{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-74.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-74.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-74.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-74.html"}],"law_id":72692,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72692,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74","catch_line":"When abortion or termination of pregnancy lawful after second trimester of pregnancy","history":"1975, cc. 14, 15; 2009, cc. 813, 840.","full_text":"Notwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 18.2-71 and in addition to the provisions of \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72 and 18.2-73, it shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to practice medicine and surgery to terminate or attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination of a human pregnancy by performing an abortion or causing a miscarriage on any woman in a stage of pregnancy subsequent to the second trimester provided the following conditions are met:\n\na\n\nSaid operation is performed in a hospital licensed by the Virginia State Department of Health or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.b\n\nThe physician and two consulting physicians certify and so enter in the hospital record of the woman, that in their medical opinion, based upon their best clinical judgment, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the woman or substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.c\n\nMeasures for life support for the product of such abortion or miscarriage must be available and utilized if there is any clearly visible evidence of viability.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":261630,"text":"Notwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 18.2-71 and in addition to the provisions of \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72 and 18.2-73, it shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to practice medicine and surgery to terminate or attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination of a human pregnancy by performing an abortion or causing a miscarriage on any woman in a stage of pregnancy subsequent to the second trimester provided the following conditions are met:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"a"},"1":{"id":261631,"text":"Said operation is performed in a hospital licensed by the Virginia State Department of Health or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.","type":"section","prefixes":["a"],"prefix":"a","entire_prefix":"a","prefix_anchor":"a","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"b"},"2":{"id":261632,"text":"The physician and two consulting physicians certify and so enter in the hospital record of the woman, that in their medical opinion, based upon their best clinical judgment, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the woman or substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.","type":"section","prefixes":["b"],"prefix":"b","entire_prefix":"b","prefix_anchor":"b","level":1,"prior_prefix":"a","next_prefix":"c"},"3":{"id":261633,"text":"Measures for life support for the product of such abortion or miscarriage must be available and utilized if there is any clearly visible evidence of viability.","type":"section","prefixes":["c"],"prefix":"c","entire_prefix":"c","prefix_anchor":"c","level":1,"prior_prefix":"b"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14910,"edition_id":1,"name":"Abortion","identifier":"9","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13100,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:44","permalink":{"id":165253,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14910,"identifier":"9","token":"18.2\/4\/9","url":"\/18.2\/4\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13100,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Person","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","permalink":{"id":164763,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13100,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56913,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-71","catch_line":"Producing abortion or miscarriage, etc.; penalty","url":"\/18.2-71\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-71","metadata":false},{"id":58717,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-71.1","catch_line":"Partial birth infanticide; penalty","url":"\/18.2-71.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-71.1","metadata":false},{"id":76148,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-72","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during first trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-72\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-72","metadata":false},{"id":67072,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-73","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during second trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-73\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-73","metadata":false},{"id":72692,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74","catch_line":"When abortion or termination of pregnancy lawful after second trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-74\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74","metadata":false},{"id":65658,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74.1","catch_line":"Abortion, etc., when necessary to save life of woman","url":"\/18.2-74.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74.1","metadata":false},{"id":80458,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-74.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74.2","metadata":false},{"id":62829,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-75","catch_line":"Conscience clause","url":"\/18.2-75\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-75","metadata":false},{"id":68933,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76","catch_line":"Informed written consent required","url":"\/18.2-76\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76","metadata":false},{"id":75676,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76.1","catch_line":"Encouraging or promoting abortion","url":"\/18.2-76.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76.1","metadata":false},{"id":66474,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-76.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-76.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-76.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":67072,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-73","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during second trimester of pregnancy","url":"\/18.2-73\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-73","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":65658,"structure_id":14910,"section_number":"18.2-74.1","catch_line":"Abortion, etc., when necessary to save life of woman","url":"\/18.2-74.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-74\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1975. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 14 and 15 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 1975 \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 2009, chapters 813<\/a> and 840<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":71312,"section_number":"16.1-241","catch_line":"Jurisdiction; consent for abortion","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-241\/"},{"id":65658,"section_number":"18.2-74.1","catch_line":"Abortion, etc., when necessary to save life of woman","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-74.1\/"},{"id":62829,"section_number":"18.2-75","catch_line":"Conscience clause","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-75\/"},{"id":68933,"section_number":"18.2-76","catch_line":"Informed written consent required","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-76\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":56913,"section_number":"18.2-71","catch_line":"Producing abortion or miscarriage, etc.; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-71\/"},{"id":76148,"section_number":"18.2-72","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during first trimester of pregnancy","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-72\/"},{"id":67072,"section_number":"18.2-73","catch_line":"When abortion lawful during second trimester of pregnancy","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-73\/"}],"permalink":{"id":165271,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72692,"identifier":"18.2-74","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74","url":"\/18.2-74\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-74\/","token":"18.2\/4\/9\/18.2-74","dublin_core":{"Title":"When abortion or termination of pregnancy lawful after second trimester of pregnancy","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-74","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 18.2-71<\/a> and in addition to the provisions of \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72<\/a> and 18.2-73<\/a>, it shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to practice medicine and surgery to terminate or attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination of a human pregnancy by performing an abortion or causing a miscarriage on any woman in a stage of pregnancy subsequent to the second trimester provided the following conditions are met:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

a.<\/span> Said operation is performed in a hospital licensed by the Virginia State Department of Health or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

b.<\/span> The physician and two consulting physicians certify and so enter in the hospital record of the woman, that in their medical opinion<\/span>, based upon their best clinical judgment<\/span>, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the woman or substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

c.<\/span> Measures for life support for the product of such abortion or miscarriage must be available and utilized if there is any clearly visible evidence<\/span> of viability. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHEN ABORTION OR TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY LAWFUL AFTER SECOND TRIMESTER OF\nPREGNANCY (\u00a7 18.2-74)\n\nNotwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 18.2-71 and in addition to the\nprovisions of \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-72 and 18.2-73, it shall be lawful for any physician\nlicensed by the Board of Medicine to practice medicine and surgery to terminate\nor attempt to terminate a human pregnancy or aid or assist in the termination of\na human pregnancy by performing an abortion or causing a miscarriage on any\nwoman in a stage of pregnancy subsequent to the second trimester provided the\nfollowing conditions are met:\n\na. Said operation is performed in a hospital licensed by the Virginia State\nDepartment of Health or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and\nDevelopmental Services.\n\nb. The physician and two consulting physicians certify and so enter in the\nhospital record of the woman, that in their medical opinion, based upon their\nbest clinical judgment, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in\nthe death of the woman or substantially and irremediably impair the mental or\nphysical health of the woman.\n\nc. Measures for life support for the product of such abortion or miscarriage\nmust be available and utilized if there is any clearly visible evidence of\nviability.\n\nHISTORY: 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2009, cc. 813, 840.","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}}