{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-1727.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-1727.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-1727.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-1727.html"}],"law_id":56465,"edition_id":1,"section_id":56465,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1727","catch_line":"Reciprocal agreements with localities outside the Commonwealth","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-552; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-131; 1968, c. 800; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 238; 1976, c. 457; 1977, c. 79; 1979, c. 503; 1984, c. 779; 1992, c. 566; 1993, c. 860; 1995, c. 844; 1997, cc. 587, 638, 668; 2004, c. 769; 2007, c. 724.","full_text":"A locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth may, in its discretion, enter into reciprocal agreements for such periods as it deems advisable with any locality outside the Commonwealth, including the District of Columbia, in order to establish and carry into effect a plan to provide mutual aid through the furnishing of its police and other employees and agents, together with all necessary equipment, in the event of such need or emergency as provided herein. No public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth shall enter into such agreement unless the agreement provides that each of the parties to such agreement shall: (i) waive any and all claims against all the other parties thereto which may arise out of their activities outside their respective jurisdictions under such agreement and (ii) indemnify and save harmless the other parties to such agreement from all claims by third parties for property damage or personal injury which may arise out of the activities of the other parties to such agreement outside their respective jurisdictions under such agreement. Parties responding to a reciprocal agreement for mutual aid between localities shall be liable to third parties only to the extent permitted under and in accordance with the laws of the state of the party rendering aid.\n\t\tThe principal law-enforcement officer in any locality or of any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth having a reciprocal agreement with a jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth for police mutual aid under the provisions hereof shall be responsible for directing the activities of all police officers and other officers and agents coming into his jurisdiction under the reciprocal agreement. While operating under the terms of the reciprocal agreement, the principal law-enforcement officer is empowered to authorize all police officers and other officers and agents from outside the Commonwealth to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth to the same extent as if they were duly authorized law-enforcement officers of the locality or a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe governing body of any locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth is authorized to procure or extend the necessary public liability insurance to cover claims arising out of mutual aid agreements executed with other localities outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe police officers, and other officers, agents and employees of a locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth serving in a jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth under a reciprocal agreement entered into pursuant hereto are authorized to carry out the duties and functions provided for in the agreement under the command and supervision of the chief law-enforcement officer of the jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn counties where no police department has been established and the sheriff is the chief law-enforcement officer, the sheriff may enter into mutual aid agreements and furnish and receive such assistance as provided by this section. Sheriffs and their deputies providing assistance pursuant to such a mutual aid agreement shall enjoy all of the authority, immunities and benefits as provided herein for police officers, including full police powers.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":206729,"text":"A locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth may, in its discretion, enter into reciprocal agreements for such periods as it deems advisable with any locality outside the Commonwealth, including the District of Columbia, in order to establish and carry into effect a plan to provide mutual aid through the furnishing of its police and other employees and agents, together with all necessary equipment, in the event of such need or emergency as provided herein. No public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth shall enter into such agreement unless the agreement provides that each of the parties to such agreement shall: (i) waive any and all claims against all the other parties thereto which may arise out of their activities outside their respective jurisdictions under such agreement and (ii) indemnify and save harmless the other parties to such agreement from all claims by third parties for property damage or personal injury which may arise out of the activities of the other parties to such agreement outside their respective jurisdictions under such agreement. Parties responding to a reciprocal agreement for mutual aid between localities shall be liable to third parties only to the extent permitted under and in accordance with the laws of the state of the party rendering aid.\n\t\tThe principal law-enforcement officer in any locality or of any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth having a reciprocal agreement with a jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth for police mutual aid under the provisions hereof shall be responsible for directing the activities of all police officers and other officers and agents coming into his jurisdiction under the reciprocal agreement. While operating under the terms of the reciprocal agreement, the principal law-enforcement officer is empowered to authorize all police officers and other officers and agents from outside the Commonwealth to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth to the same extent as if they were duly authorized law-enforcement officers of the locality or a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe governing body of any locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth is authorized to procure or extend the necessary public liability insurance to cover claims arising out of mutual aid agreements executed with other localities outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe police officers, and other officers, agents and employees of a locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth serving in a jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth under a reciprocal agreement entered into pursuant hereto are authorized to carry out the duties and functions provided for in the agreement under the command and supervision of the chief law-enforcement officer of the jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn counties where no police department has been established and the sheriff is the chief law-enforcement officer, the sheriff may enter into mutual aid agreements and furnish and receive such assistance as provided by this section. Sheriffs and their deputies providing assistance pursuant to such a mutual aid agreement shall enjoy all of the authority, immunities and benefits as provided herein for police officers, including full police powers.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13878,"edition_id":1,"name":"Interjurisdictional Law-Enforcement Authority and Agreements","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13482,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:09","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:09","permalink":{"id":153891,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13878,"identifier":"2","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2","url":"\/15.2\/II\/17\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13482,"edition_id":1,"name":"Police and Public Order","identifier":"17","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:59","permalink":{"id":153747,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13482,"identifier":"17","token":"15.2\/II\/17","url":"\/15.2\/II\/17\/","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":60256,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1724","catch_line":"Police and other officers may be sent beyond territorial limits","url":"\/15.2-1724\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1724","metadata":false},{"id":54907,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1725","catch_line":"Extending police power of localities over lands lying beyond boundaries thereof; jurisdiction of courts","url":"\/15.2-1725\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1725","metadata":false},{"id":59289,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1725.1","catch_line":"Concurrent jurisdiction; limitations","url":"\/15.2-1725.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1725.1","metadata":false},{"id":80081,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1726","catch_line":"Agreements for consolidation of police departments or for cooperation in furnishing police services","url":"\/15.2-1726\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1726","metadata":false},{"id":56465,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1727","catch_line":"Reciprocal agreements with localities outside the Commonwealth","url":"\/15.2-1727\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1727","metadata":false},{"id":55372,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1728","catch_line":"Mutual aid agreements between police departments and federal authorities","url":"\/15.2-1728\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1728","metadata":false},{"id":72809,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1729","catch_line":"Agreements for enforcement of state and county laws by federal officers on federal property","url":"\/15.2-1729\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1729","metadata":false},{"id":87390,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1730","catch_line":"Calling upon law-enforcement officers of counties, cities or towns for assistance","url":"\/15.2-1730\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1730","metadata":false},{"id":76213,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1730.1","catch_line":"Authority and immunity of sheriffs and deputies","url":"\/15.2-1730.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1730.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80081,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1726","catch_line":"Agreements for consolidation of police departments or for cooperation in furnishing police services","url":"\/15.2-1726\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1726","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":55372,"structure_id":13878,"section_number":"15.2-1728","catch_line":"Mutual aid agreements between police departments and federal authorities","url":"\/15.2-1728\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1728","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1727\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 12 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 1962, chapter 623; in 1968, chapter 800; in 1976, chapter 457; in 1977, chapter 79; in 1979, chapter 503; in 1984, chapter 779; in 1992, chapter 566; in 1993, chapter 860; in 1995, chapter 844<\/a>; in 1997, chapters 587<\/a>, 638<\/a>, and 668<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 769<\/a>; in 2007, chapter 724<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":72809,"section_number":"15.2-1729","catch_line":"Agreements for enforcement of state and county laws by federal officers on federal property","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1729\/"},{"id":80452,"section_number":"23.1-815","catch_line":"Campus police forces and auxiliary police forces; powers and duties; jurisdiction","order_by":null,"url":"\/23.1-815\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":153909,"object_type":"law","relational_id":56465,"identifier":"15.2-1727","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1727","url":"\/15.2-1727\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1727\/","token":"15.2\/II\/17\/2\/15.2-1727","dublin_core":{"Title":"Reciprocal agreements with localities outside the Commonwealth","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1727","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A locality<\/span>, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth may, in its discretion, enter into reciprocal agreements for such periods as it deems advisable with any locality<\/span> outside the Commonwealth, including the District of Columbia, in order<\/span> to establish and carry into effect a plan to provide mutual aid through the furnishing of its police and other employees and agents, together with all necessary equipment, in the event of such need or emergency as provided herein. No public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth shall enter into such agreement unless the agreement provides that each of the parties to such agreement shall: (i) waive<\/span> any and all claims against all the other parties thereto which may arise out of their activities outside their respective jurisdictions<\/span> under such agreement and (ii) indemnify and save harmless the other parties to such agreement from all claims by third parties for property damage or personal injury which may arise out of the activities of the other parties to such agreement outside their respective jurisdictions<\/span> under such agreement. Parties responding to a reciprocal agreement for mutual aid between localities shall be liable to third parties only to the extent permitted under and in accordance with the laws<\/span> of the state of the party<\/span> rendering aid.\n\t\tThe principal law<\/span>-enforcement officer in any locality<\/span> or of any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth having a reciprocal agreement with a jurisdiction<\/span> outside the Commonwealth for police mutual aid under the provisions hereof shall be responsible for directing the activities of all police officers and other officers and agents coming into his jurisdiction<\/span> under the reciprocal agreement. While operating under the terms of the reciprocal agreement, the principal law<\/span>-enforcement officer is empowered to authorize all police officers and other officers and agents from outside the Commonwealth to enforce the laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth to the same extent as if they were duly authorized law<\/span>-enforcement officers of the locality<\/span> or a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe governing body<\/span> of any locality<\/span>, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth is authorized to procure or extend the necessary public liability insurance to cover claims arising out of mutual aid agreements executed with other localities outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe police officers, and other officers, agents and employees of a locality<\/span>, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth serving in a jurisdiction<\/span> outside the Commonwealth under a reciprocal agreement entered into pursuant hereto are authorized to carry out the duties and functions provided for in the agreement under the command and supervision of the chief law<\/span>-enforcement officer of the jurisdiction<\/span> outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn counties where no police department has been established and the sheriff is the chief law<\/span>-enforcement officer, the sheriff may enter into mutual aid agreements and furnish and receive such assistance as provided by this section. Sheriffs and their deputies providing assistance pursuant to such a mutual aid agreement shall enjoy all of the authority, immunities and benefits as provided herein for police officers, including full police powers.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS WITH LOCALITIES OUTSIDE THE COMMONWEALTH (\u00a7 15.2-1727)\n\nA locality, public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or\nprivate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth may, in its\ndiscretion, enter into reciprocal agreements for such periods as it deems\nadvisable with any locality outside the Commonwealth, including the District of\nColumbia, in order to establish and carry into effect a plan to provide mutual\naid through the furnishing of its police and other employees and agents,\ntogether with all necessary equipment, in the event of such need or emergency as\nprovided herein. No public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth\nor private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth shall enter into\nsuch agreement unless the agreement provides that each of the parties to such\nagreement shall: (i) waive any and all claims against all the other parties\nthereto which may arise out of their activities outside their respective\njurisdictions under such agreement and (ii) indemnify and save harmless the\nother parties to such agreement from all claims by third parties for property\ndamage or personal injury which may arise out of the activities of the other\nparties to such agreement outside their respective jurisdictions under such\nagreement. Parties responding to a reciprocal agreement for mutual aid between\nlocalities shall be liable to third parties only to the extent permitted under\nand in accordance with the laws of the state of the party rendering aid.\n\t\tThe principal law-enforcement officer in any locality or of any public\ninstitution of higher education in the Commonwealth or private institution of\nhigher education in the Commonwealth having a reciprocal agreement with a\njurisdiction outside the Commonwealth for police mutual aid under the provisions\nhereof shall be responsible for directing the activities of all police officers\nand other officers and agents coming into his jurisdiction under the reciprocal\nagreement. While operating under the terms of the reciprocal agreement, the\nprincipal law-enforcement officer is empowered to authorize all police officers\nand other officers and agents from outside the Commonwealth to enforce the laws\nof the Commonwealth to the same extent as if they were duly authorized\nlaw-enforcement officers of the locality or a public institution of higher\neducation in the Commonwealth or private institution of higher education in the\nCommonwealth.\n\t\tThe governing body of any locality, public institution of higher education in\nthe Commonwealth, or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth\nis authorized to procure or extend the necessary public liability insurance to\ncover claims arising out of mutual aid agreements executed with other localities\noutside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe police officers, and other officers, agents and employees of a locality,\npublic institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, or private\ninstitution of higher education in the Commonwealth serving in a jurisdiction\noutside the Commonwealth under a reciprocal agreement entered into pursuant\nhereto are authorized to carry out the duties and functions provided for in the\nagreement under the command and supervision of the chief law-enforcement officer\nof the jurisdiction outside the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn counties where no police department has been established and the sheriff is\nthe chief law-enforcement officer, the sheriff may enter into mutual aid\nagreements and furnish and receive such assistance as provided by this section.\nSheriffs and their deputies providing assistance pursuant to such a mutual aid\nagreement shall enjoy all of the authority, immunities and benefits as provided\nherein for police officers, including full police powers.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-552; 1962, c. 623, \u00a7 15.1-131; 1968, c. 800; 1971,\nEx. Sess., c. 238; 1976, c. 457; 1977, c. 79; 1979, c. 503; 1984, c. 779; 1992,\nc. 566; 1993, c. 860; 1995, c. 844; 1997, cc. 587, 638, 668; 2004, c. 769; 2007,\nc. 724.","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}}