{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-1525.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-1525.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-1525.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-1525.html"}],"law_id":64398,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64398,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1525","catch_line":"Where officers shall reside","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-487; 1952, c. 336; 1954, c. 323; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-51; 1966, c. 97; 1968, c. 6; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 155; 1972, cc. 549, 620, 624; 1973, c. 124; 1974, cc. 135, 229, 646; 1975, c. 100; 1976, c. 402; 1977, c. 28; 1978, cc. 106, 113; 1979, c. 362; 1980, cc. 1, 8, 11; 1981, cc. 551, 552, 556, 560, 561; 1982, c. 48; 1983, cc. 51, 76; 1984, cc. 65, 106, 711; 1994, c. 516; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"A\n\nEvery county officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, either in the county for which he is elected or appointed, or in the city wherein the courthouse of the county is or in a city wholly within the boundaries of such county. If no practicing lawyer who has resided in the county or in such city for the period aforesaid offers for election or appointment or if there is not more than one practicing lawyer residing in the jurisdiction who would be qualified to offer for election, it shall be lawful to elect or appoint as attorney for the Commonwealth for such county a nonresident, or one who has not resided in the county, or in such city, for the period above mentioned. Every city and town officer except the town attorney shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment in such city or town unless otherwise specifically provided by charter. Every district officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided in the district for which he is elected or appointed thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, and residence in any incorporated town within the district shall be regarded as residence in the district.B\n\nNotwithstanding the foregoing provisions, and except as other provisions of law may require otherwise, nonelected officers of any locality, and nonelected deputies of constitutional officers, shall not be required to reside in the jurisdiction in which they are appointed. However, the sheriff of any county or city may for law-enforcement purposes require that deputy sheriffs live within a reasonable distance of the administrative office of the sheriff’s department.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":234368,"text":"Every county officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, either in the county for which he is elected or appointed, or in the city wherein the courthouse of the county is or in a city wholly within the boundaries of such county. If no practicing lawyer who has resided in the county or in such city for the period aforesaid offers for election or appointment or if there is not more than one practicing lawyer residing in the jurisdiction who would be qualified to offer for election, it shall be lawful to elect or appoint as attorney for the Commonwealth for such county a nonresident, or one who has not resided in the county, or in such city, for the period above mentioned. Every city and town officer except the town attorney shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment in such city or town unless otherwise specifically provided by charter. Every district officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided in the district for which he is elected or appointed thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, and residence in any incorporated town within the district shall be regarded as residence in the district.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":234369,"text":"Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, and except as other provisions of law may require otherwise, nonelected officers of any locality, and nonelected deputies of constitutional officers, shall not be required to reside in the jurisdiction in which they are appointed. However, the sheriff of any county or city may for law-enforcement purposes require that deputy sheriffs live within a reasonable distance of the administrative office of the sheriff’s department.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13592,"edition_id":1,"name":"Qualifications; Eligibility, Etc., of Local Elected Officers","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12734,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:20","permalink":{"id":153175,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13592,"identifier":"4","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4","url":"\/15.2\/II\/15\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12734,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Government Personnel, Qualification for Office, Bonds, Dual Office Holding and Certain Local Government Officers","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":153003,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12734,"identifier":"15","token":"15.2\/II\/15","url":"\/15.2\/II\/15\/","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":63592,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1522","catch_line":"When and how officers qualify","url":"\/15.2-1522\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1522","metadata":false},{"id":63839,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1523","catch_line":"Record of qualification","url":"\/15.2-1523\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1523","metadata":false},{"id":54559,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1524","catch_line":"Failure to qualify vacates office","url":"\/15.2-1524\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1524","metadata":false},{"id":64398,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1525","catch_line":"Where officers shall reside","url":"\/15.2-1525\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1525","metadata":false},{"id":74690,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1526","catch_line":"Removal vacates office","url":"\/15.2-1526\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1526","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":54559,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1524","catch_line":"Failure to qualify vacates office","url":"\/15.2-1524\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1524","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":74690,"structure_id":13592,"section_number":"15.2-1526","catch_line":"Removal vacates office","url":"\/15.2-1526\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1526","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1525\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 20 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 1952, chapter 336; in 1954, chapter 323; in 1962, chapter 623; in 1966, chapter 97; in 1968, chapter 6; in 1972, chapters 549, 620, and 624; in 1973, chapter 124; in 1974, chapters 135, 229, and 646; in 1975, chapter 100; in 1976, chapter 402; in 1977, chapter 28; in 1978, chapters 106 and 113; in 1979, chapter 362; in 1980, chapters 1, 8, and 11; in 1981, chapters 551, 552, 556, 560, and 561; in 1982, chapter 48; in 1983, chapters 51 and 76; in 1984, chapters 65, 106, and 711; in 1994, chapter 516<\/a>; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":74690,"section_number":"15.2-1526","catch_line":"Removal vacates office","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1526\/"},{"id":54384,"section_number":"15.2-1635","catch_line":"Appointment of deputy when clerk of circuit court unable to perform duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1635\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":153189,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64398,"identifier":"15.2-1525","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1525","url":"\/15.2-1525\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1525\/","token":"15.2\/II\/15\/4\/15.2-1525","dublin_core":{"Title":"Where officers shall reside","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1525","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Every county<\/span> officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, either in the county<\/span> for which he is elected or appointed, or in the city<\/span> wherein the courthouse of the county<\/span> is or in a city<\/span> wholly within the boundaries of such county<\/span>. If no practicing lawyer who has resided in the county<\/span> or in such city<\/span> for the period aforesaid offers for election or appointment or if there is not more than one practicing lawyer residing in the jurisdiction<\/span> who would be qualified to offer for election, it shall be lawful to elect or appoint as attorney for the Commonwealth for such county<\/span> a nonresident, or one who has not resided in the county<\/span>, or in such city<\/span>, for the period above mentioned. Every city<\/span> and town<\/span> officer except the town<\/span> attorney shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment in such city<\/span> or town<\/span> unless otherwise specifically provided by charter. Every district officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided in the district for which he is elected or appointed thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, and residence in any incorporated town<\/span> within the district shall be regarded as residence in the district. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, and except as other provisions of law<\/span> may require otherwise, nonelected officers of any locality<\/span>, and nonelected deputies of constitutional officers<\/span>, shall not be required to reside in the jurisdiction<\/span> in which they are appointed. However, the sheriff of any county<\/span> or city<\/span> may for law<\/span>-enforcement purposes require that deputy sheriffs live within a reasonable distance of the administrative office of the sheriff’s department. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHERE OFFICERS SHALL RESIDE (\u00a7 15.2-1525)\n\nA. Every county officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have\nresided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, either in the\ncounty for which he is elected or appointed, or in the city wherein the\ncourthouse of the county is or in a city wholly within the boundaries of such\ncounty. If no practicing lawyer who has resided in the county or in such city\nfor the period aforesaid offers for election or appointment or if there is not\nmore than one practicing lawyer residing in the jurisdiction who would be\nqualified to offer for election, it shall be lawful to elect or appoint as\nattorney for the Commonwealth for such county a nonresident, or one who has not\nresided in the county, or in such city, for the period above mentioned. Every\ncity and town officer except the town attorney shall, at the time of his\nelection or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or\nappointment in such city or town unless otherwise specifically provided by\ncharter. Every district officer shall, at the time of his election or\nappointment, have resided in the district for which he is elected or appointed\nthirty days next preceding his election or appointment, and residence in any\nincorporated town within the district shall be regarded as residence in the\ndistrict.\n\nB. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, and except as other provisions of\nlaw may require otherwise, nonelected officers of any locality, and nonelected\ndeputies of constitutional officers, shall not be required to reside in the\njurisdiction in which they are appointed. However, the sheriff of any county or\ncity may for law-enforcement purposes require that deputy sheriffs live within a\nreasonable distance of the administrative office of the sheriff’s\ndepartment.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-487; 1952, c. 336; 1954, c. 323; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7\n15.1-51; 1966, c. 97; 1968, c. 6; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 155; 1972, cc. 549, 620,\n624; 1973, c. 124; 1974, cc. 135, 229, 646; 1975, c. 100; 1976, c. 402; 1977, c.\n28; 1978, cc. 106, 113; 1979, c. 362; 1980, cc. 1, 8, 11; 1981, cc. 551, 552,\n556, 560, 561; 1982, c. 48; 1983, cc. 51, 76; 1984, cc. 65, 106, 711; 1994, c.\n516; 1997, c. 587.","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}}