{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/13.1-558.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/13.1-558.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/13.1-558.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/13.1-558.html"}],"law_id":61843,"edition_id":1,"section_id":61843,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-558","catch_line":"Policy of the Commonwealth","history":"1972, c. 561.","full_text":"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth, through the exercise by the General Assembly of its power to regulate commerce partly or wholly within the Commonwealth of Virginia, to correct as rapidly as practicable such inequities as may exist in the franchise system so as to establish a more even balance of power between franchisors and franchisees; to require franchisors to deal fairly with their franchisees with reference to all aspects of the franchise relationship and to provide franchisees more direct, simple, and complete judicial relief against franchisors who fail to deal in a lawful manner with them.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":225836,"text":"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth, through the exercise by the General Assembly of its power to regulate commerce partly or wholly within the Commonwealth of Virginia, to correct as rapidly as practicable such inequities as may exist in the franchise system so as to establish a more even balance of power between franchisors and franchisees; to require franchisors to deal fairly with their franchisees with reference to all aspects of the franchise relationship and to provide franchisees more direct, simple, and complete judicial relief against franchisors who fail to deal in a lawful manner with them.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15323,"edition_id":1,"name":"Retail Franchising Act","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12744,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:58","permalink":{"id":150081,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15323,"identifier":"8","token":"13.1\/8","url":"\/13.1\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12744,"edition_id":1,"name":"Corporations","identifier":"13.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":147493,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12744,"identifier":"13.1","token":"13.1","url":"\/13.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":73586,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-557","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/13.1-557\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-557","metadata":false},{"id":61843,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-558","catch_line":"Policy of the Commonwealth","url":"\/13.1-558\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-558","metadata":false},{"id":74631,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-559","catch_line":"Definitions; applicability of chapter","url":"\/13.1-559\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-559","metadata":false},{"id":82599,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-560","catch_line":"Registration required","url":"\/13.1-560\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-560","metadata":false},{"id":81742,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-561","catch_line":"Procedure for registration; bond; renewal; fee","url":"\/13.1-561\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-561","metadata":false},{"id":73116,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-561.1","catch_line":"Fees to cover expense of regulation","url":"\/13.1-561.1\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-561.1","metadata":false},{"id":73535,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-562","catch_line":"Revocation of or refusal to renew registration","url":"\/13.1-562\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-562","metadata":false},{"id":87113,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-563","catch_line":"Unlawful offers","url":"\/13.1-563\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-563","metadata":false},{"id":59406,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-564","catch_line":"Unlawful cancellation of franchise; undue influence","url":"\/13.1-564\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-564","metadata":false},{"id":73406,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-565","catch_line":"Voidable franchises","url":"\/13.1-565\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-565","metadata":false},{"id":86515,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-566","catch_line":"Service of process on nonresident franchisor","url":"\/13.1-566\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-566","metadata":false},{"id":83647,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-567","catch_line":"Investigations; confidentiality of information and documents","url":"\/13.1-567\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-567","metadata":false},{"id":58344,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-568","catch_line":"Injunctions","url":"\/13.1-568\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-568","metadata":false},{"id":79184,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-569","catch_line":"Crimes","url":"\/13.1-569\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-569","metadata":false},{"id":61728,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-569.1","catch_line":"Commission may transmit record or complaint to locality where violation occurred","url":"\/13.1-569.1\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-569.1","metadata":false},{"id":73285,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-570","catch_line":"Violations punishable by Commission","url":"\/13.1-570\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-570","metadata":false},{"id":76507,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-571","catch_line":"Civil remedies","url":"\/13.1-571\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-571","metadata":false},{"id":63100,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-572","catch_line":"Rules and forms","url":"\/13.1-572\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-572","metadata":false},{"id":72781,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-573","catch_line":"Certain records of Commission available to public; admissibility of copies; destruction","url":"\/13.1-573\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-573","metadata":false},{"id":70040,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-574","catch_line":"Effective date","url":"\/13.1-574\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-574","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":73586,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-557","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/13.1-557\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-557","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":74631,"structure_id":15323,"section_number":"13.1-559","catch_line":"Definitions; applicability of chapter","url":"\/13.1-559\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-559","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/13.1-558\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1972. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 561 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1972 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":150087,"object_type":"law","relational_id":61843,"identifier":"13.1-558","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-558","url":"\/13.1-558\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/13.1-558\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-558","dublin_core":{"Title":"Policy of the Commonwealth","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 13.1-558","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth, through the exercise by the General Assembly of its power to regulate commerce partly or wholly within the Commonwealth of Virginia, to correct as rapidly as practicable such inequities as may exist in the franchise system so as to establish a more even balance of power between franchisors and franchisees; to require franchisors to deal fairly with their franchisees with reference to all aspects of the franchise relationship and to provide franchisees more direct, simple, and complete judicial relief against franchisors who fail to deal in a lawful manner with them.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOLICY OF THE COMMONWEALTH (\u00a7 13.1-558)\n\nIt is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth, through the exercise\nby the General Assembly of its power to regulate commerce partly or wholly\nwithin the Commonwealth of Virginia, to correct as rapidly as practicable such\ninequities as may exist in the franchise system so as to establish a more even\nbalance of power between franchisors and franchisees; to require franchisors to\ndeal fairly with their franchisees with reference to all aspects of the\nfranchise relationship and to provide franchisees more direct, simple, and\ncomplete judicial relief against franchisors who fail to deal in a lawful manner\nwith them.\n\nHISTORY: 1972, c. 561.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}