Chesapeake, VA

Chesapeake permits residential Level 2 EV charger installations with an electrical permit from Development and Permits. Public charging stations are available at City Hall, Greenbrier…

Chesapeake curb loading zones are reserved for actual loading, unloading, pickup or delivery of materials during the hours posted on the zone sign. Stopping there for any other reason…

Chesapeake prohibits parking buses over nine passengers, trucks over one ton, detachable tractors, major recreational equipment, or unconnected utility trailers on any residential…

Chesapeake's Sec. 74-243(a) lists 20 specific places where parking is always illegal, from blocking a driveway or sidewalk to parking within a fire lane or a mailbox's delivery…

Chesapeake makes it unlawful to leave a vehicle parked on any public street for more than 48 hours straight under Sec. 74-243(c). Once a police officer tags the vehicle and gives…

Chesapeake defines abandoned vehicles under City Code Section 70-195 as vehicles left on public property over 48 hours or inoperable vehicles on private property over 60 days…

RVs, boats, and trailers in Chesapeake may be parked on residential property only in side or rear yards, screened from public view. Front-yard or driveway parking of recreational…

Virginia puts the ceiling on a nonconsensual tow in the Code itself rather than in an agency tariff. Va. Code § 46.2-1233.1 A caps the hookup and initial towing fee for a passenger car…

Running a leaf blower, lawn edger, power fan, or other gas or electric powered equipment is banned in Chesapeake from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. weeknights, and to 8 a.m. Sundays, if the…

Chesapeake caps sound at 55 dBA measured on residential property, and 60 dBA on commercial or agricultural property, using a certified sound level meter, under Sec. 26-130. Levels are…

Aircraft noise is fully exempt from Chesapeake's noise ordinance. Sec. 26-141(8) excuses all aircraft under FAA jurisdiction from the article, so nearby flight operations, including at…

Chesapeake bars loud loudspeakers, music, construction, and yelling that carry across property lines between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. weeknights, and until 8 a.m. on Sundays. The city…

Chesapeake bans keeping an animal that howls, barks, meows, or squawks for more than 10 minutes in any 30-minute stretch between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., if the noise carries 50 feet or…

Loudspeakers, stereos, and other amplified sound in Chesapeake go quiet at 10:00 p.m. on weeknights and stay that way until 6:30 the next morning, with a later Sunday cutoff of 8:00…

Construction, demolition, alteration, repair, or excavation noise in Chesapeake is barred overnight: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on weeknights and 10:00 p.m. Saturday to 8:00 a.m. Sunday…

Vehicle noise in Chesapeake includes restrictions on modified exhaust, squealing tires, and loud car audio. Sound systems audible at 50 feet can be cited under City Code Chapter 38…

Chesapeake requires a permit before anyone cuts, trims or sprays a tree or shrub growing on a city street. Sec. 66-106 limits the director of development and permits to issuing that…

Chesapeake does not run a watering-day or time-of-day irrigation schedule. Its only lawn-watering restriction is a flat ban on letting water run to waste from a hose, sprinkler system…

Chesapeake requires a permit before anyone cuts, trims or sprays a tree or shrub growing in a public street, defined broadly to include rights-of-way, avenues and easements. The…

Chesapeake caps grass and weed growth at an average height of ten inches on lots one acre or smaller, and within 150 feet of any dwelling or road on larger tracts. Ignore a notice from…

Virginia encourages rainwater harvesting and graywater reuse: outdoor rain-barrel collection is essentially unregulated, while the Board of Health sets standards for reuse systems and…

Chesapeake doesn't ban electric fences outright, but City Code Sec. 46-10 caps the current any fence controller may deliver: no more than 125 volts, and no more than 500 milliamperes…

Under Code of Virginia § 55.1-2821, adjoining landowners must build and maintain division fences between their lands at joint and equal expense, unless one leaves his land open or the…

Chesapeake requires every pet shop selling dogs or cats to hold an annual $50 license from Chesapeake Animal Services under City Code Sec. 10-63.1, pass a pre-license property…

Every cat four months or older in Chesapeake must carry a City license, renewed each calendar year through Chesapeake Animal Services. The tax is $10.00 for an intact cat and $5.00 for…

Chesapeake declares concentrated pigeons a public nuisance and lets a property owner ask the Chief of Police, in writing, to authorize an officer to kill or scatter the birds. The same…

Chesapeake bans letting a dog roam off its owner's property without a fence, chain, or leash controlling it. Animal Services can impound any loose dog, and owners of dogs caught…

Every dog or cat adopted from Chesapeake Animal Services must be sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, and implanted with a microchip before release, unless the procedure would…

Chesapeake does not require sterilizing every dog or cat, but a court can order it. If a dog or cat is found in general district court to be a habitual-nuisance repeat offender, its…

Keeping a wild, exotic, or poisonous animal as a pet anywhere in Chesapeake requires a permit from the Animal Services Unit under Sec. 10-49. The list covers monkeys, wolves, big cats…

Beekeeping is allowed throughout Chesapeake subject to City Code Chapter 10 setback rules and state-level registration under VA Code section 3.2-4400 et seq. Hives must be registered…

Chesapeake's swine-keeping rules govern any small-scale livestock operation the City still allows: swine must comply with the zoning ordinance, and any facility inside an agricultural…

Chesapeake does not impose breed-specific restrictions. Virginia prohibits localities from adopting breed-specific bans under VA Code section 3.2-6540.1. Dangerous and vicious dog…

Virginia Code Section 3.2-6503 requires every owner to provide adequate care for companion animals, with criminal penalties for neglect that often underpin hoarding cases.

Virginia prohibits baiting wildlife for hunting and lets localities ban deer feeding, while bear feeding bans are addressed through hunting and Department regulations.

Chesapeake regulates short-term rentals through its Zoning Ordinance. Operators must obtain a conditional use permit or administrative zoning approval depending on district, plus a…

Virginia imposes a state sales tax and authorizes local transient occupancy taxes on short-term rentals, with platform collection responsibilities and accommodations intermediary rules…

Virginia Cottage Food Law (VA Code 3.2-5130) allows home production of non-hazardous foods like baked goods and jams for direct sale without a food permit. Chesapeake residents still…

Virginia requires a state license for family day homes caring for five to twelve unrelated children under Va. Code 22.1-289.02, setting uniform capacity, training, and background-check…

Virginia does not issue a microenterprise home kitchen permit, and it cannot: the Board of Health food regulation at 12VAC5-421-2990 says a private home shall not be used for…

Chesapeake outdoor burning follows the Virginia 4 PM Burn Law (VA Code 10.1-1142). From Feb 15 to April 30, open burning within 300 feet of woodland is prohibited before 4 PM…

Chesapeake prohibits most consumer fireworks under local ordinance, despite VA Code 27-97 permitting certain types statewide. Only sparklers and non-aerial fountains are allowed…

Virginia adopts the Statewide Fire Prevention Code applying uniform NFPA 58 propane storage and handling standards across all jurisdictions, regulating tank placement, capacity, and…

Virginia lets the Governor, on the State Forester's recommendation, ban all open burning when serious fire hazards exist, and makes anyone whose negligence causes a wildfire liable to…

Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building Code exempts sheds under 256 square feet from building permits statewide, preempting any stricter local permit requirements.

Virginia regulates tiny homes through the Uniform Statewide Building Code and IRC Appendix Q, preempting local construction standards while leaving placement and zoning to localities.

The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code requires a 48-inch barrier around residential swimming pools and spas, preempting local pool fencing rules statewide.

Chesapeake exempts automobile alarms from its noise ordinance only until the owner or tenant has been notified and given a reasonable chance to shut it off. After notice, an alarm that…

Loading, unloading, or handling containers, boxes, and crates near residential property is banned in Chesapeake between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. if it is audible 50 feet or more onto a…

Chesapeake tightens its decibel limits by 5 dB for impulsive noise the administrator finds includes amplified bass music, hammering, or riveting, cutting the standard 55/60 dBA cap…

Chesapeake's noise ordinance exempts backup generators run during power outages or emergencies from any decibel limit, and lets industrial-district power plants run generators up to…

Chesapeake's noise ordinance exempts HVAC equipment outright. Sec. 26-141(15) excuses 'noises generated by the operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning units...attached…

Chesapeake's normal collection never starts before 7:00 a.m., carts can go out no earlier than 24 hours ahead of that, and must come back in within 24 hours after collection. The…

Chesapeake bans dumping garbage or trash anywhere except a lawful solid waste facility, bars hauling waste generated outside the city in to dump it, and even prohibits moving your own…

Chesapeake's municipal collection program does not pick up recyclables set out separately at the curb: Sec. 62-59(f) says the city will not collect them for recycling. Any recyclable…

Chesapeake collects yard trimmings and grass separately from bulk trash under Sec. 62-60, but only when bagged or containerized: up to 30 bags of 35 gallons or less per address each…

Chesapeake makes it a crime to take recyclables someone else has set out for collection. Sec. 62-63.1 bars removing recyclable material, whether bagged with the trash or set out…

Chesapeake collects bulk trash curbside on your regular garbage day, capped at 4 feet wide by 4 feet high by 10 feet long per collection and limited to twelve pickups per residence…

Chesapeake will collect no more than two 96-gallon carts or four 35-gallon containers per address each week, plus up to two rimless tires. Hazardous waste, construction debris and…

Chesapeake requires trash carts at the curbline in front of the home, kept at least three feet from mailboxes, vehicles or other carts. Between pickups, carts belong in a carport…

Chesapeake will not issue a pawnbroker business license until the circuit court authorizes it under state law, and applicants must submit a certified court order, their date of birth…

Pawnbrokers, junk dealers, antique dealers and secondhand-goods dealers in Chesapeake must check every seller's ID, keep daily transaction records, and report to the Chief of Police…

Every massage therapy establishment in Chesapeake needs an annual operator's permit from the Health Department under City Code Sec. 38-76, and every massage therapist must be certified…

Tattoo and piercing shops in Chesapeake need an annual body art establishment permit from the Health Department under City Code Sec. 38-203, issued only after a plan review and…

Chesapeake caps what a non-consent tow truck service can charge at $200.00 for hookup and initial towing of a vehicle under 11,000 pounds, plus limited add-on fees, under Sec. 74-314…

Virginia requires retail tobacco and liquid nicotine sellers to comply with state licensing under Code 58.1-1021.04:1 and prohibits sales to anyone under 21 per Code 18.2-371.2.

Chesapeake bans possessing a hypodermic syringe or needle for drug use unless a licensed physician has certified the need within the past year, and anyone authorized to hold syringes…

Chesapeake property owners must keep land free of rats and similar rodents under City Code Sec. 38-7, and the Health Department director can order extermination on written notice…

Chesapeake makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to unreasonably obstruct sidewalks, streets or other public places and then refuse to move when a police officer or property owner asks. City…

Urinating or defecating anywhere in public view in Chesapeake, including any street, alley, sidewalk or park, is a Class 4 misdemeanor unless you are inside a public restroom facility…

Drinking or offering an alcoholic beverage in a Chesapeake public place, or carrying an open container in a city park, community center, playground or public street, is a Class 4…

Chesapeake bars standing, sitting, squatting or lying in or between traffic lanes on any public right-of-way that has four or more lanes or a posted speed limit of 35 mph or higher…

Chesapeake's smoking ordinance only reaches 'enclosed, indoor' public places, so open-air areas are not covered under City Code Sec. 38-151. Restaurants may let patrons smoke in any…

Chesapeake keeps skateboards, roller skates and similar wheeled toys off any street or highway posted above 25 miles per hour, restricting play there to the sidewalk. A companion rule…

Chesapeake's noise ordinance protects working farms outright: Sec. 26-141(11)-(12) exempts equipment noise from planting, tending or harvesting on a 'bona fide agricultural business…

Virginia Code 15.2-2288 and 15.2-2288.3 limit how localities may zone agricultural land, preserving by-right production and restricting special use permit requirements for bona fide…

Chesapeake parks are open to the public every day of the year during hours set and posted at each individual park, except during unforeseen emergencies. City Code Sec. 50-28 lets the…

Chesapeake bars minors 17 and under from public places during set curfew hours under City Code Sec. 46-7: 11:01 p.m. to 5 a.m. for those under 16, and 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. for 16- and…

Chesapeake caps garage sales at two per location every 12 months and three consecutive days per sale, treating extra sales as evidence of an unlicensed business. City Code Sec. 58-28…

Building or expanding a boat dock, pier or marina in Chesapeake's Resource Protection Area requires case-by-case approval from the CBPA review committee. City Code Sec. 26-519 allows a…

Chesapeake bills every developed property a stormwater utility fee to fund its drainage system: $11.35 a month per Equivalent Residential Unit (2,112 square feet of impervious…

Any development inside a Chesapeake floodplain, from a new house to fill dirt, needs a permit from the floodplain administrator before work starts. The city maps two overlay districts…

New homes and major renovations in a Chesapeake flood zone must sit at least 1.5 feet above the federally mapped base flood elevation, a margin the city calls freeboard. Chesapeake…

Chesapeake bars land disturbance until the city approves an erosion and sediment control plan and issues a land-disturbing permit. City Code Sec. 26-346(a) makes plan approval and…

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act mandates 100-foot vegetated buffers along tidal waters and tributaries in 84 covered Tidewater localities, with state-set criteria local ordinances…

Chesapeake polices rental housing conditions by mapping specific census-tract rental inspection districts, not by fielding one-off tenant complaints: the director of development and…

Inside Chesapeake's designated rental inspection districts, every rented dwelling unit gets a periodic safety inspection from the director of development and permits under City Code…

Every business operating in Chesapeake needs an annual license from the assessing official, and City Code Sec. 18-60 sets the baseline: a flat $50.00 fee per licensed activity if gross…

Chesapeake requires every mobile food unit owner to register with the commissioner of the revenue or director of finance before operating in the city under City Code Sec. 18-111(b)…

Chesapeake bans placing fences, gates, porches, benches, merchandise, or almost any other object on a sidewalk, street, right-of-way or alley if it obstructs safe use by vehicles or…

Chesapeake requires a special permit before a private property owner builds an entryway structure or ornamental feature, such as a subdivision guardhouse, monument, wall or trellis, in…

Chesapeake taxes every hotel stay at 8% of the room charge plus a flat $2 per night, and the code's definition of 'hotel' expressly folds in short-term rentals under Va. Code §…

Chesapeake enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code for all construction, alteration, repair, removal, demolition and occupancy work citywide under City Code Sec. 14-31…

Chesapeake's director of development and permits must ensure every elevator, dumbwaiter, escalator, moving walk and hoisting or conveying device in the city is installed, altered…

Chesapeake requires a plumbing permit before anyone taps, uncovers or connects to the city's water or sewer lines. The permit comes from the department of building and permits, and…

Chesapeake follows EPA RRP and Virginia DPOR lead rules for pre-1978 housing. Contractors disturbing painted surfaces must be EPA Lead-Safe Certified. Landlords must provide lead…

Chesapeake requires a city manager permit before holding a gathering of 500 or more people, using amplified sound, erecting tents or stages, serving alcohol, displaying animals, or…

A Chesapeake block party, defined as a neighborhood gathering confined to a stated area with the streets blocked off for a stated duration, needs a permit from the city manager or…

Chesapeake requires a city manager permit before any parade, procession or public assembly of more than ten people may march or gather on a city street, sidewalk or public area under…

Chesapeake's dangerous-building ordinance lets the director of development and permits declare any building, wall or structure a public-safety hazard, order repairs or demolition, and…

Chesapeake enforces Chapter 1, Part III of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code as its property maintenance standard, requiring every existing building, including rental…

Owners of dwelling units inside one of Chesapeake's designated rental inspection districts must notify the director of development and permits in writing that the unit is rented, under…

The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets uniform eviction grounds and notice periods statewide, preempting local just-cause ordinances under Dillon's Rule.

Under Va. Code § 55.1-1229, a landlord must give the tenant notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency. For routine maintenance the tenant…

Va. Code § 55.1-1204 lets a landlord charge a late fee only if the written lease provides for it, capped at the lesser of 10 percent of the periodic rent or 10 percent of the remaining…

Under Va. Code § 55.1-1253, either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the next rent due date, and a week-to-week tenancy with at least…

Under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a landlord may not demand a security deposit exceeding two months' rent. After the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the…

Under Va. Code § 8.01-236, a person must take action to recover land within 15 years after the right accrues, so an occupant claiming title by adverse possession must hold the property…

Anyone going door to door in Chesapeake to sell goods, take orders, or solicit information for a future sale needs a police department permit before knocking on a single door…

Chesapeake residents may post No Soliciting or No Trespassing signs to bar door-to-door solicitation. Commercial solicitors who ignore posted signs commit trespass. Religious and…

Any company offering e-scooters, e-bikes, or other shareable mobility devices for hire in Chesapeake must hold a shareable mobility device license issued by the city's licensing…

Chesapeake authorizes photo-monitoring systems at signalized intersections under Sec. 74-193, imposing a civil monetary penalty, not a criminal conviction, on the registered owner…

Virginia runs two separate schemes. A golf cart or utility vehicle is barred from every public highway in the Commonwealth unless the county, city, or town has designated that road by…

Chesapeake's water conservation ordinance puts the repair burden on property owners: if the director of public utilities determines a residential, commercial, or industrial premises is…

Chesapeake's subdivision code directs developers to protect "irreplaceable and beneficial" natural features, giving special consideration to trees the city council has formally…

In Chesapeake's residential cluster subdivisions, canopy street trees are treated as a required amenity rather than an option: Sec. 70-213(B) directs them into tree lawns at least four…

Virginia's Property Owners' Association Act sets the assessment rules Chesapeake HOAs must follow: boards may charge a late fee capped at the tax-penalty rate in Sec. 58.1-3915 once a…

Virginia law, not city ordinance, governs how a Chesapeake homeowners association runs itself: Sec. 55.1-1815 requires the association to keep detailed financial and assessment records…

State law, not city ordinance, sets how a Chesapeake HOA board must run its meetings: Sec. 55.1-1816 makes board and committee meetings open to all members, bars using informal work…

Virginia POA Act §55.1-1819 lets HOAs levy charges up to $50 per single violation and $10 per day for continuing violations, after notice and hearing. Self-help and suspension of…

Chesapeake HOAs may operate architectural review committees under VA Code §55.1-1819. Decisions must follow adopted guidelines, be in writing, and apply reasonable standards…

Virginia's Property Owners' Association Act protects one flag and one flag only: the flag of the United States. Under Va. Code § 55.1-1820 no association may prohibit a lot owner from…

Virginia caps association fines by statute. Under Va. Code § 55.1-1819 D a charge may not exceed $50 for a single offense or $10 per day for a continuing offense, and a continuing…

Virginia does not stop a community association from restricting or even prohibiting leasing, because Va. Code § 55.1-1806 opens with an exception for anything expressly authorized in…

Virginia legalized adult possession and home cultivation of cannabis in 2021. Chesapeake residents 21 and older may grow up to 4 plants per household for personal use, out of public…

Virginia bars anyone from operating a medical cannabis dispensing facility or pharmaceutical processor without a permit from the Cannabis Control Authority Board. Permits are capped by…

Commercial drone operators in Virginia follow FAA Part 107 rules and are shielded from most local regulation under state preemption, with limited exceptions for locality-owned property…

Virginia preempts most local drone regulation, reserving aircraft operation rules to the state and FAA, while criminalizing surveillance overflights and trespass-style use against…

Virginia's minimum wage under Code § 40.1-28.10 is $12.77 per hour in 2026, rising to $13.75 on January 1, 2027 and $15.00 on January 1, 2028. The state rate preempts localities from…

Virginia Code 40.1-33.3 et seq. requires paid sick leave only for certain home health workers; no general statewide paid leave mandate exists, and broad local paid leave ordinances…

Virginia issues concealed handgun permits under Code 18.2-308.01 through 18.2-308.014, with shall-issue standards administered by circuit courts; localities cannot impose additional…

Virginia preempts most local firearm regulation under Code 15.2-915, but a 2020 amendment lets localities restrict firearms in specific public buildings, parks, recreation centers, and…

Virginia generally permits open carry of firearms by adults without a permit, though Code 18.2-287.4 restricts certain loaded high-capacity weapons in named public areas of larger…

Virginia Code 18.2-308 lets adults transport firearms in personal vehicles, with concealed handguns in a closed compartment lawful without a permit; localities are preempted by Code…

Virginia confines casino gaming to a short list of statutorily defined 'eligible host cities' that meet strict poverty, unemployment, or tax-exempt-property thresholds under Va. Code §…

Virginia's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services controls all charitable gaming under Code § 18.2-340.15, treating it as a revocable privilege rather than a right. A…

Virginia's general gambling ban does not reach a private game of chance held in someone's home. Code § 18.2-334 exempts games of chance in a private residence from prosecution under…

Virginia legalized online sports betting in 2020 under Code § 58.1-4032, but caps competition: the Virginia Lottery's Director issues no fewer than four and no more than 12 permits…

Virginia law enforcement runs sobriety checkpoints, and the General Assembly legislated on that fact in 2023, but no section of the Code of Virginia authorizes or regulates them. Va…

Virginia has no statute granting an express right to record police, and it does not need one, because Virginia is a one-party consent state. Va. Code § 19.2-62(B)(2) makes it no…

Virginia is not a stop-and-identify state. No section of the Code of Virginia requires a person stopped or detained on the street to give a name, and the General Assembly has never…

Virginia is one of the few states that answered the consent question by statute rather than leaving it to the courts. Va. Code § 4.1-1302 bars an officer from stopping, searching or…

Virginia law prohibits all signs, including garage sale and yard sale notices, placed within the limits of any state highway right-of-way, with a $100 civil penalty per occurrence.

Virginia state law creates a 40-foot prohibited area around polling place entrances on election day where political signs and electioneering are forbidden statewide.

Virginia Code 58.1-1745 authorizes counties and cities to impose a 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags provided at grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores within their…

Virginia Code § 10.1-1424.3 phases out expanded polystyrene single-use food service containers: food vendors with 20 or more locations had to comply by July 1, 2025, and all food…

Virginia's solar covenant statute is a default rule, not a covenant-voiding right. Va. Code § 55.1-1820.1 B says no association shall prohibit an owner from installing a solar energy…

Solar panel installations in Virginia require permits issued locally but governed by the statewide Uniform Statewide Building Code and electrical code.

Virginia Code 18.2-371.2 prohibits selling tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products to anyone under 21, with active duty military members 18 and over exempted under state law.

Virginia runs a closed list. Va. Code 46.2-1020 names the extra lights a private vehicle may carry, and anything not on that list, not permitted elsewhere in the lighting article, and…

Virginia is one of the few states with a dash camera provision written into the vehicle code by name. Since 2023, subsection C of Va. Code 46.2-1054 says the obstructed-view law does…

Virginia does not permit lane splitting, and it does not treat the offense as a simple traffic ticket. Va. Code § 46.2-857 makes it reckless driving to drive any motor vehicle so as to…

Virginia bans any cover, frame, bracket, holder, mounting, or colored glass or plastic placed on, around, or over a license plate if it in any way alters or obscures the plate…

Virginia prohibits radar and laser detectors outright in every private vehicle. Va. Code 46.2-1079 makes it unlawful to operate a car equipped with any passive or active device that…

Virginia permits studded snow tires only between October 15 and April 15, and only on a vehicle whose gross weight does not exceed 10,000 pounds. The studs must project no more than…

Virginia lets you tint front side windows down to 50 percent light transmittance and rear side and rear windows down to 35 percent, and no window film anywhere on the car may reflect…