{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/16.1-79.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/16.1-79.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/16.1-79.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/16.1-79.1.html"}],"law_id":54886,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54886,"structure_id":13176,"section_number":"16.1-79.1","catch_line":"Electronic filing of civil cases","history":"2010, cc. 550, 622; 2011, c. 766.","full_text":"The general district courts shall accept case data in an electronic format for any civil action filed. The use of the electronic transfer shall be at the option of the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney, and if electronic transfer is utilized, the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney shall comply with the security and data configuration standards established by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court. If electronic transfer is utilized, the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney shall be responsible for filing with the clerk of the general district court the paper copies of any pleading for the proper processing of such civil actions as otherwise required by law, unless the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney has established at his expense a system for the filing of a pleading generated through the electronic transfer of data; such system has been authorized by, and meets the filing requirements of, the clerk; and the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney transmits the process in an electronic format directly with the sheriff as otherwise provided by law. Notwithstanding any electronic transfer, the plaintiff shall remain responsible for payment of any required fees upon case initiation or filing and as otherwise required by law.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":201356,"text":"The general district courts shall accept case data in an electronic format for any civil action filed. The use of the electronic transfer shall be at the option of the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney, and if electronic transfer is utilized, the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney shall comply with the security and data configuration standards established by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court. If electronic transfer is utilized, the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney shall be responsible for filing with the clerk of the general district court the paper copies of any pleading for the proper processing of such civil actions as otherwise required by law, unless the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney has established at his expense a system for the filing of a pleading generated through the electronic transfer of data; such system has been authorized by, and meets the filing requirements of, the clerk; and the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney transmits the process in an electronic format directly with the sheriff as otherwise provided by law. Notwithstanding any electronic transfer, the plaintiff shall remain responsible for payment of any required fees upon case initiation or filing and as otherwise required by law.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13176,"edition_id":1,"name":"Procedure in Civil Cases","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13175,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:23","permalink":{"id":162399,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13176,"identifier":"3","token":"16.1\/6\/3","url":"\/16.1\/6\/3\/","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":73499,"structure_id":13176,"section_number":"16.1-100","catch_line":"Additional executions; 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to whom directed","url":"\/16.1-99\/","token":"16.1\/6\/3\/16.1-99","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":69715,"structure_id":13176,"section_number":"16.1-79","catch_line":"Actions brought on warrant","url":"\/16.1-79\/","token":"16.1\/6\/3\/16.1-79","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":73585,"structure_id":13176,"section_number":"16.1-80","catch_line":"Service of warrant and return thereof","url":"\/16.1-80\/","token":"16.1\/6\/3\/16.1-80","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/16.1-79.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2010. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 550<\/a> and 622<\/a> 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. 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 2011, chapter 766<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":162493,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54886,"identifier":"16.1-79.1","token":"16.1\/6\/3\/16.1-79.1","url":"\/16.1-79.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/16.1-79.1\/","token":"16.1\/6\/3\/16.1-79.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Electronic filing of civil cases","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 16.1-79.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The general district courts<\/span> shall accept case data in an electronic format for any civil action<\/span> filed. The use of the electronic transfer shall be at the option of the plaintiff<\/span> or the plaintiff<\/span>’s attorney, and if electronic transfer is utilized, the plaintiff<\/span> or the plaintiff<\/span>’s attorney shall comply with the security and data configuration standards established by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court<\/span>. If electronic transfer is utilized, the plaintiff<\/span> or the plaintiff<\/span>’s attorney shall be responsible for filing with the clerk of the general district court<\/span> the paper copies of any pleading for the proper processing of such civil actions<\/span> as otherwise required by law<\/span>, unless the plaintiff<\/span> or the plaintiff<\/span>’s attorney has established at his expense a system for the filing of a pleading generated through the electronic transfer of data; such system has been authorized by, and meets the filing requirements of, the clerk; and the plaintiff<\/span> or plaintiff<\/span>’s attorney transmits the process in an electronic format directly with the sheriff as otherwise provided by law<\/span>. Notwithstanding any electronic transfer, the plaintiff<\/span> shall remain responsible for payment of any required fees upon case initiation or filing and as otherwise required by law<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nELECTRONIC FILING OF CIVIL CASES (\u00a7 16.1-79.1)\n\nThe general district courts shall accept case data in an electronic format for\nany civil action filed. The use of the electronic transfer shall be at the\noption of the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney, and if electronic\ntransfer is utilized, the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney shall\ncomply with the security and data configuration standards established by the\nOffice of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court. If electronic transfer\nis utilized, the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney shall be\nresponsible for filing with the clerk of the general district court the paper\ncopies of any pleading for the proper processing of such civil actions as\notherwise required by law, unless the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s\nattorney has established at his expense a system for the filing of a pleading\ngenerated through the electronic transfer of data; such system has been\nauthorized by, and meets the filing requirements of, the clerk; and the\nplaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney transmits the process in an electronic\nformat directly with the sheriff as otherwise provided by law. Notwithstanding\nany electronic transfer, the plaintiff shall remain responsible for payment of\nany required fees upon case initiation or filing and as otherwise required by\nlaw.\n\nHISTORY: 2010, cc. 550, 622; 2011, c. 766.","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}}