Chronic Wasting Disease Laws in Virginia Every Hunter Needs to Know

Chronic wasting disease has been spreading through Virginia’s deer population since its first detection in 2009, and the rules designed to slow it touch nearly every part of the hunting experience — from where you set up a feeder to how you transport your harvest home. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has banned the feeding or baiting of deer in any county within 25 miles of a positive case, and as of 2026, about half of the state is now covered by that ban.

Whether you hunt in the Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia, or the southwestern counties, understanding Virginia’s chronic wasting disease laws is no longer optional. Violations carry real consequences, and the regulations change from season to season as new detections push DMA boundaries outward. This guide walks you through every major rule in plain language so you can stay legal and help protect the herd.

CWD Status and Affected Areas in Virginia

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an abnormal infectious protein called a prion. Prions are transmitted to uninfected deer directly through saliva, feces, and urine shed by infected deer, and indirectly through soil contaminated with prions. Regionally, CWD was first detected in West Virginia in 2005, in Virginia in 2009, in Maryland in 2010, and in Pennsylvania in 2012.

In Virginia, a total of 488 deer from 18 counties have tested positive since 2009. CWD has been confirmed in Carroll, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Frederick, Loudoun, Madison, Montgomery, Page, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Shenandoah, Tazewell, and Warren counties.

All counties located within 10 miles of a CWD detection are included in a Disease Management Area (DMA). For the 2025–2026 deer hunting season, Virginia maintained four DMAs:

• DMA1: Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren counties.
• DMA2: Arlington, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, and Rockingham (added for 2025–2026) counties.
• DMA3: Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke, and Wythe counties.
• DMA4: Bland, Smyth, and Tazewell counties.

A summary of DWR’s 2025–2026 deer hunting season CWD surveillance in the DMAs was released as of April 2026. In total, over 7,800 deer were tested and 126 CWD-positive detections were found. At this time, no changes to any DMA boundaries are expected for the 2026–2027 deer hunting season.

Noticeable symptoms of CWD — though they may not appear for 16 months to two years — include staggering, abnormal posture, lowered head, drooling, confusion, and marked weight loss. These symptoms are rarely seen until the disease is well-established in an area. The potential impacts of CWD on Virginia’s white-tailed deer populations are a serious concern, though the disease has not been shown to pose a health risk to humans or domestic animals at this point.

For more information on hunting laws in Virginia beyond CWD-specific rules, including season dates and bag limits, the DWR publishes updated regulations each year.

Baiting and Feeding Restrictions in Virginia

Virginia’s baiting and feeding rules operate on two levels: a statewide seasonal ban and a broader year-round ban tied to CWD detections. Both apply to deer and elk, and both carry enforcement consequences.

To help curtail the spread of CWD, DWR implements a year-round feeding ban of deer and elk in any county within 25 miles of a known CWD-positive animal. Additionally, it is unlawful to feed deer from September 1 through the first Saturday in January statewide and during any open deer or elk season.

It is also illegal year-round to feed deer or elk in Buchanan, Dickenson, or Wise counties as part of elk restoration. Elsewhere in the state, there is a year-round ban on feeding deer on National Forest lands and Department-owned lands. Throughout the remainder of Virginia, there is a ban on feeding deer from September 1 through the first Saturday in January.

Beyond feed, Virginia enforces a separate prohibition on certain hunting attractants. It is illegal to possess and use afield, for the purposes of hunting, any lures or attractants that contain natural deer urine, gland secretions, or other bodily fluids. This is a statewide ban. The use of these products in Virginia is illegal as they may contain the infectious agent that causes CWD.

These restrictions do not apply to agricultural plantings (including wildlife food plots) or food distributed to livestock. Cities and towns also have the authority to prohibit the feeding of deer by local ordinance, so check with your locality for any additional restrictions in your area.

If you hunt near the Virginia–West Virginia border, the broader hunting laws in Virginia page covers crossover regulations worth reviewing alongside these CWD-specific rules. You may also want to compare notes with West Virginia wildlife regulations, as CWD management in that state directly affects Virginia’s DMA boundaries.

Carcass Transportation Rules in Virginia

The movement of infected carcass parts has likely contributed to the spread of chronic wasting disease across North America. Certain parts of deer carcasses, most notably the brain and spinal cord, may be heavily contaminated with the infectious agent that causes CWD. Virginia’s carcass transport rules are built around keeping those high-risk parts within the zones where they originated.

Moving carcasses within Virginia:

• Whole deer carcasses originating from within a DMA cannot be transported into a non-DMA county.
• Transport is allowed from DMA2 to DMA1, and from DMA4 to DMA3, but not vice versa.
• Whole deer carcasses and all associated carcass parts harvested in a non-DMA county in Virginia may be legally transported anywhere within Virginia.

Carcass parts you may legally move out of a DMA into a non-DMA county:

• Boned-out meat; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached; hides and capes with no heads attached; clean skulls and skull plates with or without antlers attached; antlers with no meat or tissue attached; upper canine teeth (also known as “buglers,” “whistlers,” or “ivories”); cleaned jaw bones; and finished taxidermy products.

Bringing carcasses into Virginia from out of state:

Effective August 1, 2019, importation or possession of whole deer carcasses or any parts not included in the allowed list originating from anywhere outside of Virginia is prohibited. A legible label must be affixed to packages or containers holding the allowed carcass parts with the following information: the species of animal, the state or province where the animal originated, and the name and address of the person who killed or possesses the allowed parts in Virginia.

Any person who imports into Virginia any deer parts and is notified that the animal has tested positive for CWD must report the test results to the Department within 72 hours of receiving the notification.

All hunters are strongly encouraged to dispose of deer carcass remains in local dumpsters, lined landfills, or using regular trash pick-up that will be taken to a landfill. If it is necessary to bury a carcass, hunters are advised to bury it as close to the kill site as possible and deep enough to prevent scavengers from digging it up.

CWD Testing Requirements for Hunters in Virginia

When hunting in a CWD DMA, one of the most important things you can do to help fight this fatal disease is to submit your deer for CWD testing. CWD can be slow to spread in an affected deer population, so several years of testing data are critical to allow DWR to assess the status of the disease in the population. Testing helps DWR monitor the infection rate of the local deer population and map the geographic spread.

Mandatory testing days (2025–2026 season):

DWR conducted mandatory CWD sampling on November 15 in DMA1 (Shenandoah County only), DMA3 (Patrick, Roanoke, and Wythe), and DMA4 (Smyth and Tazewell). All deer killed in these counties on November 15 were required to be brought to a CWD mandatory sampling station or a voluntary fridge station. Sample stations were open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and fridge stations are open 24/7.

There is no mandatory CWD testing in any other counties not listed above in 2025; however, voluntary testing is always available and encouraged.

Voluntary testing:

Voluntary CWD testing is available free of charge for any deer harvested in Virginia at any time during the deer season. Hunters should drop off the deer head, plus 3–4 inches of neck, at a DWR refrigerator and follow posted instructions.

DWR works with taxidermists and commercial processors across Virginia to collect CWD samples. The agency works with taxidermists across Virginia to obtain samples from hunter-harvested deer for testing and also works with processors in disease management areas to collect samples. If you use a processor or taxidermist in a DMA, expect them to request a tissue sample as part of their standard intake process.

For context on how Virginia’s hunting regulations work more broadly, including licensing requirements and season structures, see the full guide to hunting laws in Virginia.

Captive Cervid and Deer Farming Rules in Virginia

Virginia has taken a strict approach to captive cervids as part of its CWD management strategy. The rules are more restrictive than in many neighboring states, and they have significant implications for anyone who keeps or works with deer or elk in captivity.

Deer farming is no longer permitted in Virginia. Cervids may only be held in captivity with a valid Virginia DWR permit — for example, for exhibition or threatened and endangered species purposes.

Permit conditions for captive cervids mandate annual inspections, mandatory tagging, mandatory CWD testing of all adult mortalities, and record keeping. DWR notification and mandatory CWD testing of all adult deaths in all captive deer facilities is required.

Movement of live cervids:

• There is a ban on the importation of live cervids into Virginia and a prohibition on the intrastate movement of cervids unless specifically allowed by the Virginia DWR.
• If captive cervids are imported into Virginia — currently allowed only in rare circumstances by Department regulation — a Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) health certificate is required.
• Transfer of embryos and semen follows the same criteria as live deer movements.

Rehabilitation of fawns in Disease Management Areas is not permitted, nor is the removal of fawns or other deer from these areas. This applies to wildlife rehabilitators and members of the public alike. If you care for animals in Virginia, also review the rules around goat ownership laws in Virginia, since some livestock regulations intersect with cervid management requirements at the state level.

Reporting Sick or Suspected Deer in Virginia

Early detection of CWD in new areas depends heavily on hunters and the public reporting deer that show signs of illness. Virginia DWR relies on these reports to trigger targeted surveillance and prevent the disease from spreading undetected into new counties.

Noticeable symptoms of CWD include staggering, abnormal posture, lowered head, drooling, confusion, and marked weight loss. These symptoms are rarely seen until the disease is well-established. In Virginia, deer exhibiting these clinical symptoms have been detected in Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Floyd, Frederick, Montgomery, Page, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Shenandoah, and Warren counties.

If you observe a deer displaying any of these behaviors, here is what you should do:

1. Do not approach or handle the deer. Prions can persist in the environment, and direct contact with a visibly sick deer is unnecessary and potentially risky.
2. Note the location. Record the county, nearest road or landmark, and the date and time of the sighting as precisely as possible.
3. Contact DWR. You can contact the Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 855-571-9003. You can also report through the DWR website at dwr.virginia.gov.
4. Describe the symptoms. Relevant symptoms to describe include a very thin deer or elk that is also acting abnormally — for example, not scared of humans or pets, exhibiting a wide-based stance, drooling excessively, or having a droopy head or ears.

There is currently no evidence that CWD can be transmitted naturally to humans, pets, or livestock, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise hunters to test all deer harvested from known CWD-positive areas and to not consume any animals that test positive for the disease.

If you encounter a deer that has been struck by a vehicle and appears to be ill rather than simply injured, Virginia’s roadkill laws in Virginia determine what you may legally do with the carcass — and CWD carcass transport rules still apply even in roadkill situations.

Penalties for CWD Violations in Virginia

Virginia treats CWD-related violations as serious wildlife offenses. Penalties range from fines to the loss of hunting privileges, and repeat offenders face escalating consequences.

Penalties for a violation may include hunting or trapping privilege revocation for one year to life and forfeiture of firearms. A person found guilty of a violation a second time within three years of a previous conviction shall have their hunting or trapping privilege revoked by the court trying the case.

If anyone continues with feeding activities for any purpose and it results in the presence of deer or other listed species, such person could be in violation of the law and subject to a fine of up to $500.

If you want to report a suspected CWD violation by another hunter or landowner, you can contact DWR’s Wildlife Crime Line at 1-800-237-5712. Reporting illegal feeding, baiting, or carcass transport is one of the most direct ways the public can help enforce these rules. For related wildlife law topics in the state, you may also find the guides on dog bite laws in Virginia and pit bull laws in Virginia useful if your property overlaps with areas where wildlife and domestic animals interact. Hunters dealing with predator pressure on their deer herd should also review coyote hunting laws in Virginia for rules that apply alongside CWD management areas.

Virginia’s chronic wasting disease laws place real obligations on hunters, landowners, and anyone who keeps cervids in captivity. The core rules are straightforward: know your DMA, follow the feeding and baiting bans, transport only allowed carcass parts out of restricted zones, submit your deer for testing when required, and report sick animals promptly. The DWR leads Virginia’s CWD surveillance and management efforts and relies on assistance from hunters, taxidermists, processors, other agencies, and diverse constituent groups to implement surveillance and management strategies. Your compliance is not just a legal requirement — it is a direct contribution to keeping Virginia’s deer population healthy for future seasons.