{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/51.1-301.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/51.1-301.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/51.1-301.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/51.1-301.html"}],"law_id":68180,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68180,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-301","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1970, c. 779, \u00a7 51-161; 1972, cc. 568, 708; 1973, cc. 523, 546; 1974, cc. 353, 484; 1975, c. 597; 1976, cc. 374, 678; 1978, c. 841; 1984, c. 430; 1990, c. 832; 1993, c. 895; 2010, cc. 737, 738; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 53, 54.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Appointing authority” means the General Assembly or the Governor.\n\t\t“Creditable service” means prior service plus membership service, as further defined in and modified by \u00a7 51.1-303, for which credit is allowable under this chapter.\n\t\t“Judge” means any justice or judge of a court of record of the Commonwealth, any member of the State Corporation Commission or Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, any judge of a district court of the Commonwealth other than a substitute judge of such district court, and any executive secretary of the Supreme Court assuming such position between December 1, 1975, and January 31, 1976.\n\t\t“Normal retirement date” means a member’s sixty-fifth birthday.\n\t\t“Previous systems” means the systems established under the provisions of Chapters 2 (\u00a7 51-3 et seq.) and 2.2 (\u00a7 51-29.8 et seq.) of Title 51, and, in the case of judges of regional juvenile and domestic relations courts, the Virginia Retirement System.\n\t\t“Retirement system” means the Judicial Retirement System.\n\t\t“Service” means service as a judge.\n\t\t“Social security disability benefit” means, with respect to any member, the social security disability benefits to which the member is entitled pursuant to the provisions of the federal Social Security Act as in effect at his date of retirement.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":246783,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Appointing authority” means the General Assembly or the Governor.\n\t\t“Creditable service” means prior service plus membership service, as further defined in and modified by \u00a7 51.1-303, for which credit is allowable under this chapter.\n\t\t“Judge” means any justice or judge of a court of record of the Commonwealth, any member of the State Corporation Commission or Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, any judge of a district court of the Commonwealth other than a substitute judge of such district court, and any executive secretary of the Supreme Court assuming such position between December 1, 1975, and January 31, 1976.\n\t\t“Normal retirement date” means a member’s sixty-fifth birthday.\n\t\t“Previous systems” means the systems established under the provisions of Chapters 2 (\u00a7 51-3 et seq.) and 2.2 (\u00a7 51-29.8 et seq.) of Title 51, and, in the case of judges of regional juvenile and domestic relations courts, the Virginia Retirement System.\n\t\t“Retirement system” means the Judicial Retirement System.\n\t\t“Service” means service as a judge.\n\t\t“Social security disability benefit” means, with respect to any member, the social security disability benefits to which the member is entitled pursuant to the provisions of the federal Social Security Act as in effect at his date of retirement.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13893,"edition_id":1,"name":"Judicial Retirement System","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12947,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:13","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:13","permalink":{"id":235997,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13893,"identifier":"3","token":"51.1\/3","url":"\/51.1\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12947,"edition_id":1,"name":"Pensions, Benefits, and Retirement","identifier":"51.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":235029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12947,"identifier":"51.1","token":"51.1","url":"\/51.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":73479,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-300","catch_line":"Judicial Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System","url":"\/51.1-300\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-300","metadata":false},{"id":68180,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-301","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/51.1-301\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-301","metadata":false},{"id":73859,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-302","catch_line":"Membership in retirement system","url":"\/51.1-302\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-302","metadata":false},{"id":57472,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-303","catch_line":"Creditable service","url":"\/51.1-303\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-303","metadata":false},{"id":74635,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-304","catch_line":"Contributions by Commonwealth","url":"\/51.1-304\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-304","metadata":false},{"id":78359,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-305","catch_line":"Service retirement generally","url":"\/51.1-305\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-305","metadata":false},{"id":71752,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-306","catch_line":"Service retirement allowance","url":"\/51.1-306\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-306","metadata":false},{"id":74234,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-306.1","catch_line":"Service retirement allowance for judges appointed or elected after January 1, 2014","url":"\/51.1-306.1\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-306.1","metadata":false},{"id":54931,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-307","catch_line":"Notice of disability retirement","url":"\/51.1-307\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-307","metadata":false},{"id":84690,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-308","catch_line":"Disability retirement allowance","url":"\/51.1-308\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-308","metadata":false},{"id":79242,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-309","catch_line":"Appearance as counsel in certain forums prohibited","url":"\/51.1-309\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-309","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":73479,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-300","catch_line":"Judicial Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System","url":"\/51.1-300\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-300","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":73859,"structure_id":13893,"section_number":"51.1-302","catch_line":"Membership in retirement system","url":"\/51.1-302\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-302","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/51.1-301\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1970. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 779 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 1970 \u201cActs\u201d aren\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 1972, chapters 568 and 708; in 1973, chapters 523 and 546; in 1974, chapters 353 and 484; in 1975, chapter 597; in 1976, chapters 374 and 678; in 1978, chapter 841; in 1984, chapter 430; in 1990, chapter 832; in 1993, chapter 895; in 2010, chapters 737<\/a> and 738<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":68317,"section_number":"2.2-2818","catch_line":"Health and related insurance for state employees","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-2818\/"},{"id":70577,"section_number":"51.1-400","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/51.1-400\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":57472,"section_number":"51.1-303","catch_line":"Creditable service","order_by":null,"url":"\/51.1-303\/"}],"permalink":{"id":236003,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68180,"identifier":"51.1-301","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-301","url":"\/51.1-301\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/51.1-301\/","token":"51.1\/3\/51.1-301","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 51.1-301","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Appointing authority<\/span>” means the General Assembly or the Governor.\n\t\t“Creditable service<\/span>” means prior service plus membership service, as further defined in and modified by \u00a7 51.1-303<\/a>, for which credit is allowable under this chapter.\n\t\t“Judge<\/span>” means any justice or judge<\/span> of a court<\/span> of record of the Commonwealth, any member of the State Corporation Commission or Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, any judge<\/span> of a district court<\/span> of the Commonwealth other than a substitute judge<\/span> of such district court<\/span>, and any executive secretary of the Supreme Court<\/span> assuming such position between December 1, 1975, and January 31, 1976.\n\t\t“Normal retirement date<\/span>” means a member’s sixty-fifth birthday.\n\t\t“Previous systems<\/span>” means the systems established under the provisions of Chapters 2 (\u00a7 51-3 et seq.) and 2.2 (\u00a7 51-29.8 et seq.) of Title 51, and, in the case of judges<\/span> of regional juvenile and domestic relations courts<\/span>, the Virginia Retirement System<\/span>.\n\t\t“Retirement system<\/span>” means the Judicial Retirement System<\/span>.\n\t\t“Service” means service as a judge<\/span>.\n\t\t“Social security disability benefit” means, with respect to any member, the social security disability benefits to which the member is entitled pursuant to the provisions of the federal Social Security Act as in effect at his date of retirement.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 51.1-301)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Appointing authority” means the General Assembly or the Governor.\n\t\t“Creditable service” means prior service plus membership service,\nas further defined in and modified by \u00a7 51.1-303, for which credit is allowable\nunder this chapter.\n\t\t“Judge” means any justice or judge of a court of record of the\nCommonwealth, any member of the State Corporation Commission or Virginia\nWorkers’ Compensation Commission, any judge of a district court of the\nCommonwealth other than a substitute judge of such district court, and any\nexecutive secretary of the Supreme Court assuming such position between December\n1, 1975, and January 31, 1976.\n\t\t“Normal retirement date” means a member’s sixty-fifth\nbirthday.\n\t\t“Previous systems” means the systems established under the\nprovisions of Chapters 2 (\u00a7 51-3 et seq.) and 2.2 (\u00a7 51-29.8 et seq.) of Title\n51, and, in the case of judges of regional juvenile and domestic relations\ncourts, the Virginia Retirement System.\n\t\t“Retirement system” means the Judicial Retirement System.\n\t\t“Service” means service as a judge.\n\t\t“Social security disability benefit” means, with respect to any\nmember, the social security disability benefits to which the member is entitled\npursuant to the provisions of the federal Social Security Act as in effect at\nhis date of retirement.\n\nHISTORY: 1970, c. 779, \u00a7 51-161; 1972, cc. 568, 708; 1973, cc. 523, 546; 1974,\ncc. 353, 484; 1975, c. 597; 1976, cc. 374, 678; 1978, c. 841; 1984, c. 430;\n1990, c. 832; 1993, c. 895; 2010, cc. 737, 738; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 53, 54.","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}}