{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/16.1-122.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/16.1-122.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/16.1-122.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/16.1-122.1.html"}],"law_id":78557,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78557,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.1","catch_line":"Small claims court; designated","history":"1988, c. 799; 1989, c. 451; 1990, c. 564; 1994, c. 576; 1995, c. 589; 1998, cc. 656, 779.","full_text":"On or before July 1, 1999, each general district court shall establish, using existing facilities, a small claims division to be designated a small claims court.\n\t\tSuch courts shall not have jurisdiction over suits against the Commonwealth under the Virginia Tort Claims Act (\u00a7 8.01-195.1 et seq.) or suits against any officer or employee of the Commonwealth for claims arising out of the performance of their official duties or responsibilities.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":281515,"text":"On or before July 1, 1999, each general district court shall establish, using existing facilities, a small claims division to be designated a small claims court.\n\t\tSuch courts shall not have jurisdiction over suits against the Commonwealth under the Virginia Tort Claims Act (\u00a7 8.01-195.1 et seq.) or suits against any officer or employee of the Commonwealth for claims arising out of the performance of their official duties or responsibilities.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15889,"edition_id":1,"name":"Small Claims Court","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13175,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:01:15","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:01:15","permalink":{"id":162651,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15889,"identifier":"5","token":"16.1\/6\/5","url":"\/16.1\/6\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13175,"edition_id":1,"name":"Venue, Jurisdiction and Procedure in Civil Matters","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12700,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","permalink":{"id":162373,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13175,"identifier":"6","token":"16.1\/6","url":"\/16.1\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12700,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts Not of Record","identifier":"16.1","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":160919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12700,"identifier":"16.1","token":"16.1","url":"\/16.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":78557,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.1","catch_line":"Small claims court; designated","url":"\/16.1-122.1\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.1","metadata":false},{"id":61478,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.2","catch_line":"Jurisdiction","url":"\/16.1-122.2\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.2","metadata":false},{"id":82419,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.3","catch_line":"Actions; how commenced; notice; continuances; pleadings","url":"\/16.1-122.3\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.3","metadata":false},{"id":85511,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.4","catch_line":"Representation and removal; rights of parties","url":"\/16.1-122.4\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.4","metadata":false},{"id":75382,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.5","catch_line":"Informal hearings; rules of evidence suspended","url":"\/16.1-122.5\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.5","metadata":false},{"id":65381,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.6","catch_line":"Judgment and collection","url":"\/16.1-122.6\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.6","metadata":false},{"id":71873,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.7","catch_line":"Appeals","url":"\/16.1-122.7\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.7","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":61478,"structure_id":15889,"section_number":"16.1-122.2","catch_line":"Jurisdiction","url":"\/16.1-122.2\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/16.1-122.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1988. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 799 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 5 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 1989, chapter 451; in 1990, chapter 564; in 1994, chapter 576<\/a>; in 1995, chapter 589<\/a>; in 1998, chapters 656<\/a> and 779<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":72168,"section_number":"16.1-77","catch_line":"Civil jurisdiction of general district courts; amending amount of claim","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-77\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":86997,"section_number":"8.01-195.1","catch_line":"Short title","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-195.1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":162653,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78557,"identifier":"16.1-122.1","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.1","url":"\/16.1-122.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/16.1-122.1\/","token":"16.1\/6\/5\/16.1-122.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Small claims court; designated","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 16.1-122.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

On or before July 1, 1999, each general district court<\/span> shall establish, using existing facilities, a small claims division to be designated a small claims court<\/span>.\n\t\tSuch courts<\/span> shall not have jurisdiction<\/span> over suits against the Commonwealth under the Virginia Tort<\/span> Claims Act (\u00a7 8.01-195.1<\/a> et seq.) or suits against any officer or employee of the Commonwealth for claims arising out of the performance of their official duties or responsibilities.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSMALL CLAIMS COURT; DESIGNATED (\u00a7 16.1-122.1)\n\nOn or before July 1, 1999, each general district court shall establish, using\nexisting facilities, a small claims division to be designated a small claims\ncourt.\n\t\tSuch courts shall not have jurisdiction over suits against the Commonwealth\nunder the Virginia Tort Claims Act (\u00a7 8.01-195.1 et seq.) or suits against any\nofficer or employee of the Commonwealth for claims arising out of the\nperformance of their official duties or responsibilities.\n\nHISTORY: 1988, c. 799; 1989, c. 451; 1990, c. 564; 1994, c. 576; 1995, c. 589;\n1998, cc. 656, 779.","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}}