{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-1127.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-1127.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-1127.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-1127.html"}],"law_id":83910,"edition_id":1,"section_id":83910,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1127","catch_line":"Vacant building registration; civil penalty","history":"1993, c. 829, \u00a7 15.1-29.24; 1997, c. 587; 1999, c. 250; 2006, c. 299; 2013, cc. 253, 355, 405; 2020, c. 145; 2024, cc. 613, 616.","full_text":"Any county, city, or town, by ordinance, may require the owner or owners of buildings that have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more and (i) that meet the definition of “derelict building” under \u00a7 15.2-907.1, (ii) that meet the definition of “criminal blight” under \u00a7 15.2-907, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner or owners to register such buildings on an annual basis and may impose an annual registration fee not to exceed $100 to defray the cost of processing such registration. The registration of buildings shall be on forms designated by the locality and filed with the agency designated by the locality. Failure to register shall be a $200 civil penalty; however, failure to register in conservation and rehabilitation districts designated by the governing body, or in other areas designated as blighted pursuant to \u00a7 36-49.1:1, shall be punishable by a civil penalty not exceeding $400. Notice shall be mailed to the owner or owners, at the address to which property tax notices are sent, at least 30 days prior to the assessment of the civil penalty.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":300716,"text":"Any county, city, or town, by ordinance, may require the owner or owners of buildings that have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more and (i) that meet the definition of “derelict building” under \u00a7 15.2-907.1, (ii) that meet the definition of “criminal blight” under \u00a7 15.2-907, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner or owners to register such buildings on an annual basis and may impose an annual registration fee not to exceed $100 to defray the cost of processing such registration. The registration of buildings shall be on forms designated by the locality and filed with the agency designated by the locality. Failure to register shall be a $200 civil penalty; however, failure to register in conservation and rehabilitation districts designated by the governing body, or in other areas designated as blighted pursuant to \u00a7 36-49.1:1, shall be punishable by a civil penalty not exceeding $400. Notice shall be mailed to the owner or owners, at the address to which property tax notices are sent, at least 30 days prior to the assessment of the civil penalty.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14098,"edition_id":1,"name":"Additional Powers of Cities and Towns","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12911,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:52","permalink":{"id":152495,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14098,"identifier":"2","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2","url":"\/15.2\/II\/11\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12911,"edition_id":1,"name":"Powers of Cities and Towns","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:00","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:00","permalink":{"id":152371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12911,"identifier":"11","token":"15.2\/II\/11","url":"\/15.2\/II\/11\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12733,"edition_id":1,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":152369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12733,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":83910,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1127","catch_line":"Vacant building registration; civil penalty","url":"\/15.2-1127\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1127","metadata":false},{"id":63973,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1128","catch_line":"City of Norfolk authorized to exchange information regarding criminal history","url":"\/15.2-1128\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1128","metadata":false},{"id":60026,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1129","catch_line":"Encouragement of use of city facilities in certain cities","url":"\/15.2-1129\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1129","metadata":false},{"id":58232,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1129.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/15.2-1129.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1129.1","metadata":false},{"id":63496,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1129.2","catch_line":"Creation of local economic revitalization zones","url":"\/15.2-1129.2\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1129.2","metadata":false},{"id":55228,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1130","catch_line":"Liability for failure to provide adequate security or crowd control","url":"\/15.2-1130\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1130","metadata":false},{"id":66427,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1131","catch_line":"Establishment of personnel system for city administrative officials and employees","url":"\/15.2-1131\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1131","metadata":false},{"id":62143,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1132","catch_line":"Volunteer property maintenance and zoning inspectors in certain cities","url":"\/15.2-1132\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1132","metadata":false},{"id":58065,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1133","catch_line":"Purchase of electric power and energy; duration of contracts; source of payments","url":"\/15.2-1133\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1133","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":63973,"structure_id":14098,"section_number":"15.2-1128","catch_line":"City of Norfolk authorized to exchange information regarding criminal history","url":"\/15.2-1128\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1128","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1127\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1993. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 829 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 1993 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>; in 1999, chapter 250<\/a>; in 2006, chapter 299<\/a>; in 2013, chapters 253<\/a>, 355<\/a>, and 405<\/a>; in 2020, chapter 145<\/a>; in 2024, chapters 613<\/a> and 616<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":85083,"section_number":"15.2-907","catch_line":"Authority to require removal, repair, etc., of buildings and other structures harboring illegal drug use or other criminal activity","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-907\/"},{"id":62717,"section_number":"15.2-907.1","catch_line":"Authority to require removal, repair, etc., of buildings that are declared to be derelict; civil penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-907.1\/"},{"id":79608,"section_number":"36-49.1:1","catch_line":"Spot blight abatement authorized; procedure","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-49.1_1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":152497,"object_type":"law","relational_id":83910,"identifier":"15.2-1127","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1127","url":"\/15.2-1127\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1127\/","token":"15.2\/II\/11\/2\/15.2-1127","dublin_core":{"Title":"Vacant building registration; civil penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1127","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any county<\/span>, city<\/span>, or town<\/span>, by ordinance<\/span>, may require the owner or owners of buildings that have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more and (i) that meet the definition of “derelict building” under \u00a7 15.2-907.1<\/a>, (ii) that meet the definition of “criminal blight” under \u00a7 15.2-907<\/a>, or (iii) in which a locality<\/span> has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner or owners to register such buildings on an annual basis and may impose an annual registration fee not to exceed $100 to defray the cost of processing such registration. The registration of buildings shall be on forms designated by the locality<\/span> and filed with the agency designated by the locality<\/span>. Failure to register shall be a $200 civil penalty<\/span>; however, failure to register in conservation and rehabilitation districts designated by the governing body<\/span>, or in other areas designated as blighted pursuant to \u00a7 36-49.1:1<\/a>, shall be punishable by a civil penalty<\/span> not exceeding $400. Notice shall be mailed to the owner or owners, at the address to which property tax notices are sent, at least 30 days prior to the assessment of the civil penalty<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nVACANT BUILDING REGISTRATION; CIVIL PENALTY (\u00a7 15.2-1127)\n\nAny county, city, or town, by ordinance, may require the owner or owners of\nbuildings that have been vacant for a continuous period of 12 months or more and\n(i) that meet the definition of “derelict building” under \u00a7\n15.2-907.1, (ii) that meet the definition of “criminal blight” under\n\u00a7 15.2-907, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living\nwithout the authority of the owner or owners to register such buildings on an\nannual basis and may impose an annual registration fee not to exceed $100 to\ndefray the cost of processing such registration. The registration of buildings\nshall be on forms designated by the locality and filed with the agency\ndesignated by the locality. Failure to register shall be a $200 civil penalty;\nhowever, failure to register in conservation and rehabilitation districts\ndesignated by the governing body, or in other areas designated as blighted\npursuant to \u00a7 36-49.1:1, shall be punishable by a civil penalty not exceeding\n$400. Notice shall be mailed to the owner or owners, at the address to which\nproperty tax notices are sent, at least 30 days prior to the assessment of the\ncivil penalty.\n\nHISTORY: 1993, c. 829, \u00a7 15.1-29.24; 1997, c. 587; 1999, c. 250; 2006, c. 299;\n2013, cc. 253, 355, 405; 2020, c. 145; 2024, cc. 613, 616.","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}}