{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-1156.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-1156.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-1156.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-1156.html"}],"law_id":62543,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62543,"structure_id":14827,"section_number":"46.2-1156","catch_line":"Construction, maintenance and loading must prevent escape of contents; load covers; exemptions","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 46-307; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7\u00a7 46.1-303, 46.1-401; 1975, c. 553; 1979, c. 213; 1980, c. 21; 1986, c. 639; 1988, cc. 662, 897; 1989, cc. 526, 727; 1992, c. 149; 1997, c. 283; 2001, c. 180.","full_text":"A\n\nNo vehicle shall be operated or moved on any highway unless it is so constructed, maintained, and loaded as to prevent its contents from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping. No provision of this section, however, shall apply to any (i) motor vehicle that is used exclusively for agricultural purposes as provided in § 46.2-698 and is not licensed in any other state; (ii) agricultural vehicle, tractor, or other vehicle exempted from registration and licensing requirements pursuant to Article 6 (§ 46.2-662 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of this title; or (iii) motor vehicle transporting forest products, poultry, or livestock.B\n\nThe loads of all trucks, trailers and semitrailers carrying gravel, sand, coal or other nonagricultural and nonforestry products on interstate, primary, or secondary highways or roads maintained by cities, counties or incorporated towns shall be either (i) secured to the vehicle in which they are being transported or (ii) covered. Covers used to prevent the escape of material from commercial vehicles used to transport solid waste shall be of such design, installation, and construction as to contain the vehicle’s cargo within the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle’s speed or weather conditions. Public service company vehicles, pickup trucks, and emergency snow removal equipment while engaged in snow removal operations shall be excluded from the provisions of this subsection.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228085,"text":"No vehicle shall be operated or moved on any highway unless it is so constructed, maintained, and loaded as to prevent its contents from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping. No provision of this section, however, shall apply to any (i) motor vehicle that is used exclusively for agricultural purposes as provided in § 46.2-698 and is not licensed in any other state; (ii) agricultural vehicle, tractor, or other vehicle exempted from registration and licensing requirements pursuant to Article 6 (§ 46.2-662 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of this title; or (iii) motor vehicle transporting forest products, poultry, or livestock.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":228086,"text":"The loads of all trucks, trailers and semitrailers carrying gravel, sand, coal or other nonagricultural and nonforestry products on interstate, primary, or secondary highways or roads maintained by cities, counties or incorporated towns shall be either (i) secured to the vehicle in which they are being transported or (ii) covered. Covers used to prevent the escape of material from commercial vehicles used to transport solid waste shall be of such design, installation, and construction as to contain the vehicle’s cargo within the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle’s speed or weather conditions. Public service company vehicles, pickup trucks, and emergency snow removal equipment while engaged in snow removal operations shall be excluded from the provisions of this subsection.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Loads and Cargoes","identifier":"20","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12828,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:11","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:11","permalink":{"id":229153,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14827,"identifier":"20","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12828,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228599,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12828,"identifier":"10","token":"46.2\/III\/10","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","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":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":66714,"structure_id":14827,"section_number":"46.2-1155","catch_line":"Fastening load of logs, barrels, etc","url":"\/46.2-1155\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1155","metadata":false},{"id":62543,"structure_id":14827,"section_number":"46.2-1156","catch_line":"Construction, maintenance and loading must prevent escape of contents; load covers; exemptions","url":"\/46.2-1156\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1156","metadata":false},{"id":56686,"structure_id":14827,"section_number":"46.2-1156.1","catch_line":"Transportation of persons less than sixteen years old in pickup truck beds prohibited; exception","url":"\/46.2-1156.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1156.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66714,"structure_id":14827,"section_number":"46.2-1155","catch_line":"Fastening load of logs, barrels, etc","url":"\/46.2-1155\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1155","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":56686,"structure_id":14827,"section_number":"46.2-1156.1","catch_line":"Transportation of persons less than sixteen years old in pickup truck beds prohibited; exception","url":"\/46.2-1156.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1156.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-1156\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 10 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 1958, chapter 541; in 1975, chapter 553; in 1979, chapter 213; in 1980, chapter 21; in 1986, chapter 639; in 1988, chapters 662 and 897; in 1989, chapters 526 and 727; in 1992, chapter 149; in 1997, chapter 283<\/a>; in 2001, chapter 180<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":77821,"section_number":"46.2-662","catch_line":"Temporary exemption for new resident operating vehicle registered in another state or country","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-662\/"},{"id":61031,"section_number":"46.2-698","catch_line":"(Contingent effective date \u2014 see Acts 2019, cc. 837 and 846) Fees for farm vehicles","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-698\/"}],"permalink":{"id":229159,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62543,"identifier":"46.2-1156","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1156","url":"\/46.2-1156\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-1156\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/20\/46.2-1156","dublin_core":{"Title":"Construction, maintenance and loading must prevent escape of contents; load covers; exemptions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-1156","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> No vehicle shall be operated or moved on any highway<\/span> unless it is so constructed, maintained, and loaded as to prevent its contents from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping. No provision of this section, however, shall apply to any (i) motor vehicle<\/span> that is used exclusively for agricultural purposes as provided in § 46.2-698<\/a> and is not licensed in any other state; (ii) agricultural vehicle, tractor, or other vehicle exempted from registration and licensing requirements pursuant to Article 6 (§ 46.2-662<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 6 of this title; or (iii) motor vehicle<\/span> transporting forest products, poultry, or livestock. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The loads of all trucks<\/span>, trailers<\/span> and semitrailers<\/span> carrying gravel, sand, coal or other nonagricultural and nonforestry products on interstate, primary, or secondary highways<\/span><\/span> or roads maintained by cities, counties or incorporated towns shall be either (i) secured to the vehicle in which they are being transported or (ii) covered. Covers used to prevent the escape of material<\/span> from commercial vehicles<\/span> used to transport solid waste shall be of such design, installation, and construction as to contain the vehicle’s cargo within the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle’s speed or weather conditions. Public service company vehicles<\/span>, pickup trucks<\/span>, and emergency snow removal equipment while engaged in snow removal operations shall be excluded from the provisions of this subsection. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND LOADING MUST PREVENT ESCAPE OF CONTENTS; LOAD\nCOVERS; EXEMPTIONS (\u00a7 46.2-1156)\n\nA. No vehicle shall be operated or moved on any highway unless it is so\nconstructed, maintained, and loaded as to prevent its contents from dropping,\nsifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping. No provision of this section, however,\nshall apply to any (i) motor vehicle that is used exclusively for agricultural\npurposes as provided in § 46.2-698 and is not licensed in any other state;\n(ii) agricultural vehicle, tractor, or other vehicle exempted from registration\nand licensing requirements pursuant to Article 6 (§ 46.2-662 et seq.) of\nChapter 6 of this title; or (iii) motor vehicle transporting forest products,\npoultry, or livestock.\n\nB. The loads of all trucks, trailers and semitrailers carrying gravel, sand,\ncoal or other nonagricultural and nonforestry products on interstate, primary,\nor secondary highways or roads maintained by cities, counties or incorporated\ntowns shall be either (i) secured to the vehicle in which they are being\ntransported or (ii) covered. Covers used to prevent the escape of material from\ncommercial vehicles used to transport solid waste shall be of such design,\ninstallation, and construction as to contain the vehicle’s cargo within\nthe vehicle, regardless of the vehicle’s speed or weather conditions.\nPublic service company vehicles, pickup trucks, and emergency snow removal\nequipment while engaged in snow removal operations shall be excluded from the\nprovisions of this subsection.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 46-307; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7\u00a7 46.1-303, 46.1-401; 1975, c.\n553; 1979, c. 213; 1980, c. 21; 1986, c. 639; 1988, cc. 662, 897; 1989, cc. 526,\n727; 1992, c. 149; 1997, c. 283; 2001, c. 180.","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}}