{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/64.2-455.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/64.2-455.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/64.2-455.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/64.2-455.html"}],"law_id":62529,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62529,"structure_id":14721,"section_number":"64.2-455","catch_line":"Wills to be recorded; recording copies; effect; transfer to The Library of Virginia","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 64-90; 1964, c. 169; 1966, c. 254; 1968, c. 656, \u00a7 64.1-94; 1978, c. 366; 1994, c. 64; 2001, c. 836; 2002, c. 832; 2012, c. 614.","full_text":"A\n\nEvery will or authenticated copy admitted to probate by any circuit court or clerk of any circuit court shall be recorded by the clerk and remain in the clerk’s office, except during such time as the same may be carried to another court under a subpoena duces tecum or as otherwise provided in § 17.1-213. A certified copy of such will or of any authenticated copy may be recorded in any county or city wherein there is any estate, real or personal, devised or bequeathed by such will.B\n\nThe personal representative of the testator shall cause a certified copy of any will or of any authenticated copy so admitted to record to be recorded in any county or city wherein there is any real estate of which the testator possessed at the time of his death or that is devised by his will.C\n\nEvery will or certified copy when recorded shall have the effect of notice to all persons of any devise or disposal by the will of real estate situated in a county or city in which such will or copy is so recorded.D\n\nWith the approval of the judges of a circuit court of any county or city, the clerk of such court may transfer such original wills from his office to the Archives Division of The Library of Virginia. A copy of any will that has been microfilmed or stored in an electronic medium, prepared from such microfilmed or electronic record and certified as authentic by the clerk or his designee, shall constitute a certified copy of the will for any purpose arising under this title for which a certified copy of the will is required.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228030,"text":"Every will or authenticated copy admitted to probate by any circuit court or clerk of any circuit court shall be recorded by the clerk and remain in the clerk’s office, except during such time as the same may be carried to another court under a subpoena duces tecum or as otherwise provided in § 17.1-213. A certified copy of such will or of any authenticated copy may be recorded in any county or city wherein there is any estate, real or personal, devised or bequeathed by such will.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":228031,"text":"The personal representative of the testator shall cause a certified copy of any will or of any authenticated copy so admitted to record to be recorded in any county or city wherein there is any real estate of which the testator possessed at the time of his death or that is devised by his will.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":228032,"text":"Every will or certified copy when recorded shall have the effect of notice to all persons of any devise or disposal by the will of real estate situated in a county or city in which such will or copy is so recorded.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":228033,"text":"With the approval of the judges of a circuit court of any county or city, the clerk of such court may transfer such original wills from his office to the Archives Division of The Library of Virginia. A copy of any will that has been microfilmed or stored in an electronic medium, prepared from such microfilmed or electronic record and certified as authentic by the clerk or his designee, shall constitute a certified copy of the will for any purpose arising under this title for which a certified copy of the will is required.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14721,"edition_id":1,"name":"Recordation and Effect","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13480,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:32","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:32","permalink":{"id":273361,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14721,"identifier":"6","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6","url":"\/64.2\/II\/4\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13480,"edition_id":1,"name":"Wills","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12863,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:58","permalink":{"id":273121,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13480,"identifier":"4","token":"64.2\/II\/4","url":"\/64.2\/II\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12863,"edition_id":1,"name":"Wills and Decedents' Estates","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12723,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:57","permalink":{"id":272911,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12863,"identifier":"II","token":"64.2\/II","url":"\/64.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12723,"edition_id":1,"name":"Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries","identifier":"64.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":272781,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12723,"identifier":"64.2","token":"64.2","url":"\/64.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":62529,"structure_id":14721,"section_number":"64.2-455","catch_line":"Wills to be recorded; recording copies; effect; transfer to The Library of Virginia","url":"\/64.2-455\/","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-455","metadata":false},{"id":60951,"structure_id":14721,"section_number":"64.2-456","catch_line":"Bona fide purchaser of real estate without notice of devise protected","url":"\/64.2-456\/","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-456","metadata":false},{"id":56406,"structure_id":14721,"section_number":"64.2-457","catch_line":"Bona fide purchaser of real estate without notice of devise protected; later will","url":"\/64.2-457\/","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-457","metadata":false},{"id":74320,"structure_id":14721,"section_number":"64.2-458","catch_line":"Bona fide purchaser of real estate without notice of devise protected; intestacy","url":"\/64.2-458\/","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-458","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":60951,"structure_id":14721,"section_number":"64.2-456","catch_line":"Bona fide purchaser of real estate without notice of devise protected","url":"\/64.2-456\/","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-456","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/64.2-455\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 8 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 1964, chapter 169; in 1966, chapter 254; in 1968, chapter 656; in 1978, chapter 366; in 1994, chapter 64<\/a>; in 2001, chapter 836<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 832<\/a>; in 2012, chapter 614<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":82793,"section_number":"17.1-213","catch_line":"Disposition of papers in ended cases","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-213\/"}],"permalink":{"id":273363,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62529,"identifier":"64.2-455","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-455","url":"\/64.2-455\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/64.2-455\/","token":"64.2\/II\/4\/6\/64.2-455","dublin_core":{"Title":"Wills to be recorded; recording copies; effect; transfer to The Library of Virginia","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 64.2-455","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Every will<\/span> or authenticated copy admitted to probate by any circuit<\/span> court<\/span> or clerk of any circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall be recorded by the clerk and remain in the clerk’s office, except during such time as the same may be carried to another court<\/span> under a subpoena duces tecum<\/span> or as otherwise provided in § 17.1-213<\/a>. A certified copy of such will<\/span> or of any authenticated copy may be recorded in any county or city wherein there is any estate, real or personal, devised or bequeathed by such will<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The personal representative<\/span> of the testator shall cause a certified copy of any will<\/span> or of any authenticated copy so admitted to record to be recorded in any county or city wherein there is any real estate of which the testator possessed at the time of his death or that is devised by his will<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Every will<\/span> or certified copy when recorded shall have the effect of notice to all persons of any devise or disposal by the will<\/span> of real estate situated in a county or city in which such will<\/span> or copy is so recorded. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> With the approval of the judges<\/span> of a circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of any county or city, the clerk of such court<\/span> may transfer such original wills<\/span> from his office to the Archives Division of The Library of Virginia. A copy of any will<\/span> that has been microfilmed or stored in an electronic medium, prepared from such microfilmed or electronic record and certified as authentic by the clerk or his designee, shall constitute a certified copy of the will<\/span> for any purpose arising under this title for which a certified copy of the will<\/span> is required. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWILLS TO BE RECORDED; RECORDING COPIES; EFFECT; TRANSFER TO THE LIBRARY OF\nVIRGINIA (\u00a7 64.2-455)\n\nA. Every will or authenticated copy admitted to probate by any circuit court or\nclerk of any circuit court shall be recorded by the clerk and remain in the\nclerk’s office, except during such time as the same may be carried to\nanother court under a subpoena duces tecum or as otherwise provided in §\n17.1-213. A certified copy of such will or of any authenticated copy may be\nrecorded in any county or city wherein there is any estate, real or personal,\ndevised or bequeathed by such will.\n\nB. The personal representative of the testator shall cause a certified copy of\nany will or of any authenticated copy so admitted to record to be recorded in\nany county or city wherein there is any real estate of which the testator\npossessed at the time of his death or that is devised by his will.\n\nC. Every will or certified copy when recorded shall have the effect of notice to\nall persons of any devise or disposal by the will of real estate situated in a\ncounty or city in which such will or copy is so recorded.\n\nD. With the approval of the judges of a circuit court of any county or city, the\nclerk of such court may transfer such original wills from his office to the\nArchives Division of The Library of Virginia. A copy of any will that has been\nmicrofilmed or stored in an electronic medium, prepared from such microfilmed or\nelectronic record and certified as authentic by the clerk or his designee, shall\nconstitute a certified copy of the will for any purpose arising under this title\nfor which a certified copy of the will is required.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 64-90; 1964, c. 169; 1966, c. 254; 1968, c. 656, \u00a7\n64.1-94; 1978, c. 366; 1994, c. 64; 2001, c. 836; 2002, c. 832; 2012, c. 614.","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}}