{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-4101.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-4101.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-4101.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-4101.html"}],"law_id":73202,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73202,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4101","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court for town status; notice of motion","history":"1988, c. 881, \u00a7\u00a7 15.1-965.10, 15.1-965.11; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"A\n\nAny city in this Commonwealth with a population at the time of the latest United States decennial census of less than 50,000 people, after fulfilling the requirements of Chapter 29 (&#xA7; 15.2-2900 et seq.), may by ordinance passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the city, alleging that the city meets the criteria set out in &#xA7; 15.2-4106 for an order granting town status to the city. 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 (&#xA7; 15.2-3000 et seq.) of this title.B\n\nBefore instituting a proceeding under this chapter for a grant of town status, a city shall serve notice on the county attorney, or if there is none, on the attorney for the Commonwealth, and on the chairman of the board of supervisors of the adjoining county that it will, on a given day, petition the circuit court for a grant of town status. The notice served on each official shall include a certified copy of the ordinance. A copy of the notice and ordinance, or a descriptive summary of the notice and ordinance and a reference to the place within the city or adjoining county where copies of the notice and ordinance may be examined, shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks in some newspaper having general circulation in the city and adjoining county. The notice and ordinance shall be returned after service to the clerk of the circuit court. Certification by the owner, editor or manager of the newspaper publishing the notice and ordinance shall be proof of publication.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":263523,"text":"Any city in this Commonwealth with a population at the time of the latest United States decennial census of less than 50,000 people, after fulfilling the requirements of Chapter 29 (&#xA7; 15.2-2900 et seq.), may by ordinance passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit court for the city, alleging that the city meets the criteria set out in &#xA7; 15.2-4106 for an order granting town status to the city. 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 (&#xA7; 15.2-3000 et seq.) of this title.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":263524,"text":"Before instituting a proceeding under this chapter for a grant of town status, a city shall serve notice on the county attorney, or if there is none, on the attorney for the Commonwealth, and on the chairman of the board of supervisors of the adjoining county that it will, on a given day, petition the circuit court for a grant of town status. The notice served on each official shall include a certified copy of the ordinance. A copy of the notice and ordinance, or a descriptive summary of the notice and ordinance and a reference to the place within the city or adjoining county where copies of the notice and ordinance may be examined, shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks in some newspaper having general circulation in the city and adjoining county. The notice and ordinance shall be returned after service to the clerk of the circuit court. Certification by the owner, editor or manager of the newspaper publishing the notice and ordinance shall be proof of publication.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14654,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transition of City to Town Status","identifier":"41","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13062,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:10","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:10","permalink":{"id":157807,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14654,"identifier":"41","token":"15.2\/III\/41","url":"\/15.2\/III\/41\/","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":78761,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4100","catch_line":"City may change to town status","url":"\/15.2-4100\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4100","metadata":false},{"id":73202,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4101","catch_line":"Ordinance petitioning court for town status; notice of motion","url":"\/15.2-4101\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4101","metadata":false},{"id":83698,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4102","catch_line":"Citizen petition for town status","url":"\/15.2-4102\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4102","metadata":false},{"id":86293,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4103","catch_line":"Parties","url":"\/15.2-4103\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4103","metadata":false},{"id":78957,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4104","catch_line":"Time limit for intervenors; publication of order","url":"\/15.2-4104\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4104","metadata":false},{"id":59306,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4105","catch_line":"Pretrial conference; matters considered","url":"\/15.2-4105\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4105","metadata":false},{"id":63501,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4106","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","url":"\/15.2-4106\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4106","metadata":false},{"id":69319,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4107","catch_line":"Assistance of state agencies","url":"\/15.2-4107\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4107","metadata":false},{"id":57092,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4108","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/15.2-4108\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4108","metadata":false},{"id":65172,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4109","catch_line":"Declining a grant of town status","url":"\/15.2-4109\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4109","metadata":false},{"id":81033,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4110","catch_line":"Proceedings final for five years","url":"\/15.2-4110\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4110","metadata":false},{"id":79862,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4111","catch_line":"Effective date of transition","url":"\/15.2-4111\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4111","metadata":false},{"id":81773,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4112","catch_line":"Charter for resulting town","url":"\/15.2-4112\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4112","metadata":false},{"id":75673,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4113","catch_line":"Restriction on subsequent change in status","url":"\/15.2-4113\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4113","metadata":false},{"id":56234,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4114","catch_line":"Liabilities and assets of such city","url":"\/15.2-4114\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4114","metadata":false},{"id":58758,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4115","catch_line":"Effect when city becomes town; officers","url":"\/15.2-4115\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4115","metadata":false},{"id":62423,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4115.1","catch_line":"Disposition of police department or sheriff's department motorcycles","url":"\/15.2-4115.1\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4115.1","metadata":false},{"id":63233,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4116","catch_line":"Library aid continued","url":"\/15.2-4116\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4116","metadata":false},{"id":68768,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4117","catch_line":"Temporary restriction on annexation","url":"\/15.2-4117\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4117","metadata":false},{"id":58976,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4118","catch_line":"Effect on pending suits","url":"\/15.2-4118\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4118","metadata":false},{"id":72824,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4119","catch_line":"Effect on jurisdiction of courts","url":"\/15.2-4119\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4119","metadata":false},{"id":63691,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4120","catch_line":"Court granting transition to town status to exist for 10 years","url":"\/15.2-4120\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4120","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":78761,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4100","catch_line":"City may change to town status","url":"\/15.2-4100\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4100","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":83698,"structure_id":14654,"section_number":"15.2-4102","catch_line":"Citizen petition for town status","url":"\/15.2-4102\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4102","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-4101\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1988. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 881 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 1988 \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":83698,"section_number":"15.2-4102","catch_line":"Citizen petition for town status","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-4102\/"},{"id":63691,"section_number":"15.2-4120","catch_line":"Court granting transition to town status to exist for 10 years","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-4120\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":68774,"section_number":"15.2-2900","catch_line":"Purpose and intent","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2900\/"},{"id":85081,"section_number":"15.2-3000","catch_line":"Special court to hear certain cases","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3000\/"},{"id":63501,"section_number":"15.2-4106","catch_line":"Hearing and decision by court","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-4106\/"}],"permalink":{"id":157813,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73202,"identifier":"15.2-4101","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4101","url":"\/15.2-4101\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-4101\/","token":"15.2\/III\/41\/15.2-4101","dublin_core":{"Title":"Ordinance petitioning court for town status; notice of motion","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-4101","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> Any <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> in this Commonwealth with a population at the time of the latest United States decennial census of less than 50,000 people, after fulfilling the requirements of Chapter 29 (&#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Purpose and intent\" href=\"\/15.2-2900\/\">15.2-2900<\/a> et seq.), may by <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span> passed by a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, <span class=\"dictionary\">petition<\/span> the <span class=\"dictionary\">circuit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> for the <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span>, alleging that the <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> meets the criteria set out in &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Hearing and decision by court\" href=\"\/15.2-4106\/\">15.2-4106<\/a> for an <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> granting <span class=\"dictionary\">town<\/span> status to the <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span>. The <span class=\"dictionary\">circuit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> with which the <span class=\"dictionary\">petition<\/span> is filed shall notify the Supreme <span class=\"dictionary\">Court<\/span>, which shall appoint a special <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> to hear the case as prescribed by Chapter 30 (&#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Special court to hear certain cases\" href=\"\/15.2-3000\/\">15.2-3000<\/a> et seq.) of this title. <a id=\"paragraph-263523\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/15.2-4101\/#A\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">B.<\/span> Before instituting a proceeding under this chapter for a grant of <span class=\"dictionary\">town<\/span> status, a <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> shall serve notice on the <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> attorney, or if there is none, on the attorney for the Commonwealth, and on the chairman of the <span class=\"dictionary\">board of supervisors<\/span> of the adjoining <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> that it will, on a given day, <span class=\"dictionary\">petition<\/span> the <span class=\"dictionary\">circuit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> for a grant of <span class=\"dictionary\">town<\/span> status. The notice served on each official shall include a certified copy of the <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span>. A copy of the notice and <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span>, or a descriptive summary of the notice and <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span> and a reference to the place within the <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> or adjoining <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span> where copies of the notice and <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span> may be examined, shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks in some newspaper having general circulation in the <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> and adjoining <span class=\"dictionary\">county<\/span>. The notice and <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span> shall be returned after service to the clerk of the <span class=\"dictionary\">circuit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>. Certification by the owner, editor or manager of the newspaper publishing the notice and <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span> shall be proof of publication. <a id=\"paragraph-263524\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/15.2-4101\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nORDINANCE PETITIONING COURT FOR TOWN STATUS; NOTICE OF MOTION (\u00a7 15.2-4101)\n\nA. Any city in this Commonwealth with a population at the time of the latest\nUnited States decennial census of less than 50,000 people, after fulfilling the\nrequirements of Chapter 29 (&#xA7; 15.2-2900 et seq.), may by ordinance passed\nby a recorded majority vote of all the members thereof, petition the circuit\ncourt for the city, alleging that the city meets the criteria set out in &#xA7;\n15.2-4106 for an order granting town status to the city. 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 (&#xA7; 15.2-3000\net seq.) of this title.\n\nB. Before instituting a proceeding under this chapter for a grant of town\nstatus, a city shall serve notice on the county attorney, or if there is none,\non the attorney for the Commonwealth, and on the chairman of the board of\nsupervisors of the adjoining county that it will, on a given day, petition the\ncircuit court for a grant of town status. The notice served on each official\nshall include a certified copy of the ordinance. A copy of the notice and\nordinance, or a descriptive summary of the notice and ordinance and a reference\nto the place within the city or adjoining county where copies of the notice and\nordinance may be examined, shall be published at least once a week for four\nsuccessive weeks in some newspaper having general circulation in the city and\nadjoining county. The notice and ordinance shall be returned after service to\nthe clerk of the circuit court. Certification by the owner, editor or manager of\nthe newspaper publishing the notice and ordinance shall be proof of publication.\n\nHISTORY: 1988, c. 881, \u00a7\u00a7 15.1-965.10, 15.1-965.11; 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}}