{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-2820.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-2820.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-2820.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-2820.html"}],"law_id":57692,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57692,"structure_id":15144,"section_number":"55.1-2820","catch_line":"When unlawful for animals to run at large","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 8-886; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-316; 1979, c. 486; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"It is unlawful for the owner or manager of any domesticated livestock to permit any such animal, as to which the boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been or may be constituted a lawful fence, to run at large beyond the limits of his own lands within the county, magisterial district, or portion of such county in which such boundaries have been constituted and are a lawful fence.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":211343,"text":"It is unlawful for the owner or manager of any domesticated livestock to permit any such animal, as to which the boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been or may be constituted a lawful fence, to run at large beyond the limits of his own lands within the county, magisterial district, or portion of such county in which such boundaries have been constituted and are a lawful fence.","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}],"previous_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-2820\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 1979, chapter 486; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":80533,"section_number":"18.2-121.1","catch_line":"Permitting certain animals to run at large","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-121.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":248279,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57692,"identifier":"55.1-2820","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2820","url":"\/55.1-2820\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-2820\/","token":"55.1\/V\/28\/5\/55.1-2820","dublin_core":{"Title":"When unlawful for animals to run at large","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-2820","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It is unlawful for the owner or manager of any domesticated livestock to permit any such animal, as to which the boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been or may be constituted a lawful fence, to run at large beyond the limits of his own lands within the county, magisterial district, or portion of such county in which such boundaries have been constituted and are a lawful fence.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHEN UNLAWFUL FOR ANIMALS TO RUN AT LARGE (\u00a7 55.1-2820)\n\nIt is unlawful for the owner or manager of any domesticated livestock to permit\nany such animal, as to which the boundaries of lots or tracts of land have been\nor may be constituted a lawful fence, to run at large beyond the limits of his\nown lands within the county, magisterial district, or portion of such county in\nwhich such boundaries have been constituted and are a lawful fence.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 8-886; 1977, c. 624, \u00a7 55-316; 1979, c. 486; 2019, c.\n712.","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}}