{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/16.1-331.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/16.1-331.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/16.1-331.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/16.1-331.html"}],"law_id":57297,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57297,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-331","catch_line":"Petition for emancipation","history":"1986, c. 506; 2016, cc. 457, 543; 2024, c. 737.","full_text":"Any minor who has reached his sixteenth birthday and is residing in this Commonwealth, or any parent or guardian of such minor, may petition the juvenile and domestic relations district court for the county or city in which either the minor or his parents or guardian resides for a determination that the minor named in the petition be emancipated. The petition shall contain, in addition to the information required by \u00a7 16.1-262, the gender of the minor and, if the petitioner is not the minor, the name of the petitioner and the relationship of the petitioner to the minor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":209859,"text":"Any minor who has reached his sixteenth birthday and is residing in this Commonwealth, or any parent or guardian of such minor, may petition the juvenile and domestic relations district court for the county or city in which either the minor or his parents or guardian resides for a determination that the minor named in the petition be emancipated. The petition shall contain, in addition to the information required by \u00a7 16.1-262, the gender of the minor and, if the petitioner is not the minor, the name of the petitioner and the relationship of the petitioner to the minor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12932,"edition_id":1,"name":"Emancipation of Minors","identifier":"15","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12701,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":161227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12932,"identifier":"15","token":"16.1\/11\/15","url":"\/16.1\/11\/15\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12701,"edition_id":1,"name":"Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12700,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":160945,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12701,"identifier":"11","token":"16.1\/11","url":"\/16.1\/11\/","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":57297,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-331","catch_line":"Petition for emancipation","url":"\/16.1-331\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-331","metadata":false},{"id":54037,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-332","catch_line":"Orders of court; investigation, report and appointment of counsel","url":"\/16.1-332\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-332","metadata":false},{"id":72397,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-333","catch_line":"Findings necessary to order that minor is emancipated","url":"\/16.1-333\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-333","metadata":false},{"id":72605,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-333.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/16.1-333.1\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-333.1","metadata":false},{"id":82754,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-334","catch_line":"Effects of order","url":"\/16.1-334\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-334","metadata":false},{"id":54828,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-334.1","catch_line":"Identification card issued to minor by DMV","url":"\/16.1-334.1\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-334.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":54037,"structure_id":12932,"section_number":"16.1-332","catch_line":"Orders of court; investigation, report and appointment of counsel","url":"\/16.1-332\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-332","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/16.1-331\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1986. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 506 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 1986 \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 2016, chapters 457<\/a> and 543<\/a>; in 2024, chapter 737<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":71312,"section_number":"16.1-241","catch_line":"Jurisdiction; consent for abortion","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-241\/"},{"id":87208,"section_number":"23.1-500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/23.1-500\/"},{"id":55605,"section_number":"46.2-334","catch_line":"Conditions and requirements for licensure of persons under 18","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-334\/"},{"id":64704,"section_number":"8.01-229","catch_line":"Suspension or tolling of statute of limitations; effect of disabilities; effect of death; injunction; prevention of service by defendant; dismissal, nonsuit or abatement; devise for payment of debts; new promises; debts proved in creditors' suits","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-229\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":62109,"section_number":"16.1-262","catch_line":"Form and content of petition","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-262\/"}],"permalink":{"id":161229,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57297,"identifier":"16.1-331","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-331","url":"\/16.1-331\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/16.1-331\/","token":"16.1\/11\/15\/16.1-331","dublin_core":{"Title":"Petition for emancipation","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 16.1-331","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any minor<\/span> who has reached his sixteenth birthday and is residing in this Commonwealth, or any parent or guardian of such minor<\/span>, may petition<\/span> the juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span> for the county or city in which either the minor<\/span> or his parents or guardian resides for a determination that the minor<\/span> named in the petition<\/span> be emancipated. The petition<\/span> shall contain, in addition to the information required by \u00a7 16.1-262<\/a>, the gender of the minor<\/span> and, if the petitioner is not the minor<\/span>, the name of the petitioner and the relationship of the petitioner to the minor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPETITION FOR EMANCIPATION (\u00a7 16.1-331)\n\nAny minor who has reached his sixteenth birthday and is residing in this\nCommonwealth, or any parent or guardian of such minor, may petition the juvenile\nand domestic relations district court for the county or city in which either the\nminor or his parents or guardian resides for a determination that the minor\nnamed in the petition be emancipated. The petition shall contain, in addition to\nthe information required by \u00a7 16.1-262, the gender of the minor and, if the\npetitioner is not the minor, the name of the petitioner and the relationship of\nthe petitioner to the minor.\n\nHISTORY: 1986, c. 506; 2016, cc. 457, 543; 2024, c. 737.","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}}