{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/3.2-404.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/3.2-404.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/3.2-404.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/3.2-404.html"}],"law_id":72580,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72580,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-404","catch_line":"Right of entry; court enforcement","history":"1996, c. 773, \u00a7 10.1-559.5; 2000, c. 973; 2008, c. 860.","full_text":"A\n\nThe district or the Commissioner may enter land that is the subject of a complaint, after notice to the owner or operator, to determine whether the agricultural activity is causing or will cause pollution of state waters.B\n\nUpon failure of any owner or operator to allow the Commissioner entry in accordance with subsection A, to implement stewardship measures in the time specified in a corrective order, or to maintain stewardship measures in accordance with subsection E of § 3.2-402, the Commissioner may present to the circuit court of the county or city where the land is located, a petition asking the court to require the owner or operator to allow the Commissioner entry or to carry out such measures within a specified time. If the owner or operator fails to implement the stewardship measures specified in the court order, the Commissioner may enter the land involved and implement the measures. The Commissioner may recover the costs of implementing the stewardship measures from the owner or operator.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":261329,"text":"The district or the Commissioner may enter land that is the subject of a complaint, after notice to the owner or operator, to determine whether the agricultural activity is causing or will cause pollution of state waters.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":261330,"text":"Upon failure of any owner or operator to allow the Commissioner entry in accordance with subsection A, to implement stewardship measures in the time specified in a corrective order, or to maintain stewardship measures in accordance with subsection E of § 3.2-402, the Commissioner may present to the circuit court of the county or city where the land is located, a petition asking the court to require the owner or operator to allow the Commissioner entry or to carry out such measures within a specified time. If the owner or operator fails to implement the stewardship measures specified in the court order, the Commissioner may enter the land involved and implement the measures. The Commissioner may recover the costs of implementing the stewardship measures from the owner or operator.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14458,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agricultural Stewardship","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13126,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:12","permalink":{"id":194143,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14458,"identifier":"4","token":"3.2\/I\/4","url":"\/3.2\/I\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13126,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions; Protection and Promotion of Agriculture","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12793,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":193941,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13126,"identifier":"I","token":"3.2\/I","url":"\/3.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12793,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food","identifier":"3.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":193939,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12793,"identifier":"3.2","token":"3.2","url":"\/3.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":55834,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-400","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/3.2-400\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-400","metadata":false},{"id":70105,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-401","catch_line":"Exclusions from chapter","url":"\/3.2-401\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-401","metadata":false},{"id":63587,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-402","catch_line":"Complaint; investigation; agricultural stewardship plan","url":"\/3.2-402\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-402","metadata":false},{"id":72474,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-403","catch_line":"Issuance of corrective orders","url":"\/3.2-403\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-403","metadata":false},{"id":72580,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-404","catch_line":"Right of entry; court enforcement","url":"\/3.2-404\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-404","metadata":false},{"id":85440,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-405","catch_line":"Appeal","url":"\/3.2-405\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-405","metadata":false},{"id":73080,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-406","catch_line":"Penalties; injunctions; enforcement actions","url":"\/3.2-406\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-406","metadata":false},{"id":84425,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-407","catch_line":"Liens","url":"\/3.2-407\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-407","metadata":false},{"id":73832,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-408","catch_line":"Guidelines to be published by Commissioner; report","url":"\/3.2-408\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-408","metadata":false},{"id":76857,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-409","catch_line":"Ordinances","url":"\/3.2-409\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-409","metadata":false},{"id":56797,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-410","catch_line":"Construction of chapter","url":"\/3.2-410\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-410","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":72474,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-403","catch_line":"Issuance of corrective orders","url":"\/3.2-403\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-403","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":85440,"structure_id":14458,"section_number":"3.2-405","catch_line":"Appeal","url":"\/3.2-405\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-405","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-404\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1996. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 773<\/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 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 2000, chapter 973<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 860<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":73080,"section_number":"3.2-406","catch_line":"Penalties; injunctions; enforcement actions","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-406\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":63587,"section_number":"3.2-402","catch_line":"Complaint; investigation; agricultural stewardship plan","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-402\/"}],"permalink":{"id":194161,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72580,"identifier":"3.2-404","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-404","url":"\/3.2-404\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-404\/","token":"3.2\/I\/4\/3.2-404","dublin_core":{"Title":"Right of entry; court enforcement","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-404","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The district<\/span> or the Commissioner<\/span> may enter land that is the subject of a complaint<\/span>, after notice to the owner<\/span> or operator<\/span>, to determine whether the agricultural activity<\/span> is causing or will cause pollution<\/span> of state waters<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Upon failure of any owner<\/span> or operator<\/span> to allow the Commissioner<\/span> entry in accordance with subsection A, to implement stewardship measures<\/span> in the time specified in a corrective order, or to maintain stewardship measures<\/span> in accordance with subsection E of § 3.2-402<\/a>, the Commissioner<\/span> may present to the circuit<\/span> court of the county or city where the land is located, a petition<\/span> asking the court to require the owner<\/span> or operator<\/span> to allow the Commissioner<\/span> entry or to carry out such measures within a specified time. If the owner<\/span> or operator<\/span> fails to implement the stewardship measures<\/span> specified in the court order<\/span>, the Commissioner<\/span> may enter the land involved and implement the measures. The Commissioner<\/span> may recover the costs of implementing the stewardship measures<\/span> from the owner<\/span> or operator<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRIGHT OF ENTRY; COURT ENFORCEMENT (\u00a7 3.2-404)\n\nA. The district or the Commissioner may enter land that is the subject of a\ncomplaint, after notice to the owner or operator, to determine whether the\nagricultural activity is causing or will cause pollution of state waters.\n\nB. Upon failure of any owner or operator to allow the Commissioner entry in\naccordance with subsection A, to implement stewardship measures in the time\nspecified in a corrective order, or to maintain stewardship measures in\naccordance with subsection E of § 3.2-402, the Commissioner may present to\nthe circuit court of the county or city where the land is located, a petition\nasking the court to require the owner or operator to allow the Commissioner\nentry or to carry out such measures within a specified time. If the owner or\noperator fails to implement the stewardship measures specified in the court\norder, the Commissioner may enter the land involved and implement the measures.\nThe Commissioner may recover the costs of implementing the stewardship measures\nfrom the owner or operator.\n\nHISTORY: 1996, c. 773, \u00a7 10.1-559.5; 2000, c. 973; 2008, c. 860.","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}}