Chesapeake VA Law Makes It Illegal For ‘Anyone Under 14’ To Go Trick Or Treating

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (THECOUNT) — In Chesapeake, Virginia, Halloween is all about having fun, that is unless you’re over 14, then it might mean a possible $250 fine, according to reports.

A City of Chesapeake code of ordinance says anyone over the age of 14 who engages in trick or treating is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $250. Anyone who trick or treats after 8 p.m. is also guilty of the same charge.

While many might think this law is a pretty cruel trick, the ban on big kids is nothing new for Chesapeake. In fact, the penalty was only reduced in March 2019 when city officials loosened the original 1970 ordinance that said kids over 12 years old who were trick or treating could face jail time.

“All cities in the Hampton Roads region, which Chesapeake is a part of, passed an ordinance that said if you were older than 12, you can be subject to an arrest, a fine, and/or jail time,” Chesapeake spokesperson Heath Covey as reported by FOX8.

The ordinance was introduced after an especially violent Halloween in 1968 where a city in the Hampton Roads region witnessed several incidents, including people throwing firecrackers into trick or treaters’ Halloween bags.

The law was altered in March after Chesapeake’s ordinance went viral. Thousands of Halloween fans from all over the world caught wind of Chesapeake’s trick-or-treating ban and they weren’t happy. Even Jimmy Kimmel mocked the town’s law.

According to Covey, the backlash prompted officials to revisit the existing law and raise the maximum age to 14 while dropping the jail provision altogether.

While the ordinance seems to speak for itself, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

In the past 49 years, since the original ordinance was put in place, Chesapeake has not arrested, fined, or jailed a single person for trick or treating.

“Anyone over 14 who trick or treats in Chesapeake will not receive anything but candy,” Covey said, as long as they’re not causing trouble.

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 222,209; in 2018, the population was estimated to be 242,634. Virginia State 2013 Population Estimates Retrieved February 2, 2013 making it the third-most populous city in Virginia – Wikipedia.