The new Virginia laws going into effect on July 1
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Hundreds of new laws take effect in Virginia on Monday.
Here's a roundup of some of the most notable or interesting ones.
Animals
🐻 Anyone can claim roadkill like deer or bears to use however they want.
🐱 Declawing cats is now illegal unless it's for health reasons.
👨💻 Localities can create a public online animal cruelty registry that includes people convicted of felony animal cruelty crimes.
Casino
🎰 Richmond is no longer eligible to host a casino, and any city with a failed casino referendum has to wait three years before trying again.
- Petersburg will take Richmond's spot.
Crime
📝 The definition of a hate crime has expanded to include ethnicity.
📸 Local police agencies can put photo speed monitoring devices at high-risk intersections.
Food and booze
🍰 Businesses who make food in their private homes can advertise online and sell at temporary events or farmers markets.
🍹 Cocktails to go are permanent.
- Yes, but: A provision allowing them to be delivered by third-party companies, like DoorDash and UberEats, was repealed and will end July 1, 2026
Health
🔍 The use of search warrants for menstrual health data often stored in period-tracking apps is prohibited.
🔌 It's illegal for utilities to be shut off during extreme heat or when temperatures drop below 32.
Higher ed
🎓 Legacy admissions are banned at Virginia's public universities.
🤑 Virginia universities can pay their student athletes through name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, and it'll be illegal for the NCAA to punish schools for it.
Jury duty
👩⚖️ The age in which you can be exempt from jury duty went up to 73 from 70.
K-12
📚 School Boards are allowed to add information about menstrual periods to health education offered in grades 4-8.
⛑️ State agencies, plus public elementary and high schools, will be required to have naloxone or other opioid overdose reversal treatments on hand.
- Virginians will also have a stronger naloxone nasal spray available as part of the health department's free naloxone distribution program.
Kids
👶 Localities can waive zoning permit requirements to have child care programs inside office buildings.
🏠 Social workers are required to prioritize placing children with relatives instead of the foster care system.
Marriage
💍 Same-sex and interracial marriage will remain legal in Virginia regardless of future Supreme Court decisions.
🚫 Virginia is the first in the South to ban child marriage, closing a loophole in state law allowing minors to marry if they're emancipated.
Go deeper: The major bills Youngkin signed into law.