{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3306.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3306.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3306.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3306.html"}],"law_id":72866,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72866,"structure_id":15544,"section_number":"15.2-3306","catch_line":"Limitations to immunity","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.23; 1997, c. 587; 2002, c. 199.","full_text":"A\n\nImmunity granted by this chapter shall not be interpreted to prohibit any town annexations, or to prohibit annexations to a city initiated under the provisions of § 15.2-3203, except that no city may commence or be a petitioner in any such proceeding.B\n\nNotwithstanding other provisions of law, including § 15.2-3800, no grant of county immunity shall be interpreted to deny the right of any town, which in 1979 possessed a population in excess of 5,000 persons and was situated in a county possessing a population of 20,000 or more persons and a population density of 300 or more persons per square mile, or a population of 50,000 or more persons and a population density of 140 persons or more per square mile, based either on the United States census, on population estimates of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia, or on a special census conducted under court supervision, to obtain city status. Where a town seeks to become a city under the provisions of this section, the special court shall be limited in its review to a determination of the town’s population and population density. Where the court determines that such town has a population of at least 5,000 persons and a density of 200 persons per square mile, it shall enter an order granting the town city status.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":262529,"text":"Immunity granted by this chapter shall not be interpreted to prohibit any town annexations, or to prohibit annexations to a city initiated under the provisions of § 15.2-3203, except that no city may commence or be a petitioner in any such proceeding.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":262530,"text":"Notwithstanding other provisions of law, including § 15.2-3800, no grant of county immunity shall be interpreted to deny the right of any town, which in 1979 possessed a population in excess of 5,000 persons and was situated in a county possessing a population of 20,000 or more persons and a population density of 300 or more persons per square mile, or a population of 50,000 or more persons and a population density of 140 persons or more per square mile, based either on the United States census, on population estimates of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia, or on a special census conducted under court supervision, to obtain city status. Where a town seeks to become a city under the provisions of this section, the special court shall be limited in its review to a determination of the town’s population and population density. Where the court determines that such town has a population of at least 5,000 persons and a density of 200 persons per square mile, it shall enter an order granting the town city status.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3306\/","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 2 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 2002, chapter 199<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":86092,"section_number":"15.2-3203","catch_line":"Petition by voters of adjacent territory, or governing body of adjacent county or town, for annexation; voluntary agreement by governing body to reject annexation","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3203\/"},{"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\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157245,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72866,"identifier":"15.2-3306","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3306","url":"\/15.2-3306\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3306\/","token":"15.2\/III\/33\/15.2-3306","dublin_core":{"Title":"Limitations to immunity","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3306","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Immunity granted by this chapter shall not be interpreted to prohibit any town<\/span> annexations, or to prohibit annexations to a city<\/span> initiated under the provisions of § 15.2-3203<\/a>, except that no city<\/span> may commence or be a petitioner in any such proceeding. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Notwithstanding other provisions of law<\/span>, including § 15.2-3800<\/a>, no grant of county<\/span> immunity shall be interpreted to deny the right of any town<\/span>, which in 1979 possessed a population in excess of 5,000 persons and was situated in a county<\/span> possessing a population of 20,000 or more persons and a population density of 300 or more persons per square mile, or a population of 50,000 or more persons and a population density of 140 persons or more per square mile, based either on the United States census, on population estimates of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia, or on a special census conducted under court<\/span> supervision, to obtain city<\/span> status. Where a town<\/span> seeks to become a city<\/span> under the provisions of this section, the special court<\/span> shall be limited in its review to a determination of the town<\/span>’s population and population density. Where the court<\/span> determines that such town<\/span> has a population of at least 5,000 persons and a density of 200 persons per square mile, it shall enter an order<\/span> granting the town<\/span> city<\/span> status. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLIMITATIONS TO IMMUNITY (\u00a7 15.2-3306)\n\nA. Immunity granted by this chapter shall not be interpreted to prohibit any\ntown annexations, or to prohibit annexations to a city initiated under the\nprovisions of § 15.2-3203, except that no city may commence or be a\npetitioner in any such proceeding.\n\nB. Notwithstanding other provisions of law, including § 15.2-3800, no grant\nof county immunity shall be interpreted to deny the right of any town, which in\n1979 possessed a population in excess of 5,000 persons and was situated in a\ncounty possessing a population of 20,000 or more persons and a population\ndensity of 300 or more persons per square mile, or a population of 50,000 or\nmore persons and a population density of 140 persons or more per square mile,\nbased either on the United States census, on population estimates of the Weldon\nCooper Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia, or on a special\ncensus conducted under court supervision, to obtain city status. Where a town\nseeks to become a city under the provisions of this section, the special court\nshall be limited in its review to a determination of the town’s population\nand population density. Where the court determines that such town has a\npopulation of at least 5,000 persons and a density of 200 persons per square\nmile, it shall enter an order granting the town city status.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.23; 1997, c. 587; 2002, c. 199.","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}}