant needs a tag with the grower's name and ID number, plants must stay out of public view, and going over four plants brings a $250 civil penalty on a first offense, climbing to felonies above 49 plants.
A. A person 21 years of age or older may cultivate up to four marijuana plants for personal use at their place of residence; however, at no point shall a household contain more than four marijuana plants. ... 1. For possession of more than four marijuana plants but no more than 10 marijuana plants, (i) a civil penalty of $250 for a first offense, (ii) a Class 3 misdemeanor for a second offense, and (iii) a Class 2 misdemeanor for a third and any subsequent offense; 2. For possession of more than 10 but no more than 49 marijuana plants, a Class 1 misdemeanor; 3. For possession of more than 49 but no more than 100 marijuana plants, a Class 6 felony; and 4. For possession of more than 100 marijuana plants, a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. ... 3. Attach to each marijuana plant a legible tag that includes the person's name, driver's license or identification number, and a notation that the marijuana plant is being grown for personal use as authorized under this section. ... Any person who violates this subsection is subject to a civil penalty of no more than $25.
Full Breakdown
Norfolk follows Virginia's home-grow statute, Va. Code § 4.1-1101, because the Commonwealth sets the rules for personal cultivation and the Norfolk Police Department enforces them inside city limits. A person 21 years of age or older can cultivate up to four marijuana plants for personal use at their place of residence. The cap belongs to the household, not the individual: the statute says at no point shall a household contain more than four marijuana plants, and it defines a household as the individuals, whether related or not, who live in the same house or other place of residence. Four roommates sharing one Norfolk apartment share four plants between them, not sixteen. Cultivation is allowed only at the grower's main place of residence, which rules out a second home, a rental unit the grower does not live in, or a garage across town.
Subsection B places three conditions on every grower. No plant can be visible from a public way without the use of aircraft, binoculars, or other optical aids, so a plant on a street-facing porch or in a front window fails the test while a fenced back yard or an interior room passes. The grower must take precautions to prevent unauthorized access by persons younger than 21. The statute does not list specific measures, and a locked room or a latched fence is the clearest way to meet it. Finally, each plant must carry a legible tag showing the grower's name, driver's license or identification number, and a notation that the plant is being grown for personal use as authorized under the section.
Penalties for going over the cap climb with the plant count. More than four but no more than 10 plants costs a $250 civil penalty for a first offense, then a Class 3 misdemeanor for a second offense and a Class 2 misdemeanor for a third and any later offense. More than 10 but no more than 49 plants is a Class 1 misdemeanor. More than 49 but no more than 100 is a Class 6 felony. More than 100 plants is a felony carrying one to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The history line shows the section was amended by acts in 2021, 2022, 2023 and the 2026 Special Session I, so older summaries of the four-plant rule can be out of date.
Violations & Fines
A grower who breaks a Subsection B condition (a plant visible from the street, weak protection against anyone under 21, or a missing tag) faces a civil penalty of no more than $25, and an adult can prepay it under the procedures in § 16.1-69.40:2. Growing beyond four plants in a Norfolk household is the serious tier: $250 civil for the fifth through tenth plant on a first offense, then misdemeanors and felonies as the count rises past 10, 49 and 100.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many marijuana plants can I grow at home in Norfolk?
Can I grow at a second home or a friend's house?
What does the plant tag have to say?
What happens if I have more than four plants?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
Compare Norfolk to another location·View the Virginia cannabis regulations overview
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