{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/8.01-247.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/8.01-247.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/8.01-247.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/8.01-247.1.html"}],"law_id":55381,"edition_id":1,"section_id":55381,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-247.1","catch_line":"Limitation on action for defamation, etc","history":"1995, c. 9; 2015, c. 128.","full_text":"Every action for injury resulting from libel, slander, insulting words, or defamation shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.\n\t\tIf a publisher of statements actionable under this section publishes anonymously or under a false identity on the Internet, an action may be filed under this section and the statute of limitations shall be tolled until the identity of the publisher is discovered or, by the exercise of due diligence, reasonably should have been discovered.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":203070,"text":"Every action for injury resulting from libel, slander, insulting words, or defamation shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.\n\t\tIf a publisher of statements actionable under this section publishes anonymously or under a false identity on the Internet, an action may be filed under this section and the statute of limitations shall be tolled until the identity of the publisher is discovered or, by the exercise of due diligence, reasonably should have been discovered.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14110,"edition_id":1,"name":"Personal Actions Generally","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14109,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:54","permalink":{"id":281197,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14110,"identifier":"3","token":"8.01\/4\/3","url":"\/8.01\/4\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14109,"edition_id":1,"name":"Limitations of Actions","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12747,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:54","permalink":{"id":281127,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14109,"identifier":"4","token":"8.01\/4","url":"\/8.01\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12747,"edition_id":1,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":277029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12747,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":61676,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-243","catch_line":"Personal action for injury to person or property generally; extension in actions for malpractice against health care provider","url":"\/8.01-243\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-243","metadata":false},{"id":77377,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-243.1","catch_line":"Actions for medical malpractice; minors","url":"\/8.01-243.1\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-243.1","metadata":false},{"id":68361,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-243.2","catch_line":"Limitations of actions by confined persons; exhaustion","url":"\/8.01-243.2\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-243.2","metadata":false},{"id":55241,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-244","catch_line":"Actions for wrongful death; limitation","url":"\/8.01-244\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-244","metadata":false},{"id":73370,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-245","catch_line":"Limitation on actions upon the bond of any fiduciaries or as to suits against fiduciaries themselves; accrual of cause of action where execution sustained","url":"\/8.01-245\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-245","metadata":false},{"id":71139,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-246","catch_line":"Personal actions based on contracts","url":"\/8.01-246\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-246","metadata":false},{"id":74502,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-247","catch_line":"When action on contract governed by the law of another state or country barred in Virginia","url":"\/8.01-247\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-247","metadata":false},{"id":55381,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-247.1","catch_line":"Limitation on action for defamation, etc","url":"\/8.01-247.1\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-247.1","metadata":false},{"id":59557,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-248","catch_line":"Personal actions for which no other limitation is specified","url":"\/8.01-248\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-248","metadata":false},{"id":87200,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-249","catch_line":"When cause of action shall be deemed to accrue in certain personal actions","url":"\/8.01-249\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-249","metadata":false},{"id":86776,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-250","catch_line":"Limitation on certain actions for damages arising out of defective or unsafe condition of improvements to real property","url":"\/8.01-250\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-250","metadata":false},{"id":82721,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-250.1","catch_line":"Limitation on actions involving removal of asbestos","url":"\/8.01-250.1\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-250.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":74502,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-247","catch_line":"When action on contract governed by the law of another state or country barred in Virginia","url":"\/8.01-247\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-247","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59557,"structure_id":14110,"section_number":"8.01-248","catch_line":"Personal actions for which no other limitation is specified","url":"\/8.01-248\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-248","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-247.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1995. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 9<\/a> 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. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 2015, chapter 128<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":281227,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55381,"identifier":"8.01-247.1","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-247.1","url":"\/8.01-247.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-247.1\/","token":"8.01\/4\/3\/8.01-247.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Limitation on action for defamation, etc","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-247.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every action for injury resulting from libel, slander, insulting words, or defamation shall be brought within one year after the cause of action<\/span> accrues.\n\t\tIf a publisher of statements actionable under this section publishes anonymously or under a false identity on the Internet, an action may be filed under this section and the statute of limitations<\/span> shall be tolled until the identity of the publisher is discovered or, by the exercise of due diligence, reasonably should have been discovered.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLIMITATION ON ACTION FOR DEFAMATION, ETC (\u00a7 8.01-247.1)\n\nEvery action for injury resulting from libel, slander, insulting words, or\ndefamation shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.\n\t\tIf a publisher of statements actionable under this section publishes\nanonymously or under a false identity on the Internet, an action may be filed\nunder this section and the statute of limitations shall be tolled until the\nidentity of the publisher is discovered or, by the exercise of due diligence,\nreasonably should have been discovered.\n\nHISTORY: 1995, c. 9; 2015, c. 128.","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}}