Virginia Bag Ban, Fee & EPR Rules
Verified: July 29, 2026
Bag Ban Status
No statewide ban (local taxes authorized for grocery/convenience/drugstores only). Va. Code 58.1-1745 authorizes local 5-cent tax ONLY at grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores. VA Tax Bulletin 25-6 explicitly excludes clothing stores, restaurants, food banks, and farmers markets.
Plastic Bag Restrictions
Plastic carryout bags: local taxes authorized for grocery/convenience/drugstores only.
Paper Bag Requirements
No statewide paper bag requirement.
Recycled Content (PCR)
No statewide recycled-content mandate for carryout bags.
Fees & Taxation
None statewide.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
No EPR for packaging.
Local Ordinances
Alexandria, Arlington, Charlottesville, Fairfax, Loudoun, Roanoke, Richmond (effective 1/1/26), and others — 5-cent local tax ONLY at grocery/convenience/drugstores - clothing stores explicitly exempt by VA statute.
Key Dates
n/a