The rules for trick-or-treating in Hampton Roads
Halloween night will bring anything from spooky ghosts and goblins to masked superheroes and crowned princesses knocking at your door — but only for about two hours for kids under the age of 13.
Most Hampton Roads locales limit trick-or-treating to children 12 and under, with the exception of Chesapeake, which allows children as old as 14 to participate. The playing of tricks and gathering of treats will commence Monday around dusk.
Drive Smart Virginia, a nonprofit organization that promotes traffic safety across the state, reminds drivers and pedestrians to use caution and common sense as children wander through neighborhoods and along roadways on Halloween night.
“It’s a reciprocal responsibility,” said Rich Jacobs, public relations and outreach manager for Drive Smart Virginia. “Vulnerable road users — pedestrians and bicyclists — have a responsibility to try to be visible (to motorists).”
Data from the Department of Motor Vehicles shows October is the most dangerous month on Virginia roadways, and this year, pedestrian fatalities are already up 34%. Across Hampton Roads’ seven cities, 195 pedestrians have been injured after being struck by a vehicle since January. Of those, 29 have died.
Jacobs said those venturing out on Halloween night should use sidewalks and crosswalks, making eye contact with drivers before crossing the street. He said trick-or-treaters should also use glow sticks or flashlights as the sun sets.
“You can still dress up like Dracula — just be Dracula carrying a flashlight,” Jacobs said.
The night’s festivities will end at 8 in most neighborhoods, according to city ordinances across the region. The cut-off time reflects similar rules in communities nationwide, offering a defining window in which children will go door to door.
This range ensures the activities will conclude at the end of twilight, said Leo Kosinski, spokesperson for Chesapeake Police Department.
“Anecdotally, we have also had parents tell us that having an end-point is useful for them in closing out the activity with their children,” Kosinski said.
Children too old to trick or treat or those who continue knocking on doors past the cut-off time could be charged with a misdemeanor if stopped by police.
However, Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth city and police officials reported no one has been arrested or cited for violating trick-or-treating laws. Officials in Hampton, Suffolk and Virginia Beach did not respond to a request for comment.
The age law does not apply to parents, guardians or older siblings who are escorting trick-or-treaters.
What time does the fun begin?
Norfolk: Sundown to 8 p.m.
Virginia Beach: Dusk to 8 p.m.
Chesapeake: 6-8 p.m.
Portsmouth: No specified start time, ends at 8 p.m.
Suffolk: Dusk to 8 p.m.
Gloucester County: 6-8:30 p.m.
Hampton: Dusk to 8 p.m.
Newport News: Dusk to 8 p.m.
Williamsburg and James City County: 6-8 p.m.
York County: 6-8 p.m.
Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
