{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-550.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-550.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-550.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-550.html"}],"law_id":59033,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59033,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-550","catch_line":"Police powers; violations of law","history":"1988, c. 649.","full_text":"A\n\nThe roadways and highways constructed or operated under this chapter may be policed in whole or in part by officers of the Department of State Police, even though all or some portion of any such projects lie within the corporate limits of a municipality or other political subdivision, and just as if the roadway and highway were a part of the state highway system. The operator and the Department of State Police shall agree upon reasonable terms and conditions pursuant to which the activities contemplated in this section may take place. Such officers shall be under the exclusive control and direction of the Superintendent of State Police and shall be responsible for the preservation of public peace, prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals, protection of the rights of persons and property, and enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth, within the limits of any highway and roadway. All other police officers of the Commonwealth and of each county, city, town or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth through which any roadway, or portion thereof, extends shall have the same powers and jurisdiction within the limits of such roadways and highways as they have beyond such limits and shall have access to the highway and roadway at any time for the purpose of exercising such powers and jurisdiction. This authority does not extend to the private offices, buildings, garages and other improvements of the operator to any greater degree than the police power extends to any other private buildings and improvements.B\n\nThe traffic and motor vehicle laws of the Commonwealth shall apply to persons and motor vehicles on the roadway or highway, as shall Chapter 8 (§ 33.2-800 et seq.) of Title 33.2, and the powers of arrest of police officers shall be the same as those applying to conduct on the state highway system. Punishment for offenses shall be as prescribed by law for conduct occurring on the state highway system.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":216443,"text":"The roadways and highways constructed or operated under this chapter may be policed in whole or in part by officers of the Department of State Police, even though all or some portion of any such projects lie within the corporate limits of a municipality or other political subdivision, and just as if the roadway and highway were a part of the state highway system. The operator and the Department of State Police shall agree upon reasonable terms and conditions pursuant to which the activities contemplated in this section may take place. Such officers shall be under the exclusive control and direction of the Superintendent of State Police and shall be responsible for the preservation of public peace, prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals, protection of the rights of persons and property, and enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth, within the limits of any highway and roadway. All other police officers of the Commonwealth and of each county, city, town or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth through which any roadway, or portion thereof, extends shall have the same powers and jurisdiction within the limits of such roadways and highways as they have beyond such limits and shall have access to the highway and roadway at any time for the purpose of exercising such powers and jurisdiction. This authority does not extend to the private offices, buildings, garages and other improvements of the operator to any greater degree than the police power extends to any other private buildings and improvements.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":216444,"text":"The traffic and motor vehicle laws of the Commonwealth shall apply to persons and motor vehicles on the roadway or highway, as shall Chapter 8 (§ 33.2-800 et seq.) of Title 33.2, and the powers of arrest of police officers shall be the same as those applying to conduct on the state highway system. Punishment for offenses shall be as prescribed by law for conduct occurring on the state highway system.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14616,"edition_id":1,"name":"Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988","identifier":"20","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:55","permalink":{"id":250407,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14616,"identifier":"20","token":"56\/20","url":"\/56\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":70009,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-535","catch_line":"Title","url":"\/56-535\/","token":"56\/20\/56-535","metadata":false},{"id":75006,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-536","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/56-536\/","token":"56\/20\/56-536","metadata":false},{"id":82021,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-537","catch_line":"Construction of highways and use of public funds in the public interest","url":"\/56-537\/","token":"56\/20\/56-537","metadata":false},{"id":63437,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-538","catch_line":"Prerequisite for construction and operation","url":"\/56-538\/","token":"56\/20\/56-538","metadata":false},{"id":64175,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-539","catch_line":"Certificate of authority","url":"\/56-539\/","token":"56\/20\/56-539","metadata":false},{"id":65271,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-540","catch_line":"Application","url":"\/56-540\/","token":"56\/20\/56-540","metadata":false},{"id":64565,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-541","catch_line":"Eminent domain","url":"\/56-541\/","token":"56\/20\/56-541","metadata":false},{"id":64762,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-542","catch_line":"Powers of the Commission","url":"\/56-542\/","token":"56\/20\/56-542","metadata":false},{"id":85165,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-543","catch_line":"Powers and duties of roadway operator","url":"\/56-543\/","token":"56\/20\/56-543","metadata":false},{"id":58147,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-544","catch_line":"Board approval; inspection agreement with Department","url":"\/56-544\/","token":"56\/20\/56-544","metadata":false},{"id":72530,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-545","catch_line":"Insurance; sovereign immunity","url":"\/56-545\/","token":"56\/20\/56-545","metadata":false},{"id":56152,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-546","catch_line":"Local approvals","url":"\/56-546\/","token":"56\/20\/56-546","metadata":false},{"id":78880,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-547","catch_line":"Utility crossings","url":"\/56-547\/","token":"56\/20\/56-547","metadata":false},{"id":59529,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-548","catch_line":"Highway and roadway crossings","url":"\/56-548\/","token":"56\/20\/56-548","metadata":false},{"id":68873,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-549","catch_line":"Default","url":"\/56-549\/","token":"56\/20\/56-549","metadata":false},{"id":59033,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-550","catch_line":"Police powers; violations of law","url":"\/56-550\/","token":"56\/20\/56-550","metadata":false},{"id":71856,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-551","catch_line":"Termination of certificate; dedication of assets","url":"\/56-551\/","token":"56\/20\/56-551","metadata":false},{"id":62323,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-552","catch_line":"Improvement Fund","url":"\/56-552\/","token":"56\/20\/56-552","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":68873,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-549","catch_line":"Default","url":"\/56-549\/","token":"56\/20\/56-549","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":71856,"structure_id":14616,"section_number":"56-551","catch_line":"Termination of certificate; dedication of assets","url":"\/56-551\/","token":"56\/20\/56-551","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-550\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1988. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 649 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 1988 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":57364,"section_number":"33.2-800","catch_line":"Definition","order_by":null,"url":"\/33.2-800\/"}],"permalink":{"id":250469,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59033,"identifier":"56-550","token":"56\/20\/56-550","url":"\/56-550\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-550\/","token":"56\/20\/56-550","dublin_core":{"Title":"Police powers; violations of law","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-550","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The roadways<\/span> and highways<\/span> constructed or operated under this chapter may be policed in whole or in part by officers of the Department<\/span> of State Police, even though all or some portion of any such projects lie within the corporate limits of a municipality<\/span> or other political subdivision, and just as if the roadway<\/span> and highway<\/span> were a part of the state highway<\/span> system. The operator<\/span> and the Department<\/span> of State Police shall agree upon reasonable terms and conditions pursuant to which the activities contemplated in this section may take place. Such officers shall be under the exclusive control and direction of the Superintendent of State Police and shall be responsible for the preservation of public peace, prevention of crime<\/span>, apprehension of criminals, protection of the rights of persons<\/span> and property, and enforcement of the laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth, within the limits of any highway<\/span> and roadway<\/span>. All other police officers of the Commonwealth and of each county, city, town or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth through which any roadway<\/span>, or portion thereof, extends shall have the same powers and jurisdiction<\/span> within the limits of such roadways<\/span> and highways<\/span> as they have beyond such limits and shall have access to the highway<\/span> and roadway<\/span> at any time for the purpose of exercising such powers and jurisdiction<\/span>. This authority does not extend to the private offices, buildings, garages and other improvements of the operator<\/span> to any greater degree than the police power extends to any other private buildings and improvements. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The traffic and motor vehicle laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth shall apply to persons<\/span> and motor vehicles on the roadway<\/span> or highway<\/span>, as shall Chapter 8 (§ 33.2-800<\/a> et seq.) of Title 33.2, and the powers of arrest<\/span> of police officers shall be the same as those applying to conduct on the state highway<\/span> system. Punishment for offenses<\/span> shall be as prescribed by law<\/span> for conduct occurring on the state highway<\/span> system. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOLICE POWERS; VIOLATIONS OF LAW (\u00a7 56-550)\n\nA. The roadways and highways constructed or operated under this chapter may be\npoliced in whole or in part by officers of the Department of State Police, even\nthough all or some portion of any such projects lie within the corporate limits\nof a municipality or other political subdivision, and just as if the roadway and\nhighway were a part of the state highway system. The operator and the Department\nof State Police shall agree upon reasonable terms and conditions pursuant to\nwhich the activities contemplated in this section may take place. Such officers\nshall be under the exclusive control and direction of the Superintendent of\nState Police and shall be responsible for the preservation of public peace,\nprevention of crime, apprehension of criminals, protection of the rights of\npersons and property, and enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth, within\nthe limits of any highway and roadway. All other police officers of the\nCommonwealth and of each county, city, town or other political subdivision of\nthe Commonwealth through which any roadway, or portion thereof, extends shall\nhave the same powers and jurisdiction within the limits of such roadways and\nhighways as they have beyond such limits and shall have access to the highway\nand roadway at any time for the purpose of exercising such powers and\njurisdiction. This authority does not extend to the private offices, buildings,\ngarages and other improvements of the operator to any greater degree than the\npolice power extends to any other private buildings and improvements.\n\nB. The traffic and motor vehicle laws of the Commonwealth shall apply to persons\nand motor vehicles on the roadway or highway, as shall Chapter 8 (§\n33.2-800 et seq.) of Title 33.2, and the powers of arrest of police officers\nshall be the same as those applying to conduct on the state highway system.\nPunishment for offenses shall be as prescribed by law for conduct occurring on\nthe state highway system.\n\nHISTORY: 1988, c. 649.","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}}