Richmond imposes a five-cent disposable plastic bag tax under Virginia Code Section 58.1-1745, charged at grocery stores, convenience stores and drugstores; revenue funds environmental and food-access programs.
Virginia Code Section 58.1-1745, enacted in 2020, allows counties and cities to impose a five-cent tax on each disposable plastic bag provided to a consumer at grocery stores, convenience stores and drugstores. Richmond City Council adopted the tax effective January 1, 2022. Retailers collect the nickel at checkout and remit it to the Virginia Department of Taxation, which returns the revenue to Richmond. The city dedicates funds to environmental cleanup, education on reusable bags, and providing reusable bags to SNAP and WIC recipients. Restaurants and clothing retailers are exempt from the tax.
Retailers who fail to collect or remit the bag tax face Virginia Department of Taxation penalties, interest and potential business-license consequences from Richmond.
See how Richmond's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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