{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.35.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.35.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.35.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.35.html"}],"law_id":65936,"edition_id":1,"section_id":65936,"structure_id":15401,"section_number":"20-88.35","catch_line":"Bases for jurisdiction over nonresident","history":"1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727; 2017, c. 200.","full_text":"In a proceeding to establish or enforce a support order or to determine parentage of a child, a tribunal of the Commonwealth may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident individual or the individual’s guardian or conservator if:\n\n1\n\nThe individual is personally served with process within the Commonwealth;2\n\nThe individual submits to the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth by consent, by entering a general appearance, or by filing a responsive document having the effect of waiving any contest to personal jurisdiction;3\n\nThe individual resided with the child in the Commonwealth;4\n\nThe individual resided in the Commonwealth and paid prenatal expenses or provided support for the child;5\n\nThe child resides in the Commonwealth as a result of the acts or directives of the individual;6\n\nThe individual engaged in sexual intercourse in the Commonwealth and the child may have been conceived by the act of intercourse;7\n\nThe individual asserted parentage of a child in the Virginia Birth Father Registry maintained in the Commonwealth by the Department of Social Services;8\n\nThe exercise of personal jurisdiction is authorized under subdivision A 8 of § 8.01-328.1; or9\n\nThere is any other basis consistent with the constitutions of the Commonwealth and the United States for the exercise of personal jurisdiction.\n\t\t\tThe bases of personal jurisdiction set forth in this section or any other law of the Commonwealth may not be used to acquire personal jurisdiction for a tribunal of the Commonwealth to modify a child support order issued by a tribunal of another state unless the requirements of § 20-88.76 or 20-88.77:3 are met.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":239597,"text":"In a proceeding to establish or enforce a support order or to determine parentage of a child, a tribunal of the Commonwealth may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident individual or the individual’s guardian or conservator if:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":239598,"text":"The individual is personally served with process within the Commonwealth;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":239599,"text":"The individual submits to the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth by consent, by entering a general appearance, or by filing a responsive document having the effect of waiving any contest to personal jurisdiction;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":239600,"text":"The individual resided with the child in the Commonwealth;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":239601,"text":"The individual resided in the Commonwealth and paid prenatal expenses or provided support for the child;","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":239602,"text":"The child resides in the Commonwealth as a result of the acts or directives of the individual;","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4","next_prefix":"6"},"6":{"id":239603,"text":"The individual engaged in sexual intercourse in the Commonwealth and the child may have been conceived by the act of intercourse;","type":"section","prefixes":["6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"6","prefix_anchor":"6","level":1,"prior_prefix":"5","next_prefix":"7"},"7":{"id":239604,"text":"The individual asserted parentage of a child in the Virginia Birth Father Registry maintained in the Commonwealth by the Department of Social Services;","type":"section","prefixes":["7"],"prefix":"7","entire_prefix":"7","prefix_anchor":"7","level":1,"prior_prefix":"6","next_prefix":"8"},"8":{"id":239605,"text":"The exercise of personal jurisdiction is authorized under subdivision A 8 of § 8.01-328.1; or","type":"section","prefixes":["8"],"prefix":"8","entire_prefix":"8","prefix_anchor":"8","level":1,"prior_prefix":"7","next_prefix":"9"},"9":{"id":239606,"text":"There is any other basis consistent with the constitutions of the Commonwealth and the United States for the exercise of personal jurisdiction.\n\t\t\tThe bases of personal jurisdiction set forth in this section or any other law of the Commonwealth may not be used to acquire personal jurisdiction for a tribunal of the Commonwealth to modify a child support order issued by a tribunal of another state unless the requirements of § 20-88.76 or 20-88.77:3 are met.","type":"section","prefixes":["9"],"prefix":"9","entire_prefix":"9","prefix_anchor":"9","level":1,"prior_prefix":"8"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15401,"edition_id":1,"name":"Extended Personal Jurisdiction","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14136,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:38","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:38","permalink":{"id":178695,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15401,"identifier":"2","token":"20\/5.3\/2","url":"\/20\/5.3\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14136,"edition_id":1,"name":"Uniform Interstate Family Support Act","identifier":"5.3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:59","permalink":{"id":178595,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14136,"identifier":"5.3","token":"20\/5.3","url":"\/20\/5.3\/","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":65936,"structure_id":15401,"section_number":"20-88.35","catch_line":"Bases for jurisdiction over nonresident","url":"\/20-88.35\/","token":"20\/5.3\/2\/20-88.35","metadata":false},{"id":58650,"structure_id":15401,"section_number":"20-88.36","catch_line":"Duration of personal jurisdiction","url":"\/20-88.36\/","token":"20\/5.3\/2\/20-88.36","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":58650,"structure_id":15401,"section_number":"20-88.36","catch_line":"Duration of personal jurisdiction","url":"\/20-88.36\/","token":"20\/5.3\/2\/20-88.36","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.35\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1994. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 673<\/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 3 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 2005, chapter 754<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 727<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 200<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":61026,"section_number":"20-88.76","catch_line":"Modification of child support order of another state","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.76\/"},{"id":77267,"section_number":"20-88.77:1","catch_line":"Jurisdiction to modify support order of another state when individual parties reside in this Commonwealth","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.77_1\/"},{"id":56389,"section_number":"20-88.90","catch_line":"Recognition and enforcement of registered convention support order","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.90\/"},{"id":59512,"section_number":"63.2-1903","catch_line":"Authority to issue certain orders; civil penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1903\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":61026,"section_number":"20-88.76","catch_line":"Modification of child support order of another state","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.76\/"},{"id":58475,"section_number":"20-88.77:3","catch_line":"Jurisdiction to modify child support order of foreign country","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.77_3\/"},{"id":58110,"section_number":"8.01-328.1","catch_line":"When personal jurisdiction over person may be exercised","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-328.1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":178697,"object_type":"law","relational_id":65936,"identifier":"20-88.35","token":"20\/5.3\/2\/20-88.35","url":"\/20-88.35\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.35\/","token":"20\/5.3\/2\/20-88.35","dublin_core":{"Title":"Bases for jurisdiction over nonresident","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.35","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In a proceeding to establish or enforce a support order<\/span> or to determine parentage of a child<\/span>, a tribunal<\/span> of the Commonwealth may exercise personal jurisdiction<\/span> over a nonresident individual or the individual’s guardian or conservator if:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The individual is personally served with process within the Commonwealth; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The individual submits to the jurisdiction<\/span> of the Commonwealth by consent, by entering a general appearance<\/span>, or by filing a responsive document having the effect of waiving any contest to personal jurisdiction<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The individual resided with the child<\/span> in the Commonwealth; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The individual resided in the Commonwealth and paid prenatal expenses or provided support for the child<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> The child<\/span> resides in the Commonwealth as a result of the acts or directives of the individual; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> The individual engaged in sexual intercourse in the Commonwealth and the child<\/span> may have been conceived by the act of intercourse; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

7.<\/span> The individual asserted parentage of a child<\/span> in the Virginia Birth Father Registry maintained in the Commonwealth by the Department of Social Services; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

8.<\/span> The exercise of personal jurisdiction<\/span> is authorized under subdivision A 8 of § 8.01-328.1<\/a>; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

9.<\/span> There is any other basis consistent with the constitutions of the Commonwealth and the United States<\/span> for the exercise of personal jurisdiction<\/span>.\n\t\t\tThe bases of personal jurisdiction<\/span> set forth in this section or any other law<\/span> of the Commonwealth may not be used to acquire personal jurisdiction<\/span> for a tribunal<\/span> of the Commonwealth to modify a child support order<\/span> issued by a tribunal<\/span> of another state<\/span> unless the requirements of § 20-88.76<\/a> or 20-88.77:3<\/a> are met. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nBASES FOR JURISDICTION OVER NONRESIDENT (\u00a7 20-88.35)\n\nIn a proceeding to establish or enforce a support order or to determine\nparentage of a child, a tribunal of the Commonwealth may exercise personal\njurisdiction over a nonresident individual or the individual’s guardian or\nconservator if:\n\n1. The individual is personally served with process within the Commonwealth;\n\n2. The individual submits to the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth by consent, by\nentering a general appearance, or by filing a responsive document having the\neffect of waiving any contest to personal jurisdiction;\n\n3. The individual resided with the child in the Commonwealth;\n\n4. The individual resided in the Commonwealth and paid prenatal expenses or\nprovided support for the child;\n\n5. The child resides in the Commonwealth as a result of the acts or directives\nof the individual;\n\n6. The individual engaged in sexual intercourse in the Commonwealth and the\nchild may have been conceived by the act of intercourse;\n\n7. The individual asserted parentage of a child in the Virginia Birth Father\nRegistry maintained in the Commonwealth by the Department of Social Services;\n\n8. The exercise of personal jurisdiction is authorized under subdivision A 8 of\n§ 8.01-328.1; or\n\n9. There is any other basis consistent with the constitutions of the\nCommonwealth and the United States for the exercise of personal jurisdiction.\n\t\t\tThe bases of personal jurisdiction set forth in this section or any other law\nof the Commonwealth may not be used to acquire personal jurisdiction for a\ntribunal of the Commonwealth to modify a child support order issued by a\ntribunal of another state unless the requirements of § 20-88.76 or\n20-88.77:3 are met.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727; 2017, c. 200.","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}}