Chesapeake In The Know

In recent years, a City of Chesapeake ordinance from 1970 about trick-or-treating rules became a viral sensation. The fact was, though, that this law had never been enforced; it only existed to give Police an option, should things get out of hand on Halloween. In fact, it was created following a particularly violent Halloween in a neighboring City.

While we appreciate all of the concern and attention we received from around the country last year, we’d like to assure everyone that, in fact, we do NOT arrest teens for trick-or-treating and never have. In 2019, the Chesapeake City Council voted to remove the (never before used) penalty of jail time from the ordinance, and to raise the age limit from 12 to 14. This makes our ordinance one of the least restrictive in the entire Hampton Roads region.

Trick-or-treating in Chesapeake takes place from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on October 31.

The City of Chesapeake wishes everyone a safe, fun, and candy-filled Halloween!