{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-2814.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-2814.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-2814.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-2814.html"}],"law_id":59693,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59693,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2814","catch_line":"How governing body of county may make local fence law","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 8-880; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-310; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"The board of supervisors or other governing body in any county, after publishing notice as required by subsection F of \u00a7 15.2-1427, may, by ordinance, declare the boundary line of each lot or tract of land or any stream in such county, any magisterial district of such county, or any selected portion of such county, to be a lawful fence as to any or all domesticated livestock, or may declare any other kind of fence for such county, magisterial district, or selected portion of the county than as prescribed by \u00a7 55.1-2804 to be a lawful fence, as to any or all of such animals.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":218629,"text":"The board of supervisors or other governing body in any county, after publishing notice as required by subsection F of \u00a7 15.2-1427, may, by ordinance, declare the boundary line of each lot or tract of land or any stream in such county, any magisterial district of such county, or any selected portion of such county, to be a lawful fence as to any or all domesticated livestock, or may declare any other kind of fence for such county, magisterial district, or selected portion of the county than as prescribed by \u00a7 55.1-2804 to be a lawful fence, as to any or all of such animals.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15144,"edition_id":1,"name":"No-Fence Law","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14623,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:30","permalink":{"id":248253,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15144,"identifier":"5","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5","url":"\/55.1\/V\/28\/5\/","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":59693,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2814","catch_line":"How governing body of county may make local fence law","url":"\/55.1-2814\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2814","metadata":false},{"id":76572,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2815","catch_line":"Effect of such law on certain fences","url":"\/55.1-2815\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2815","metadata":false},{"id":85022,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2816","catch_line":"Application to railroad companies","url":"\/55.1-2816\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2816","metadata":false},{"id":59791,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2817","catch_line":"No authority to adopt more stringent fence laws","url":"\/55.1-2817\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2817","metadata":false},{"id":60174,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2818","catch_line":"Effect on existing fence laws or no-fence laws","url":"\/55.1-2818\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2818","metadata":false},{"id":81158,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2819","catch_line":"Lands under quarantine","url":"\/55.1-2819\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2819","metadata":false},{"id":57692,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2820","catch_line":"When unlawful for animals to run at large","url":"\/55.1-2820\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2820","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":76572,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2815","catch_line":"Effect of such law on certain fences","url":"\/55.1-2815\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2815","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-2814\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1977, chapter 624; in 2019, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?191+ful+CHAP0712\">712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":76572,"section_number":"55.1-2815","catch_line":"Effect of such law on certain fences","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-2815\/"},{"id":85022,"section_number":"55.1-2816","catch_line":"Application to railroad companies","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-2816\/"},{"id":59791,"section_number":"55.1-2817","catch_line":"No authority to adopt more stringent fence laws","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-2817\/"},{"id":60174,"section_number":"55.1-2818","catch_line":"Effect on existing fence laws or no-fence laws","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-2818\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":65433,"section_number":"15.2-1427","catch_line":"Adoption of ordinances and resolutions generally; amending or repealing ordinances","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1427\/"},{"id":70258,"section_number":"55.1-2804","catch_line":"Description of lawful fence","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-2804\/"}],"permalink":{"id":248255,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59693,"identifier":"55.1-2814","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2814","url":"\/55.1-2814\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-2814\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2814","dublin_core":{"Title":"How governing body of county may make local fence law","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-2814","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The board of supervisors or other governing body in any county, after publishing notice as required by subsection F of \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Adoption of ordinances and resolutions generally; amending or repealing ordinances\" href=\"\/15.2-1427\/\">15.2-1427<\/a>, may, by <span class=\"dictionary\">ordinance<\/span>, declare the boundary line of each lot or tract of land or any stream in such county, any magisterial district of such county, or any selected portion of such county, to be a lawful fence as to any or all domesticated livestock, or may declare any other kind of fence for such county, magisterial district, or selected portion of the county than as prescribed by \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Description of lawful fence\" href=\"\/55.1-2804\/\">55.1-2804<\/a> to be a lawful fence, as to any or all of such animals.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nHOW GOVERNING BODY OF COUNTY MAY MAKE LOCAL FENCE LAW (\u00a7 55.1-2814)\n\nThe board of supervisors or other governing body in any county, after publishing\nnotice as required by subsection F of \u00a7 15.2-1427, may, by ordinance, declare\nthe boundary line of each lot or tract of land or any stream in such county, any\nmagisterial district of such county, or any selected portion of such county, to\nbe a lawful fence as to any or all domesticated livestock, or may declare any\nother kind of fence for such county, magisterial district, or selected portion\nof the county than as prescribed by \u00a7 55.1-2804 to be a lawful fence, as to any\nor all of such animals.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 8-880; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-310; 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}}