{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-159.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-159.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-159.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-159.html"}],"law_id":58977,"edition_id":1,"section_id":58977,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","history":"1991, c. 600; 2019, c. 375.","full_text":"A\n\nA surrogate, her spouse, if any, and the prospective intended parent may enter into a written agreement whereby the surrogate may relinquish all her rights and duties as parent of a child conceived through assisted conception, and the prospective intended parent may become the parent of the child as provided in subsection D or E of § 20-158.B\n\nSurrogacy contracts may be approved by the court as provided in § 20-160. However, any surrogacy contract that has not been approved by the court shall be governed by the provisions of §§ 20-156 through 20-159 and §§ 20-162 through 20-165 including the provisions for reformation in conformance with this chapter as provided in § 20-162.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":216238,"text":"A surrogate, her spouse, if any, and the prospective intended parent may enter into a written agreement whereby the surrogate may relinquish all her rights and duties as parent of a child conceived through assisted conception, and the prospective intended parent may become the parent of the child as provided in subsection D or E of § 20-158.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":216239,"text":"Surrogacy contracts may be approved by the court as provided in § 20-160. However, any surrogacy contract that has not been approved by the court shall be governed by the provisions of §§ 20-156 through 20-159 and §§ 20-162 through 20-165 including the provisions for reformation in conformance with this chapter as provided in § 20-162.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13295,"edition_id":1,"name":"Status of Children of Assisted Conception","identifier":"9","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:35","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:35","permalink":{"id":179423,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13295,"identifier":"9","token":"20\/9","url":"\/20\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12711,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","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":178075,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12711,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82276,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-156","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-156\/","token":"20\/9\/20-156","metadata":false},{"id":72814,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-157","catch_line":"Virginia law to control","url":"\/20-157\/","token":"20\/9\/20-157","metadata":false},{"id":64023,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-158","catch_line":"Parentage of child resulting from assisted conception","url":"\/20-158\/","token":"20\/9\/20-158","metadata":false},{"id":58977,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","url":"\/20-159\/","token":"20\/9\/20-159","metadata":false},{"id":54684,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","url":"\/20-160\/","token":"20\/9\/20-160","metadata":false},{"id":78021,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-161","catch_line":"Termination of court-approved surrogacy contract","url":"\/20-161\/","token":"20\/9\/20-161","metadata":false},{"id":62248,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","url":"\/20-162\/","token":"20\/9\/20-162","metadata":false},{"id":72103,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-163","catch_line":"Miscellaneous provisions related to all surrogacy contracts","url":"\/20-163\/","token":"20\/9\/20-163","metadata":false},{"id":54285,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-164","catch_line":"Relation of parent and child","url":"\/20-164\/","token":"20\/9\/20-164","metadata":false},{"id":57273,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-165","catch_line":"Surrogate brokers prohibited; penalty; liability of surrogate brokers","url":"\/20-165\/","token":"20\/9\/20-165","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":64023,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-158","catch_line":"Parentage of child resulting from assisted conception","url":"\/20-158\/","token":"20\/9\/20-158","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":54684,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","url":"\/20-160\/","token":"20\/9\/20-160","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-159\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 600 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 1991 \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 2019, chapter 375<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":58977,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-159\/"},{"id":62248,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-162\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":82276,"section_number":"20-156","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-156\/"},{"id":58977,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-159\/"},{"id":54684,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-160\/"},{"id":62248,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-162\/"},{"id":57273,"section_number":"20-165","catch_line":"Surrogate brokers prohibited; penalty; liability of surrogate brokers","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-165\/"}],"permalink":{"id":179437,"object_type":"law","relational_id":58977,"identifier":"20-159","token":"20\/9\/20-159","url":"\/20-159\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-159\/","token":"20\/9\/20-159","dublin_core":{"Title":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-159","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A surrogate<\/span>, her spouse, if any, and the prospective intended parent<\/span> may enter into a written agreement whereby the surrogate<\/span> may relinquish all her rights and duties as parent of a child conceived through assisted conception<\/span>, and the prospective intended parent<\/span> may become the parent of the child as provided in subsection D or E of § 20-158<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Surrogacy contracts<\/span> may be approved by the court<\/span> as provided in § 20-160<\/a>. However, any surrogacy contract<\/span> that has not been approved by the court<\/span> shall be governed by the provisions of §§ 20-156<\/a> through 20-159<\/a> and §§ 20-162<\/a> through 20-165<\/a> including the provisions for reformation in conformance with this chapter as provided in § 20-162<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSURROGACY CONTRACTS PERMISSIBLE (\u00a7 20-159)\n\nA. A surrogate, her spouse, if any, and the prospective intended parent may\nenter into a written agreement whereby the surrogate may relinquish all her\nrights and duties as parent of a child conceived through assisted conception,\nand the prospective intended parent may become the parent of the child as\nprovided in subsection D or E of § 20-158.\n\nB. Surrogacy contracts may be approved by the court as provided in §\n20-160. However, any surrogacy contract that has not been approved by the court\nshall be governed by the provisions of §§ 20-156 through 20-159 and\n§§ 20-162 through 20-165 including the provisions for reformation in\nconformance with this chapter as provided in § 20-162.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 600; 2019, c. 375.","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}}