{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-2809.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-2809.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-2809.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-2809.html"}],"law_id":79278,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79278,"structure_id":16786,"section_number":"55.1-2809","catch_line":"Persons having easement may replace gate with cattle guard; maintenance and use thereof; deemed lawful gate","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 8-873.2, 8-873.3; 1954, c. 461; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-305; 1992, c. 483; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"Any person having an easement of right-of-way across the lands of another may, at his own expense, replace any gate thereon with a substantial cattle guard sufficient to turn livestock. Such cattle guards shall be maintained by the owner of the easement, who shall be responsible for keeping such cattle guards at all times in sufficient condition to turn livestock. If a cattle guard is rendered inoperative by inclement weather, the easement owner shall utilize and maintain any reasonable alternative method sufficient to turn livestock from the inoperative cattle guard until such cattle guard is rendered operative again. If the gate to be replaced is needed or used for the orderly ingress and egress of equipment or animals thereover, then such persons acting under the authority of this section shall construct such cattle guards so as to allow such ingress and egress or, if such easement is of sufficient width, may place such cattle guard adjacent to such gate.\n\t\tSuch a cattle guard shall be deemed a lawful gate and not an interference with such easement.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":283858,"text":"Any person having an easement of right-of-way across the lands of another may, at his own expense, replace any gate thereon with a substantial cattle guard sufficient to turn livestock. Such cattle guards shall be maintained by the owner of the easement, who shall be responsible for keeping such cattle guards at all times in sufficient condition to turn livestock. If a cattle guard is rendered inoperative by inclement weather, the easement owner shall utilize and maintain any reasonable alternative method sufficient to turn livestock from the inoperative cattle guard until such cattle guard is rendered operative again. If the gate to be replaced is needed or used for the orderly ingress and egress of equipment or animals thereover, then such persons acting under the authority of this section shall construct such cattle guards so as to allow such ingress and egress or, if such easement is of sufficient width, may place such cattle guard adjacent to such gate.\n\t\tSuch a cattle guard shall be deemed a lawful gate and not an interference with such easement.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16786,"edition_id":1,"name":"Cattle Guards and Gates Across Rights-of-Way","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14623,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:43:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:43:26","permalink":{"id":248225,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16786,"identifier":"3","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/3","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14623,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trespasses; Fences","identifier":"28","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12708,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:57","permalink":{"id":248187,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14623,"identifier":"28","token":"55.1\/V\/28","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12708,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous","identifier":"V","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":247771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12708,"identifier":"V","token":"55.1\/V","url":"\/55.1\/V\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":80401,"structure_id":16786,"section_number":"55.1-2808","catch_line":"Property owner may place cattle guards or gates across right-of-way","url":"\/55.1-2808\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/3\/55.1-2808","metadata":false},{"id":79278,"structure_id":16786,"section_number":"55.1-2809","catch_line":"Persons having easement may replace gate with cattle guard; maintenance and use thereof; deemed lawful gate","url":"\/55.1-2809\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/3\/55.1-2809","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80401,"structure_id":16786,"section_number":"55.1-2808","catch_line":"Property owner may place cattle guards or gates across right-of-way","url":"\/55.1-2808\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/3\/55.1-2808","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-2809\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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 1954, chapter 461; in 1977, chapter 624; in 1992, chapter 483; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":248231,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79278,"identifier":"55.1-2809","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/3\/55.1-2809","url":"\/55.1-2809\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-2809\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/3\/55.1-2809","dublin_core":{"Title":"Persons having easement may replace gate with cattle guard; maintenance and use thereof; deemed lawful gate","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-2809","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person having an easement of right-of-way across the lands of another may, at his own expense, replace any gate thereon with a substantial cattle guard sufficient to turn livestock. Such cattle guards shall be maintained by the owner of the easement, who shall be responsible for keeping such cattle guards at all times in sufficient condition to turn livestock. If a cattle guard is rendered inoperative by inclement weather, the easement owner shall utilize and maintain any reasonable alternative method sufficient to turn livestock from the inoperative cattle guard until such cattle guard is rendered operative again. If the gate to be replaced is needed or used for the orderly ingress and egress of equipment or animals thereover, then such persons acting under the authority of this section shall construct such cattle guards so as to allow such ingress and egress or, if such easement is of sufficient width, may place such cattle guard adjacent to such gate.\n\t\tSuch a cattle guard shall be deemed a lawful gate and not an interference with such easement.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPERSONS HAVING EASEMENT MAY REPLACE GATE WITH CATTLE GUARD; MAINTENANCE AND USE\nTHEREOF; DEEMED LAWFUL GATE (\u00a7 55.1-2809)\n\nAny person having an easement of right-of-way across the lands of another may,\nat his own expense, replace any gate thereon with a substantial cattle guard\nsufficient to turn livestock. Such cattle guards shall be maintained by the\nowner of the easement, who shall be responsible for keeping such cattle guards\nat all times in sufficient condition to turn livestock. If a cattle guard is\nrendered inoperative by inclement weather, the easement owner shall utilize and\nmaintain any reasonable alternative method sufficient to turn livestock from the\ninoperative cattle guard until such cattle guard is rendered operative again. If\nthe gate to be replaced is needed or used for the orderly ingress and egress of\nequipment or animals thereover, then such persons acting under the authority of\nthis section shall construct such cattle guards so as to allow such ingress and\negress or, if such easement is of sufficient width, may place such cattle guard\nadjacent to such gate.\n\t\tSuch a cattle guard shall be deemed a lawful gate and not an interference with\nsuch easement.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 8-873.2, 8-873.3; 1954, c. 461; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7\n55-305; 1992, c. 483; 2019, c. 712.","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}}