Blue laws in Virginia are narrower than many people assume. The Commonwealth repealed its general Sunday-closing statutes in 2004, and most businesses now operate seven days a week without restriction. Three areas still carry real Sunday rules: alcohol sales, motor vehicle dealerships, and hunting. Each works differently, and getting the details wrong can mean fines, a lost license, or a misdemeanor charge.
Sunday Alcohol Sales
Distilled spirits are sold through Virginia’s state-run ABC stores, and the Board of Directors sets each store’s schedule.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 4.1-103 – General Powers of Board Most ABC stores open on Sundays somewhere between 10:00 a.m. and noon and close around 6:00 p.m. Hours vary by location, so check the ABC website before making the trip.
Beer and wine sold for off-premises consumption at grocery stores, convenience stores, and similar retailers follow a statewide schedule every day, Sunday included: 6:00 a.m. to midnight. A local jurisdiction can tighten that window.2Virginia Code Commission. 3VAC5-50-30 – Restricted Hours; Exceptions
Restaurants and bars in localities that have approved mixed-beverage sales can serve beer, wine, and cocktails from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. the next morning. Where mixed beverages have not been authorized locally, on-premises beer and wine sales follow the same 6:00 a.m. to midnight window as retail.2Virginia Code Commission. 3VAC5-50-30 – Restricted Hours; Exceptions
Selling alcohol outside these hours is a Class 1 misdemeanor, carrying up to 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 4.1-324 – Illegal Sale or Keeping of Alcoholic Beverages by Licensees The ABC Authority can also suspend or revoke a licensee’s permit administratively, which for most businesses is the more painful consequence.
Car Dealerships Cannot Sell on Sundays
A motor vehicle dealer in Virginia cannot sell, trade, or lease vehicles on Sunday unless the dealership instead closes on Saturday. The rule guarantees dealership employees at least one weekend day off.
Only the sales transaction is restricted. Service bays can stay open for repairs and maintenance, and customers are free to walk the lot, browse online inventory, or schedule a test drive for another day. What the dealership cannot do on its chosen closed day is finalize a deal, sign paperwork, or hand over keys.
The Motor Vehicle Dealer Board enforces the rule. Its published guidance describes a progressive discipline model for business-hour violations: a warning for the first offense, a $750 civil penalty for the second, and a formal hearing for a third.4Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. December 2023 Dealer Talk Repeated violations can lead to license suspension.
Sunday Hunting
Sunday hunting used to be nearly banned in Virginia. After a series of legislative changes culminating in 2022 amendments to § 29.1-521, hunting is now broadly permitted on Sundays on both private and public land.5Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 29.1-521 – Unlawful to Hunt, Trap, Possess, Sell, or Transport Wild Birds and Wild Animals Except as Permitted; Exception; Penalty
Two restrictions remain. You cannot use dogs to hunt deer or bear on Sunday, though a leashed tracking dog used to recover a wounded animal is allowed. And all Sunday hunting must take place at least 200 yards from any house of worship or its associated structures.6Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. General Information and Hunting Regulations
A frequent misconception: Sunday hunting no longer requires its own separate written permission from a private landowner. That extra step was removed. The general rule that you need written permission to hunt on posted private property still applies every day of the week.7Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Sunday Hunting in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
Public land opened to Sunday hunting on July 1, 2022, but access depends on the agency managing the tract. Some wildlife management areas run by the Department of Wildlife Resources allow it; land managed by other agencies may not. Confirm with DWR or the managing agency before you go.7Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Sunday Hunting in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
Violating Virginia’s hunting laws is a Class 2 misdemeanor by default, meaning up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A court can also revoke hunting privileges for one to five years.8Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Article 5 – Penalties in General The lost privileges often hurt more than the fine, especially across multiple seasons.
What the 2004 Repeal Changed
Virginia once had broad statutes criminalizing work and commerce on Sundays. Those provisions, §§ 18.2-341 through 18.2-343, sat under an article titled “Sunday Offenses” and were repealed by the General Assembly in 2004.9Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Article 2 – Sunday Offenses (Repealed) Before the repeal, some localities had already opted out; others enforced the rules to varying degrees.
Today there is no statewide law that stops retail stores, restaurants, or general businesses from operating on Sundays. The restrictions that survive live in their own targeted statutes, not a general Sunday-closing framework. Virginia has not had sweeping blue laws for more than twenty years.
If You Want Sundays Off for Religious Reasons
Blue laws are not what protects a religious day of rest for most workers. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does. Employers with 15 or more employees must reasonably accommodate a worker’s religious observance, including a request not to work on Sundays, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the business.10U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Religious Discrimination
The standard for “undue hardship” shifted in 2023 with the Supreme Court’s decision in Groff v. DeJoy. Employers previously could refuse an accommodation by showing it imposed more than a trivial cost. Under Groff, an employer must show that the accommodation would impose a burden “substantial in the overall context of the employer’s business,” weighed against factors like company size, operating costs, and the practical impact of the change.10U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Religious Discrimination
Common accommodations include flexible scheduling, voluntary shift swaps with coworkers, and job reassignments. An employer that refuses to explore any of these options before claiming hardship stands on weak ground after Groff. If your employer denies a Sunday accommodation without a real explanation of why it would be a substantial burden, filing a charge with the EEOC is the typical next step.