{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-3925.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-3925.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-3925.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-3925.1.html"}],"law_id":85433,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85433,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.1","catch_line":"Proof of character and fitness required of applicant; character and fitness committee; fees","history":"1992, c. 734; 1998, c. 796.","full_text":"A\n\nBefore issuing to any applicant a license or certificate to practice law in Virginia, the Board shall have found from satisfactory evidence produced by the applicant in such form as the Board may require that the applicant is a person of honest demeanor and good moral character, is over the age of eighteen and possesses the requisite fitness to perform the obligations and responsibilities of a practicing attorney at law.B\n\nIn making such determinations, the Board shall conduct such further inquiries, interviews and hearings as the Board may deem necessary. At the request of the Board, the Supreme Court may appoint a separate character and fitness committee, some of the members of which may be persons who are not licensed attorneys, to assist in reviewing character and fitness evidence and to make recommendations to the Board based upon standards adopted by the Board; however, no applicant shall be denied a license on character and fitness reasons except by action of a majority of the Board, after notice to the applicant and an opportunity for the applicant to be heard before the Board.C\n\nThe Board shall from time to time set character and fitness application fees sufficient to cover the costs of the character and fitness process.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":306036,"text":"Before issuing to any applicant a license or certificate to practice law in Virginia, the Board shall have found from satisfactory evidence produced by the applicant in such form as the Board may require that the applicant is a person of honest demeanor and good moral character, is over the age of eighteen and possesses the requisite fitness to perform the obligations and responsibilities of a practicing attorney at law.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":306037,"text":"In making such determinations, the Board shall conduct such further inquiries, interviews and hearings as the Board may deem necessary. At the request of the Board, the Supreme Court may appoint a separate character and fitness committee, some of the members of which may be persons who are not licensed attorneys, to assist in reviewing character and fitness evidence and to make recommendations to the Board based upon standards adopted by the Board; however, no applicant shall be denied a license on character and fitness reasons except by action of a majority of the Board, after notice to the applicant and an opportunity for the applicant to be heard before the Board.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":306038,"text":"The Board shall from time to time set character and fitness application fees sufficient to cover the costs of the character and fitness process.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15358,"edition_id":1,"name":"Examinations and Issuance of Licenses","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13488,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:13","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:13","permalink":{"id":244359,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15358,"identifier":"4","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13488,"edition_id":1,"name":"Attorneys","identifier":"39","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13487,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","permalink":{"id":244227,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13488,"identifier":"39","token":"54.1\/IV\/39","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/39\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13487,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions Regulated by the Supreme Court","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:01","permalink":{"id":244225,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13487,"identifier":"IV","token":"54.1\/IV","url":"\/54.1\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":79407,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925","catch_line":"Application for examination","url":"\/54.1-3925\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925","metadata":false},{"id":85433,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.1","catch_line":"Proof of character and fitness required of applicant; character and fitness committee; fees","url":"\/54.1-3925.1\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.1","metadata":false},{"id":82501,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.2","catch_line":"Access to criminal history records","url":"\/54.1-3925.2\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.2","metadata":false},{"id":63518,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.3","catch_line":"Authority for subpoenas; qualified privilege and immunity","url":"\/54.1-3925.3\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.3","metadata":false},{"id":73241,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3926","catch_line":"Preliminary proof of education required of applicant","url":"\/54.1-3926\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3926","metadata":false},{"id":72389,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3927","catch_line":"Time and place of examination","url":"\/54.1-3927\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3927","metadata":false},{"id":70143,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3928","catch_line":"Issuance of license or certificate; list of persons certified to Supreme Court","url":"\/54.1-3928\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3928","metadata":false},{"id":58450,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3929","catch_line":"Preservation of examination papers","url":"\/54.1-3929\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3929","metadata":false},{"id":68467,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3930","catch_line":"Reexaminations","url":"\/54.1-3930\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3930","metadata":false},{"id":83228,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3931","catch_line":"Granting certificates without examination; law professors","url":"\/54.1-3931\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3931","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":79407,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925","catch_line":"Application for examination","url":"\/54.1-3925\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":82501,"structure_id":15358,"section_number":"54.1-3925.2","catch_line":"Access to criminal history records","url":"\/54.1-3925.2\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3925.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1992. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 734 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 1992 \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 1998, chapter 796<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":244365,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85433,"identifier":"54.1-3925.1","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.1","url":"\/54.1-3925.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3925.1\/","token":"54.1\/IV\/39\/4\/54.1-3925.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Proof of character and fitness required of applicant; character and fitness committee; fees","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3925.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Before issuing to any applicant a license or certificate to practice law in Virginia, the Board shall have found from satisfactory evidence<\/span> produced by the applicant in such form as the Board may require that the applicant is a person of honest demeanor and good moral character, is over the age of eighteen and possesses the requisite fitness to perform the obligations and responsibilities of a practicing attorney at law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> In making such determinations, the Board shall conduct such further inquiries, interviews and hearings<\/span> as the Board may deem necessary. At the request of the Board, the Supreme Court<\/span> may appoint a separate character and fitness committee, some of the members of which may be persons who are not licensed attorneys, to assist in reviewing character and fitness evidence<\/span> and to make recommendations to the Board based upon standards adopted by the Board; however, no applicant shall be denied a license on character and fitness reasons except by action of a majority of the Board, after notice to the applicant and an opportunity for the applicant to be heard before the Board. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The Board shall from time to time set character and fitness application fees sufficient to cover the costs of the character and fitness process. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROOF OF CHARACTER AND FITNESS REQUIRED OF APPLICANT; CHARACTER AND FITNESS\nCOMMITTEE; FEES (\u00a7 54.1-3925.1)\n\nA. Before issuing to any applicant a license or certificate to practice law in\nVirginia, the Board shall have found from satisfactory evidence produced by the\napplicant in such form as the Board may require that the applicant is a person\nof honest demeanor and good moral character, is over the age of eighteen and\npossesses the requisite fitness to perform the obligations and responsibilities\nof a practicing attorney at law.\n\nB. In making such determinations, the Board shall conduct such further\ninquiries, interviews and hearings as the Board may deem necessary. At the\nrequest of the Board, the Supreme Court may appoint a separate character and\nfitness committee, some of the members of which may be persons who are not\nlicensed attorneys, to assist in reviewing character and fitness evidence and to\nmake recommendations to the Board based upon standards adopted by the Board;\nhowever, no applicant shall be denied a license on character and fitness reasons\nexcept by action of a majority of the Board, after notice to the applicant and\nan opportunity for the applicant to be heard before the Board.\n\nC. The Board shall from time to time set character and fitness application fees\nsufficient to cover the costs of the character and fitness process.\n\nHISTORY: 1992, c. 734; 1998, c. 796.","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}}