Virginia Laws
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Virginia Guardianship and Conservatorship Laws (2026 Guide)
How Virginia guardianship and conservatorship work: clear and convincing proof, a guardian ad litem in every case, review hearings, and options for children.
Virginia Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do
Learn Virginia hit and run laws, penalties, and driver duties. Class 5 felony for injury or death cases. Statute of limitations, insurance claims, and more.
Virginia Homestead Exemption: Tax Relief, Veterans and Creditors
Virginia has no statewide homestead tax exemption. See local senior and disability relief, the disabled veteran exemption and the 34-4 creditor homestead.
Virginia Identity Theft Laws: Penalties and the Identity Theft Passport
Virginia identity theft under Code 18.2-186.3 ranges from a misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony. Learn the penalties and the Identity Theft Passport program.
Virginia Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Exemptions and Employer Rules
Virginia jurors get $50 a day, people over 73 may ask to be exempted, and employers cannot fire you or force leave use for jury duty. See the 2026 rules.
Virginia Knife Laws (2026): Concealed Carry, Stiletto Knife
Virginia bans concealed carry of a stiletto knife and similar items; current law uses stiletto, not switchblade, and preempts local knife rules only at airports.
Virginia Landlord-Tenant Laws (2026): Deposits, Notice, and Tenant Rights
Virginia caps security deposits at 2 months rent and requires return in 45 days. Learn VRLTA entry notice rules, late-fee limits, rent control preemption, and more.
Virginia Landlord-Tenant Recording Laws: Surveillance and Privacy Rights
Virginia landlord-tenant recording laws cover tenant recording rights, landlord camera placement, and privacy protections. Learn the rules under Va. Code 19.2-62 and 55.1-1200.
Virginia Larceny Laws: Felony Threshold, Penalties and Shoplifting
In Virginia, theft of $1,000 or more is grand larceny, a felony of 1 to 20 years. See petit larceny penalties, shoplifting rules and civil demands.
Virginia Laws on Recording in Public: Rights and Restrictions
Virginia allows recording in public spaces under First Amendment protections and one-party consent rules. Learn the legal boundaries for filming in public places.
Virginia Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Limitations
Virginia law protects your right to record police officers in public. Learn First Amendment protections, limitations, body camera requirements under Va. Code 19.2-390.04, and more.
Virginia Lemon Law (2026): How to Qualify & Get a Refund
Virginia's lemon law requires manufacturers to replace or refund a new vehicle after 3 repair attempts, 1 safety-defect attempt, or 30 days out of service within 18 months.
Virginia License Plate Reader Laws (2026)
Virginia Code 2.2-5517 limits police ALPR use, requires 21-day purging, bars sharing with other databases, and exempts data from FOIA.
Virginia Manslaughter Laws: Class 5 Felonies and DUI Manslaughter
Virginia manslaughter law: voluntary and involuntary manslaughter are Class 5 felonies, and aggravated DUI involuntary manslaughter carries 1 to 20 years.
Virginia Marriage and Divorce Records: How to Get a Copy (2026)
Virginia marriage and divorce records become public 25 years after the event. Who can order a certificate before then, the $15 fee, and where decrees live.
Virginia Marriage License Requirements 2026: $30, 60 Days, No Wait
How to get a Virginia marriage license in 2026: apply at any circuit court clerk, pay $30, no waiting period, a 60-day license, the age-18 rule and officiant orders.
Virginia Medical Recording Laws: Patient Rights and Healthcare Privacy
Virginia medical recording laws allow patients to record their own appointments under one-party consent. Learn about HIPAA, enhanced penalties for medical recordings, and healthcare privacy.
Virginia Medical Records Retention Laws (2026 Guide)
Virginia medical records retention laws: how long hospitals and doctors keep your records, HIPAA rules, and patient rights.
Virginia Minimum Wage 2026: $12.77 Now, $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2027
Virginia minimum wage is $12.77 per hour in 2026, rising to $13.75 on January 1, 2027 and $15.00 in 2028. See farm worker coverage, tipped pay and filing a claim.
Virginia Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
How to legally change your name in Virginia under Va. Code 8.01-217: the circuit court petition, felony and sex-offender disclosure, and divorce restoration.
Virginia Noise Laws (2026): Local Ordinances, Fines, Quiet Hours
Virginia noise limits come from local ordinances; state law caps civil noise fines at $250 and $500. A loud exhaust is listed at $81 on the fine schedule, plus costs.
Virginia Non-Compete Laws (2026): Are Non-Competes Enforceable?
Virginia bans non-competes for low-wage workers and, from July 1, 2026, health care professionals. See the $1,507.01 weekly threshold and the severance rule.
Virginia Nursing Home Camera Laws: Electronic Monitoring Rights
Virginia Code section 32.1-138.5:1 lets nursing facility residents install electronic monitoring today; a parallel assisted living law, section 63.2-1808.2, is enacted but not yet in force.
Virginia Open Container Law (2026): No Possession Offense
Virginia has no open-container possession law. Code 18.2-323.1 bans only driver drinking, using containers as a rebuttable presumption. See the penalty.
Virginia Pepper Spray and Stun Gun Laws (2026)
Virginia bans malicious tear gas release, not possession, and stun weapons are absent from the concealed-weapons list. See the school, airport, and felon rules.
Virginia Phone Call Recording Laws: What You Need to Know
Virginia phone call recording laws allow one-party consent under Va. Code 19.2-62, but civil admissibility is limited by Va. Code 8.01-420.2. Learn the rules and exceptions.
Virginia Police Body Camera Laws: Mandate & FOIA Access
Virginia has no statewide bodycam mandate. See Va. Code 15.2-1723.1's policy rule, Virginia State Police funding, and how VFOIA controls footage access.
Virginia Police Report: How to Get a Crash Report from DMV, an Incident Report, or Body Camera Footage
How to request a Virginia crash report from DMV for $8, get a local incident report under VFOIA, and how body camera deployment policy works.
Virginia Pornography Laws (2026): Legal for Adults, AV Required for Sites
Virginia allows private adult pornography but requires site age verification under a separate civil-liability law. See obscenity, CSAM, and revenge porn rules.
Virginia Power of Attorney Laws: Durable, Medical, and Financial POA (2026)
Virginia adopted the Uniform Power of Attorney Act (Va. Code 64.2-1600 et seq.). A financial POA is durable by default, requires notarization, and grants hot powers only when expressly listed. Healthcare decisions require a separate advance directive under Va. Code 54.1-2981 et seq.
Virginia Prenuptial Agreement Laws: Rules and Enforceability (2026)
Virginia prenups are governed by the Premarital Agreement Act, Va. Code §§ 20-147 to 20-155. See the writing rule, what can void a prenup, and postnup rules.
Virginia Probate and Intestate Succession: What Happens Without a Will (2026)
Virginia probate explained: Clerk of Circuit Court qualification, the $75,000 small estate threshold, intestate succession shares, and Virginia's probate tax.
Virginia Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)
Virginia property records run through the Circuit Court Clerk, not a Recorder. Learn how to search, get certified copies, and use free VADeed Alert.
Virginia Punitive Damages Laws: $350,000 Cap and Rules (2026)
Virginia generally caps punitive damages at $350,000 against all defendants (8.01-38.1), with special rules for drunk driving, hit-and-run and fair housing.
Virginia Quitclaim Deed: Requirements, Recording and Recordation Tax
How a Virginia quitclaim deed is signed, recorded with the circuit court clerk and taxed, including the gift and no-consideration quitclaim exemption.
Virginia Reckless Driving Laws: Penalties, Points and Speed (2026)
Virginia reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 12 months and $2,500). Driving 20+ mph over the limit or over 85 mph counts. Points and suspensions.
Virginia Recording Laws (2026): One-Party Consent Rules
Virginia is a one-party consent state under Va. Code § 19.2-62. Learn the criminal penalties, civil damages, phone-call evidence rule, and hidden-camera laws.
Virginia Restraining Order Laws (2026): How to Get a Protective Order
Learn how to get a protective order in Virginia: three-tier system (EPO, Preliminary, Final), who qualifies, how long orders last, firearms rules, and penalties.
Virginia Ring Doorbell Laws: What You Need to Know in 2026
Learn Virginia Ring doorbell laws: one-party consent audio recording, video surveillance rules, HOA restrictions, tenant rights, and VCDPA protections.
Virginia Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Your Right to Sue (2026)
Virginia's Consumer Protection Act lets a person who lost money to a supplier's listed deceptive practice sue for $500 or actual damages. Where to report, deadlines.
Virginia School Recording Laws: Student, Parent, and Teacher Rights
Virginia school recording laws address student recording rights, school surveillance cameras, IEP meeting recordings, and FERPA protections. Learn the rules for K-12 and college settings.
Virginia Security Camera Laws: Home, Business, and HOA Rules
Virginia security camera laws cover home surveillance, business cameras, HOA rules, and neighbor disputes. Learn what is legal under Virginia privacy and recording statutes.
Virginia Self-Defense Laws: Stand Your Ground & Castle Doctrine (2026)
Virginia self-defense law is common law, not statutory. A faultless defender has no duty to retreat; an at-fault defender must. Learn the castle doctrine and more.
Virginia Severance Pay Laws (2026): Is Severance Required?
Virginia does not require private employers to pay severance. State employees get 4 to 36 weeks; a 2026 law ties new non-competes to severance. Unemployment rules.
Virginia Sexting Laws: Legal Consequences and Penalties
Learn about Virginia sexting laws, child pornography penalties under Va. Code 18.2-374.1, revenge porn charges, and juvenile court options in 2026.
Virginia Slip and Fall Laws: Proving Premises Liability in a Pure-Contributory State
Virginia slip and fall laws explained: pure contributory negligence bars all recovery at 1% fault, open-and-obvious is an absolute bar, 2-year SOL, 6-month government notice.
Virginia Small Claims Court: $5,000 Limit, Fees and How to File
Virginia small claims court hears claims up to $5,000 without lawyers. Learn the fees, where to file, how to serve, appeal deadlines and how to collect.
Virginia Small Estate Affidavit: $75,000 Limit, Wait Time and Form
Virginia's small estate affidavit covers personal estates up to $75,000 after a 60-day wait. All successors sign form CC-1685; nothing is filed in court.
Virginia Smart Glasses Recording Laws
Virginia is a one-party consent state. Record your own conversations legally with smart glasses under Va. Code 19.2-62. Know where recording is prohibited.
Virginia Social Security Disability: Rates & Wait Times
Social Security disability in Virginia: a 209(b) Medicaid state, no SSI cash supplement for independent living, approval odds, and ALJ hearing wait times.
Virginia Spousal Support (Alimony) Laws: How It Works (2026)
Virginia calls it spousal support, not alimony. Final awards are discretionary under Va. Code section 20-107.1 (13 factors). Adultery generally bars support. A pendente lite formula applies for combined income under $10,000.
Virginia Squatters Rights and Adverse Possession Laws (2026)
Virginia requires 15 years of adverse possession under Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-236. Learn how to remove squatters using unlawful detainer in Virginia General District Court.
Virginia Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type
Virginia statute of limitations for civil and criminal cases. Filing deadlines for personal injury, contracts, property damage, fraud, and felonies.
Virginia Surveillance Camera Laws (2026 Guide)
Virginia surveillance camera laws: home security, workplace cameras, neighbor disputes, audio recording rules.
Virginia Trade Secret Laws: UTSA, Remedies & Deadlines
Virginia trade secret law (Va. Code §§ 59.1-336 to 59.1-343): 3-year deadline, what qualifies, remedies, and how the federal DTSA applies in Virginia.
Virginia Unclaimed Property: How to Search & Claim Your Money (2026)
Virginia Treasury holds millions in unclaimed money. Search vaMoneySearch.gov for free and see if VA Cash Now is already mailing you a check automatically.
Virginia Unemployment Benefits 2026: $478 Max, Eligibility, Filing
Virginia unemployment pays $160 to $478 a week for claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, for 12 to 26 weeks. See eligibility, waiting week and appeal rules.
Virginia Video Recording Laws: Surveillance Rules and Privacy Limits
Virginia video recording laws cover public filming, private surveillance, and voyeurism protections. Learn what is legal under Va. Code 18.2-386.1 and 18.2-130.
Virginia Voyeurism and Hidden Camera Laws: Penalties and Protections
Virginia voyeurism laws criminalize hidden cameras, peeping, and non-consensual intimate images. Learn penalties under Va. Code 18.2-386.1, 18.2-130, and 18.2-386.2.
Virginia Warrant Search: How to Check If You Have a Warrant (2026)
Learn Virginia's real free warrant search tool (OCIS) and why the VSP 'Wanted Persons' page cannot check your own status.