{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-3901.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-3901.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-3901.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-3901.html"}],"law_id":76616,"edition_id":1,"section_id":76616,"structure_id":13977,"section_number":"15.2-3901","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","history":"1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.2; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"The governing body of any county may, by ordinance passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the county, alleging that the county meets the criteria set out in \u00a7 15.2-3907, for an order declaring the county eligible for city status. The circuit court with which the petition is filed shall notify the Supreme Court, which shall appoint a special court to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (\u00a7 15.2-3000 et seq.) of this title.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":275037,"text":"The governing body of any county may, by ordinance passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the county, alleging that the county meets the criteria set out in \u00a7 15.2-3907, for an order declaring the county eligible for city status. The circuit court with which the petition is filed shall notify the Supreme Court, which shall appoint a special court to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (\u00a7 15.2-3000 et seq.) of this title.","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}],"previous_section":{"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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-3901\/","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 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 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":85081,"section_number":"15.2-3000","catch_line":"Special court to hear certain cases","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3000\/"},{"id":61723,"section_number":"15.2-3907","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3907\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157705,"object_type":"law","relational_id":76616,"identifier":"15.2-3901","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","url":"\/15.2-3901\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-3901\/","token":"15.2\/III\/39\/15.2-3901","dublin_core":{"Title":"Ordinance petitioning court to declare eligibility","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-3901","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The governing body<\/span> of any county<\/span> may, by ordinance<\/span> passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition<\/span> the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> for the county<\/span>, alleging that the county<\/span> meets the criteria set out in \u00a7 15.2-3907<\/a>, for an order<\/span> declaring the county<\/span> eligible for city<\/span> status. The circuit<\/span> court<\/span> with which the petition<\/span> is filed shall notify the Supreme Court<\/span>, which shall appoint a special court<\/span> to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (\u00a7 15.2-3000<\/a> et seq.) of this title.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nORDINANCE PETITIONING COURT TO DECLARE ELIGIBILITY (\u00a7 15.2-3901)\n\nThe governing body of any county may, by ordinance passed by a recorded majority\nvote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the county,\nalleging that the county meets the criteria set out in \u00a7 15.2-3907, for an\norder declaring the county eligible for city status. The circuit court with\nwhich the petition is filed shall notify the Supreme Court, which shall appoint\na special court to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (\u00a7 15.2-3000 et\nseq.) of this title.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 85, \u00a7 15.1-977.2; 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}}