{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3900.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3900.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3900.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3900.html"}],"law_id":78407,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78407,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3900","catch_line":"Transition authorized","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.1; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"Any county in this Commonwealth may become an independent city by complying with the requirements and procedures set forth in this chapter.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":281021,"text":"Any county in this Commonwealth may become an independent city by complying with the requirements and procedures set forth in this chapter.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13977,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transition of Counties to Cities","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:29","permalink":{"id":157699,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13977,"identifier":"39","token":"15.2\/III\/39","url":"\/15.2\/III\/39\/","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":78407,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3900","catch_line":"Transition authorized","url":"\/15.2-3900\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","metadata":false},{"id":76616,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},{"id":61945,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3902","catch_line":"Moratorium on annexation suits pending transition to city","url":"\/15.2-3902\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3902","metadata":false},{"id":80983,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3903","catch_line":"Notice of motion; service and publication; answer","url":"\/15.2-3903\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3903","metadata":false},{"id":70128,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3904","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-3904\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3904","metadata":false},{"id":78965,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3905","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-3905\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3905","metadata":false},{"id":55673,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3906","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-3906\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3906","metadata":false},{"id":61723,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3907","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-3907\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3907","metadata":false},{"id":72364,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3908","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-3908\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3908","metadata":false},{"id":55978,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3909","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-3909\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3909","metadata":false},{"id":62362,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3910","catch_line":"Charter commission; appointment; compensation","url":"\/15.2-3910\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3910","metadata":false},{"id":76353,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3911","catch_line":"Charter provisions generally","url":"\/15.2-3911\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3911","metadata":false},{"id":67433,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3912","catch_line":"Optional charter provisions","url":"\/15.2-3912\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3912","metadata":false},{"id":79171,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3913","catch_line":"Public hearing on charter; notice and publication; adoption of charter by governing body","url":"\/15.2-3913\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3913","metadata":false},{"id":61609,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3914","catch_line":"Rejection or adoption of charter at election","url":"\/15.2-3914\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3914","metadata":false},{"id":84387,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3915","catch_line":"Transition of county to independent city requires no action of town council","url":"\/15.2-3915\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3915","metadata":false},{"id":63924,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3916","catch_line":"Creation of townships; effect on town charters; right of certain townships to obtain city status","url":"\/15.2-3916\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3916","metadata":false},{"id":55047,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3917","catch_line":"Certain cities not affected by chapter","url":"\/15.2-3917\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3917","metadata":false},{"id":79729,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3918","catch_line":"Optional status of streets","url":"\/15.2-3918\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3918","metadata":false},{"id":78203,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3919","catch_line":"Legislative, etc., district and judicial circuit not affected","url":"\/15.2-3919\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3919","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":76616,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3900\/","history_text":"<p>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 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?971+ful+CHAP0587\">587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":83819,"section_number":"15.2-1301","catch_line":"Voluntary economic growth-sharing agreements","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1301\/"},{"id":69929,"section_number":"15.2-1609.7","catch_line":"Salaries and expense allowances to be paid by Commonwealth","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1609.7\/"},{"id":67178,"section_number":"15.2-2316.2","catch_line":"Localities may provide for transfer of development rights","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2316.2\/"},{"id":85081,"section_number":"15.2-3000","catch_line":"Special court to hear certain cases","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3000\/"},{"id":57984,"section_number":"15.2-3534","catch_line":"Optional provisions of consolidation agreement","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3534\/"},{"id":79307,"section_number":"36-132.1","catch_line":"Commission on Local Government","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-132.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":157701,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78407,"identifier":"15.2-3900","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","url":"\/15.2-3900\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3900\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3900","dublin_core":{"Title":"Transition authorized","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3900","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Any <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> in this Commonwealth may become an independent <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> by complying with the requirements and procedures set forth in this chapter.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTRANSITION AUTHORIZED (\u00a7 15.2-3900)\n\nAny county in this Commonwealth may become an independent city by complying with\nthe requirements and procedures set forth in this chapter.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.1; 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}}