{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3301.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3301.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3301.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3301.html"}],"law_id":79094,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79094,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3301","catch_line":"Initiation of proceeding for declaration of immunity","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.20; 1984, c. 695; 1985, c. 478; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"The governing body of any county or tier-city may, by ordinance passed by a recorded affirmative vote of a majority of the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the county for an order declaring the county or tier-city totally or partially immune, as the case may be, from city-initiated annexation and from the incorporation of new cities within its boundaries.\n\t\tIf the petition for total or partial county immunity is filed after the institution of a proceeding for city-initiated annexation of county or tier-city territory or for the incorporation of a new city within the county’s or tier-city’s boundaries under the provisions of Chapters 32 (\u00a7 15.2-3200 et seq.) or 38 (\u00a7 15.2-3800 et seq.) and before the time limit for pleadings established by the court pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3204 or \u00a7 15.2-3805, the proceeding for annexation or incorporation shall be stayed until the court determines the question of total or partial county immunity. The clerk of the circuit court shall give notice of its receipt of a county’s or tier-city’s petition for immunity to each court in which the county or tier-city may be a party to a city-initiated annexation proceeding or to a proceeding for the incorporation of a new city.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":283328,"text":"The governing body of any county or tier-city may, by ordinance passed by a recorded affirmative vote of a majority of the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the county for an order declaring the county or tier-city totally or partially immune, as the case may be, from city-initiated annexation and from the incorporation of new cities within its boundaries.\n\t\tIf the petition for total or partial county immunity is filed after the institution of a proceeding for city-initiated annexation of county or tier-city territory or for the incorporation of a new city within the county’s or tier-city’s boundaries under the provisions of Chapters 32 (\u00a7 15.2-3200 et seq.) or 38 (\u00a7 15.2-3800 et seq.) and before the time limit for pleadings established by the court pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3204 or \u00a7 15.2-3805, the proceeding for annexation or incorporation shall be stayed until the court determines the question of total or partial county immunity. The clerk of the circuit court shall give notice of its receipt of a county’s or tier-city’s petition for immunity to each court in which the county or tier-city may be a party to a city-initiated annexation proceeding or to a proceeding for the incorporation of a new city.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15544,"edition_id":1,"name":"Immunity of Counties or Parts of Counties From City-Initiated Annexation and City Incorporation","identifier":"33","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:11","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:11","permalink":{"id":157219,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15544,"identifier":"33","token":"15.2\/III\/33","url":"\/15.2\/III\/33\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13062,"edition_id":1,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:12","permalink":{"id":156919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13062,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","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":63407,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3300","catch_line":"Purposes of chapter","url":"\/15.2-3300\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3300","metadata":false},{"id":79094,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3301","catch_line":"Initiation of proceeding for declaration of immunity","url":"\/15.2-3301\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3301","metadata":false},{"id":68824,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3302","catch_line":"Criteria for total immunity; judicial determination","url":"\/15.2-3302\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3302","metadata":false},{"id":64890,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3303","catch_line":"Notice of determination by court; effect on other proceedings","url":"\/15.2-3303\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3303","metadata":false},{"id":82303,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3304","catch_line":"Immunity based upon provision of urban-type services","url":"\/15.2-3304\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3304","metadata":false},{"id":62228,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3305","catch_line":"Duration of immunity","url":"\/15.2-3305\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3305","metadata":false},{"id":72866,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3306","catch_line":"Limitations to immunity","url":"\/15.2-3306\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3306","metadata":false},{"id":59298,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3307","catch_line":"Election of city barred from annexation to be treated as immune county","url":"\/15.2-3307\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3307","metadata":false},{"id":68265,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3308","catch_line":"Partial immunity proceedings final for five years; exceptions","url":"\/15.2-3308\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3308","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":63407,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3300","catch_line":"Purposes of chapter","url":"\/15.2-3300\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3300","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":68824,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3302","catch_line":"Criteria for total immunity; judicial determination","url":"\/15.2-3302\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3302","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3301\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 85 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 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 1984, chapter 695; in 1985, chapter 478; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":55382,"section_number":"15.2-3200","catch_line":"Boundaries of cities and towns to remain as established until changed","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3200\/"},{"id":68591,"section_number":"15.2-3204","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3204\/"},{"id":80368,"section_number":"15.2-3800","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court for city status; appointment of special court","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3800\/"},{"id":72646,"section_number":"15.2-3805","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3805\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157225,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79094,"identifier":"15.2-3301","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3301","url":"\/15.2-3301\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3301\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3301","dublin_core":{"Title":"Initiation of proceeding for declaration of immunity","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3301","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The governing body<\/span> of any county<\/span> or tier-city<\/span> may, by ordinance<\/span> passed by a recorded affirmative vote of a majority of the members thereof, petition<\/span> the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> for the county<\/span> for an order<\/span> declaring the county<\/span> or tier-city<\/span> totally or partially immune, as the case may be, from city<\/span>-initiated annexation and from the incorporation of new cities within its boundaries.\n\t\tIf the petition<\/span> for total or partial county<\/span> immunity is filed after the institution of a proceeding for city<\/span>-initiated annexation of county<\/span> or tier-city<\/span> territory or for the incorporation of a new city<\/span> within the county<\/span>’s or tier-city<\/span>’s boundaries under the provisions of Chapters 32 (\u00a7 15.2-3200<\/a> et seq.) or 38 (\u00a7 15.2-3800<\/a> et seq.) and before the time limit for pleadings<\/span> established by the court<\/span> pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3204<\/a> or \u00a7 15.2-3805<\/a>, the proceeding for annexation or incorporation shall be stayed until the court<\/span> determines the question of total or partial county<\/span> immunity. The clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall give notice of its receipt of a county<\/span>’s or tier-city<\/span>’s petition<\/span> for immunity to each court<\/span> in which the county<\/span> or tier-city<\/span> may be a party<\/span> to a city<\/span>-initiated annexation proceeding or to a proceeding for the incorporation of a new city<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINITIATION OF PROCEEDING FOR DECLARATION OF IMMUNITY (\u00a7 15.2-3301)\n\nThe governing body of any county or tier-city may, by ordinance passed by a\nrecorded affirmative vote of a majority of the members thereof, petition the\ncircuit court for the county for an order declaring the county or tier-city\ntotally or partially immune, as the case may be, from city-initiated annexation\nand from the incorporation of new cities within its boundaries.\n\t\tIf the petition for total or partial county immunity is filed after the\ninstitution of a proceeding for city-initiated annexation of county or tier-city\nterritory or for the incorporation of a new city within the county’s or\ntier-city’s boundaries under the provisions of Chapters 32 (\u00a7 15.2-3200\net seq.) or 38 (\u00a7 15.2-3800 et seq.) and before the time limit for pleadings\nestablished by the court pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-3204 or \u00a7 15.2-3805, the\nproceeding for annexation or incorporation shall be stayed until the court\ndetermines the question of total or partial county immunity. The clerk of the\ncircuit court shall give notice of its receipt of a county’s or\ntier-city’s petition for immunity to each court in which the county or\ntier-city may be a party to a city-initiated annexation proceeding or to a\nproceeding for the incorporation of a new city.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.20; 1984, c. 695; 1985, c. 478; 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}}