{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/36-85.3.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/36-85.3.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/36-85.3.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/36-85.3.html"}],"law_id":64678,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64678,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.3","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1986, c. 37; 1990, c. 593.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning or construction is clearly required by the context:\n\t\t“Administrator” means the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development or his designee.\n\t\t“Any person” shall, in addition to referring to a natural person, include any partnership, corporation, joint stock company or any association whether incorporated or unincorporated.\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Dealer” means any person engaged in the sale, leasing, or distribution of new manufactured homes primarily to persons who in good faith purchase or lease a manufactured home for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Defect” means a failure to comply with an applicable federal manufactured home construction and safety standard that renders the manufactured home or any part of the home unfit for the ordinary use for which it was intended, but does not result in an imminent risk of death or severe personal injury to occupants of the affected home.\n\t\t“Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Distributor” means any person engaged in the sale and distribution of manufactured homes for resale.\n\t\t“Federal Act” means the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 as amended (42 U.S.C. \u00a7 5401 et seq.).\n\t\t“Federal Regulations” means the Federal Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement Regulations.\n\t\t“Federal Standards” means the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.\n\t\t“HUD” means the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Imminent safety hazard” means a hazard that presents an imminent risk of death or severe personal injury.\n\t\t“Manufactured home” means a structure subject to federal regulation, which is transportable in one or more sections; is eight body feet or more in width and forty body feet or more in length in the traveling mode, or is 320 or more square feet when erected on site; is built on a permanent chassis; is designed to be used as a single-family dwelling, with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities; and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained in the structure.\n\t\t“Manufactured home construction” means all activities relating to the assembly and manufacture of a manufactured home including but not limited to those relating to durability, quality, and safety.\n\t\t“Manufactured home safety” means the performance of a manufactured home in such a manner that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of the occurrence of accidents due to the design or construction of the home, or any unreasonable risk of death or injury to the user if such accidents do occur.\n\t\t“Manufacturer” means any person engaged in manufacturing or assembling manufactured homes, including any person engaged in importing manufactured homes.\n\t\t“Purchaser” means the first person purchasing a manufactured home in good faith for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Secretary” means the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Skirting” means a weather-resistant material used to enclose the space from the bottom of the manufactured home to grade.\n\t\t“State Administrative Agency” or “SAA” means the Department of Housing and Community Development which is responsible for the administration and enforcement of this law throughout Virginia and of the plan authorized by \u00a7 36-85.5.\n\t\t“The law” or “this law” means the Virginia Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Law as embraced in this chapter.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":235420,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning or construction is clearly required by the context:\n\t\t“Administrator” means the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development or his designee.\n\t\t“Any person” shall, in addition to referring to a natural person, include any partnership, corporation, joint stock company or any association whether incorporated or unincorporated.\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Dealer” means any person engaged in the sale, leasing, or distribution of new manufactured homes primarily to persons who in good faith purchase or lease a manufactured home for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Defect” means a failure to comply with an applicable federal manufactured home construction and safety standard that renders the manufactured home or any part of the home unfit for the ordinary use for which it was intended, but does not result in an imminent risk of death or severe personal injury to occupants of the affected home.\n\t\t“Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Distributor” means any person engaged in the sale and distribution of manufactured homes for resale.\n\t\t“Federal Act” means the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 as amended (42 U.S.C. \u00a7 5401 et seq.).\n\t\t“Federal Regulations” means the Federal Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement Regulations.\n\t\t“Federal Standards” means the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.\n\t\t“HUD” means the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Imminent safety hazard” means a hazard that presents an imminent risk of death or severe personal injury.\n\t\t“Manufactured home” means a structure subject to federal regulation, which is transportable in one or more sections; is eight body feet or more in width and forty body feet or more in length in the traveling mode, or is 320 or more square feet when erected on site; is built on a permanent chassis; is designed to be used as a single-family dwelling, with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities; and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained in the structure.\n\t\t“Manufactured home construction” means all activities relating to the assembly and manufacture of a manufactured home including but not limited to those relating to durability, quality, and safety.\n\t\t“Manufactured home safety” means the performance of a manufactured home in such a manner that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of the occurrence of accidents due to the design or construction of the home, or any unreasonable risk of death or injury to the user if such accidents do occur.\n\t\t“Manufacturer” means any person engaged in manufacturing or assembling manufactured homes, including any person engaged in importing manufactured homes.\n\t\t“Purchaser” means the first person purchasing a manufactured home in good faith for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Secretary” means the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Skirting” means a weather-resistant material used to enclose the space from the bottom of the manufactured home to grade.\n\t\t“State Administrative Agency” or “SAA” means the Department of Housing and Community Development which is responsible for the administration and enforcement of this law throughout Virginia and of the plan authorized by \u00a7 36-85.5.\n\t\t“The law” or “this law” means the Virginia Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Law as embraced in this chapter.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14347,"edition_id":1,"name":"Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Law","identifier":"4.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12779,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:50","permalink":{"id":209023,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14347,"identifier":"4.1","token":"36\/4.1","url":"\/36\/4.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12779,"edition_id":1,"name":"Housing","identifier":"36","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":208257,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12779,"identifier":"36","token":"36","url":"\/36\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":85035,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.10","catch_line":"Rules and regulations to be kept in office of Department","url":"\/36-85.10\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.10","metadata":false},{"id":59158,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.11","catch_line":"Application of local ordinances; enforcement of chapter by local authorities","url":"\/36-85.11\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.11","metadata":false},{"id":55660,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.12","catch_line":"Violation; civil and criminal penalties","url":"\/36-85.12\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.12","metadata":false},{"id":73453,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.13","catch_line":"Staff, equipment or supplies","url":"\/36-85.13\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.13","metadata":false},{"id":86951,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.14","catch_line":"Fees","url":"\/36-85.14\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.14","metadata":false},{"id":57336,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.15","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/36-85.15\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.15","metadata":false},{"id":68023,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.2","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/36-85.2\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.2","metadata":false},{"id":64678,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.3","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/36-85.3\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.3","metadata":false},{"id":63181,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.4","catch_line":"Applicability of chapter","url":"\/36-85.4\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.4","metadata":false},{"id":61841,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.5","catch_line":"Enforcement","url":"\/36-85.5\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.5","metadata":false},{"id":75073,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.6","catch_line":"Federal Standards and Regulations","url":"\/36-85.6\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.6","metadata":false},{"id":57260,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.7","catch_line":"Authority of Board to adopt rules and regulations","url":"\/36-85.7\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.7","metadata":false},{"id":59337,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.8","catch_line":"Notice and hearing on rules and regulations","url":"\/36-85.8\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.8","metadata":false},{"id":57225,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.9","catch_line":"Printing and distribution of rules and regulations","url":"\/36-85.9\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":68023,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.2","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/36-85.2\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":63181,"structure_id":14347,"section_number":"36-85.4","catch_line":"Applicability of chapter","url":"\/36-85.4\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.4","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/36-85.3\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1986. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 37 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 1986 \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 1990, chapter 593.<\/p>","references":[{"id":61152,"section_number":"35.1-1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/35.1-1\/"},{"id":65794,"section_number":"36-71.1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-71.1\/"},{"id":85212,"section_number":"36-73","catch_line":"Authority of Board to promulgate rules and regulations","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-73\/"},{"id":59158,"section_number":"36-85.11","catch_line":"Application of local ordinances; enforcement of chapter by local authorities","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-85.11\/"},{"id":84100,"section_number":"58.1-2402","catch_line":"(Contingent effective date) Levy","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-2402\/"},{"id":61661,"section_number":"58.1-3210","catch_line":"Exemption or deferral of taxes on property of certain elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3210\/"},{"id":62278,"section_number":"58.1-3503","catch_line":"General classification of tangible personal property","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3503\/"},{"id":84228,"section_number":"58.1-3506","catch_line":"Other classifications of tangible personal property for taxation","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3506\/"},{"id":68378,"section_number":"58.1-3520","catch_line":"Local permits required before moving a manufactured home to the place where it is to be used as a place of residence; payment of property taxes before moving manufactured homes","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3520\/"},{"id":67631,"section_number":"58.1-3521","catch_line":"Manufactured homes; proration of tax","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3521\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":61841,"section_number":"36-85.5","catch_line":"Enforcement","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-85.5\/"}],"permalink":{"id":209053,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64678,"identifier":"36-85.3","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.3","url":"\/36-85.3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/36-85.3\/","token":"36\/4.1\/36-85.3","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 36-85.3","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning or construction is clearly required by the context:\n\t\t“Administrator<\/span>” means the Director of the Department<\/span> of Housing and Community Development or his designee.\n\t\t“Any person” shall, in addition to referring to a natural person, include any partnership, corporation, joint stock company or any association whether incorporated or unincorporated.\n\t\t“Board<\/span>” means the Board<\/span> of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Dealer<\/span>” means any person engaged in the sale, leasing, or distribution of new manufactured homes<\/span> primarily to persons who in good faith purchase or lease a manufactured home for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Defect<\/span>” means a failure to comply with an applicable federal manufactured home construction<\/span> and safety standard that renders the manufactured home or any part of the home unfit for the ordinary use for which it was intended, but does not result in an imminent risk of death or severe personal injury to occupants of the affected home.\n\t\t“Department<\/span>” means the Department<\/span> of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Distributor<\/span>” means any person engaged in the sale and distribution of manufactured homes<\/span> for resale.\n\t\t“Federal Act<\/span>” means the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 as amended (42 U.S.C. \u00a7 5401 et seq.).\n\t\t“Federal Regulations<\/span>” means the Federal Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement Regulations.\n\t\t“Federal Standards<\/span>” means the Federal Manufactured Home Construction<\/span> and Safety Standards.\n\t\t“HUD<\/span>” means the United States Department<\/span> of Housing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Imminent safety hazard<\/span>” means a hazard that presents an imminent risk of death or severe personal injury.\n\t\t“Manufactured home” means a structure subject to federal regulation, which is transportable in one or more sections; is eight body feet or more in width and forty body feet or more in length in the traveling mode, or is 320 or more square feet when erected on site; is built on a permanent chassis; is designed to be used as a single-family dwelling, with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities; and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained in the structure.\n\t\t“Manufactured home construction<\/span>” means all activities relating to the assembly and manufacture of a manufactured home including but not limited to those relating to durability, quality, and safety.\n\t\t“Manufactured home safety<\/span>” means the performance of a manufactured home in such a manner that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of the occurrence of accidents due to the design or construction of the home, or any unreasonable risk of death or injury to the user if such accidents do occur.\n\t\t“Manufacturer<\/span>” means any person engaged in manufacturing or assembling manufactured homes<\/span>, including any person engaged in importing manufactured homes<\/span>.\n\t\t“Purchaser<\/span>” means the first person purchasing a manufactured home in good faith for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Secretary<\/span>” means the Secretary<\/span> of the United States Department<\/span> of Housing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Skirting<\/span>” means a weather-resistant material<\/span> used to enclose the space from the bottom of the manufactured home to grade.\n\t\t“State Administrative Agency<\/span>” or “SAA<\/span>” means the Department<\/span> of Housing and Community Development which is responsible for the administration and enforcement of this law<\/span> throughout Virginia and of the plan authorized by \u00a7 36-85.5<\/a>.\n\t\t“The law<\/span>” or “this law<\/span>” means the Virginia Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Law as embraced in this chapter.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 36-85.3)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless a different meaning or construction is clearly\nrequired by the context:\n\t\t“Administrator” means the Director of the Department of Housing\nand Community Development or his designee.\n\t\t“Any person” shall, in addition to referring to a natural person,\ninclude any partnership, corporation, joint stock company or any association\nwhether incorporated or unincorporated.\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Housing and Community Development.\n\t\t“Dealer” means any person engaged in the sale, leasing, or\ndistribution of new manufactured homes primarily to persons who in good faith\npurchase or lease a manufactured home for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Defect” means a failure to comply with an applicable federal\nmanufactured home construction and safety standard that renders the manufactured\nhome or any part of the home unfit for the ordinary use for which it was\nintended, but does not result in an imminent risk of death or severe personal\ninjury to occupants of the affected home.\n\t\t“Department” means the Department of Housing and Community\nDevelopment.\n\t\t“Distributor” means any person engaged in the sale and\ndistribution of manufactured homes for resale.\n\t\t“Federal Act” means the National Manufactured Housing Construction\nand Safety Standards Act of 1974 as amended (42 U.S.C. \u00a7 5401 et seq.).\n\t\t“Federal Regulations” means the Federal Manufactured Home\nProcedural and Enforcement Regulations.\n\t\t“Federal Standards” means the Federal Manufactured Home\nConstruction and Safety Standards.\n\t\t“HUD” means the United States Department of Housing and Urban\nDevelopment.\n\t\t“Imminent safety hazard” means a hazard that presents an imminent\nrisk of death or severe personal injury.\n\t\t“Manufactured home” means a structure subject to federal\nregulation, which is transportable in one or more sections; is eight body feet\nor more in width and forty body feet or more in length in the traveling mode, or\nis 320 or more square feet when erected on site; is built on a permanent\nchassis; is designed to be used as a single-family dwelling, with or without a\npermanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities; and includes the\nplumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained in the\nstructure.\n\t\t“Manufactured home construction” means all activities relating to\nthe assembly and manufacture of a manufactured home including but not limited to\nthose relating to durability, quality, and safety.\n\t\t“Manufactured home safety” means the performance of a manufactured\nhome in such a manner that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of\nthe occurrence of accidents due to the design or construction of the home, or\nany unreasonable risk of death or injury to the user if such accidents do occur.\n\t\t“Manufacturer” means any person engaged in manufacturing or\nassembling manufactured homes, including any person engaged in importing\nmanufactured homes.\n\t\t“Purchaser” means the first person purchasing a manufactured home\nin good faith for purposes other than resale.\n\t\t“Secretary” means the Secretary of the United States Department of\nHousing and Urban Development.\n\t\t“Skirting” means a weather-resistant material used to enclose the\nspace from the bottom of the manufactured home to grade.\n\t\t“State Administrative Agency” or “SAA” means the\nDepartment of Housing and Community Development which is responsible for the\nadministration and enforcement of this law throughout Virginia and of the plan\nauthorized by \u00a7 36-85.5.\n\t\t“The law” or “this law” means the Virginia\nManufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Law as embraced in this\nchapter.\n\nHISTORY: 1986, c. 37; 1990, c. 593.","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}}