Clifton Forge, VA (Sept. 8, 2026)- During the monthly Clifton Forge Town Council meeting held on September 8, at 7:00 p.m., council deliberated on amending ordinance 62-9 (unlawful discharge of firearms) to include a fine for the unlawful discharge of a firearm within the town limits. By the end of the discussion, it was decided to amend the ordinance to include a $250 fine for an unlawful discharge.
The ordinance (subsection a) currently states that "It shall be unlawful for any person, without necessity, to fire or discharge in the town any gun, pistol or other firearm of any kind; provided that this section shall not apply to any law enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law; or otherwise permitted by this section."
In its entirety, the ordinance allows exceptions for "national forest lands located within the town where hunting is authorized by permit" and "killing of deer pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 29.1-529 which applies to land of at least five acres that is zoned for agricultural use."
As it stands, illegally discharging a firearm within town limits carries the potential of any guilty individual being charged with a class 3 misdemeanor. The adjustment to ordinance 62-9 initially carried an added fine of $50. However, after a brief discussion by council, it was ultimately decided to increase that fine to $250 per discharge. Therefore, if an individual were to illegally fire off four rounds, that decision could cost the person up to $1,000. |  | Town Manager Chuck Unroe gave several updates on the town this evening during the Manager's Comments portion of the meeting. The Journal will soon publish those comments in their entirety on our Facebook page.
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