Can I move firewood across county lines in Virginia?

Often not without paperwork, and in most cases the easier answer is not to move it at all. Under Virginia's gypsy moth quarantine, firewood is a regulated article, and most of the state's counties and cities are regulated areas. Moving firewood from one of them, even into another regulated county, needs a certificate or permit from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Several other firewood rules, including the spotted lanternfly quarantine, have been repealed.

The rule that still applies: the spongy moth quarantine

Virginia's regulation still calls it the gypsy moth; the Entomological Society of America changed the insect's common name to spongy moth on March 2, 2022.^[2] Under the quarantine, firewood is one of the regulated articles that "shall not be moved into or within Virginia, except in compliance with the conditions prescribed in this quarantine."^[1] More specifically, firewood from a regulated area can be moved, even within Virginia, only with a VDACS certificate or permit attached to it.^[1]

The regulated areas cover most of Virginia. They include the counties of Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski and Roanoke and the cities of Radford, Roanoke and Salem,^[1] as well as Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Henrico, Chesterfield and Albemarle counties, among many others.^[1] They also take in parts of other states that the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates for the moth.^[1] Some localities are left out: Wise, Washington, Smyth, Grayson, Carroll, Henry and Patrick counties are among those not on the list.^[1] Because the list changes as the moth spreads, VDACS publishes a map of the Virginia spongy moth quarantine,^[2] and that is the place to check before a move.

The rule turns on where the wood comes from, not where in Virginia it is going. Montgomery County and its neighbors Craig, Giles, Pulaski, Floyd and Roanoke counties are all regulated areas,^[1] so moving a load of firewood from Blacksburg to a neighbor county is, on paper, a move from one regulated area into another, and it still needs a certificate or permit. An authorized inspector can issue a certificate when the wood has not been exposed to the moth, has been inspected and found free of it, has been treated under the inspector's direction, or was handled so the moth would not travel with it.^[1] The regulation also says inspectors may stop and inspect regulated articles and seize or destroy them.^[1]

What has changed

Some rules people remember no longer apply:

• Spotted lanternfly. Virginia's spotted lanternfly quarantine was repealed as of March 27, 2025,^{[3] [4]} and businesses moving regulated articles within Virginia no longer need a permit.^[3] VDACS notes that some other states still keep spotted lanternfly quarantines and may require a permit from businesses shipping from Virginia.^[3] It still asks residents to help by checking vehicles and outdoor items before leaving infested areas.^[3]
• Emerald ash borer. The state's emerald ash borer quarantine was repealed in 2012.^[5]
• Walnut wood. VDACS's thousand cankers disease quarantine was repealed in 2012.^[6]

Fire ant country: wood with soil on it

In parts of Virginia under the imported fire ant quarantine, regulated articles include logs and pulpwood with soil attached,^[7] and they may not leave the quarantined area unless certified free of fire ants.^[7] The quarantine now covers 18 counties and 15 independent cities across the state,^[7] and a 2025 expansion added Chesterfield, Lee, Nottoway, Pittsylvania, Prince George and Surry counties.^[7] Clean, split firewood without soil is a different matter from muddy logs, but ask VDACS if you are unsure.

Why the rules exist

Insects and diseases that kill trees ride in firewood. The Virginia Department of Forestry warns that emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle and Sirex woodwasp can travel long distances in firewood, and that oak wilt and other diseases can spread the same way.^[8] Its advice is not to carry firewood across state lines or into campgrounds, parks or forests, to use firewood from local sources only,^[8] and to burn any wood you did bring before you leave a campsite.^[8]

Virginia State Parks recommends that visitors not bring their own firewood,^[9] and to buy it at or near the park and burn all of it before leaving.^[9] EPA's version is the same: buy and burn locally cut firewood to decrease the risk of transporting invasive forest pests.^[10]

Hiring a firewood seller

Most people never need a permit because they buy from someone nearby. When you hire a delivery, ask where the wood was cut and stored, and prefer wood from your own county. A seller hauling loads between counties or across state lines is the one who should know the quarantine rules; VDACS can set up inspections or compliance agreements with businesses that move regulated articles, and its spongy moth program lists 804-786-3515.^[2] For pricing and what a legal cord is, see what a cord of firewood costs in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

• You find egg masses, larvae or tunnels in wood you bought or plan to move. VDACS takes reports of invasive pests through its Invasive Species Reporting Tool,^[3] and the wood should stay put until you hear back.
• You sell or haul firewood between localities. Talk to VDACS's Office of Plant Industry Services about inspections or a compliance agreement first.
• Dead or dying ash, oak or walnut trees on your property need to come down. Felling a dead tree is work for a tree service, not a homeowner with a chainsaw.

More seasonal answers are under snow and seasonal services. You can browse firewood delivery and seasonal services around Blacksburg, or describe the job once and local businesses quote it.