{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/8.01-294.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/8.01-294.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/8.01-294.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/8.01-294.html"}],"law_id":72019,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72019,"structure_id":13507,"section_number":"8.01-294","catch_line":"Sheriff to get from clerk’s office process and other papers; return of papers; effect of late return","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 8-49; 1954, c. 545; 1977, c. 617; 1978, c. 831; 2002, c. 65; 2004, c. 627.","full_text":"Every sheriff who attends a court shall, every day when the clerk’s office is open for business, go to such office and receive all process, and other papers to be served by him, and give receipts therefor, unless he has received notice from a regular employee of the clerk’s office that there are no such papers requiring service and shall return all papers within 72 hours of service, except when such returns would be due on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. In such case, the return is due on the next day following such Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.\n\t\tFailure to make return of service of process by anyone authorized to serve process under \u00a7 8.01-293 within the time specified in this section shall not invalidate any service of process or any judgment based thereon. In the event a late return prejudices a party or interferes with the court’s administration of a case, the court may, in its discretion, continue the case, require additional or substitute service of process, or take such other action or enter such order as the court deems appropriate under the circumstances.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":259484,"text":"Every sheriff who attends a court shall, every day when the clerk’s office is open for business, go to such office and receive all process, and other papers to be served by him, and give receipts therefor, unless he has received notice from a regular employee of the clerk’s office that there are no such papers requiring service and shall return all papers within 72 hours of service, except when such returns would be due on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. In such case, the return is due on the next day following such Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.\n\t\tFailure to make return of service of process by anyone authorized to serve process under \u00a7 8.01-293 within the time specified in this section shall not invalidate any service of process or any judgment based thereon. In the event a late return prejudices a party or interferes with the court’s administration of a case, the court may, in its discretion, continue the case, require additional or substitute service of process, or take such other action or enter such order as the court deems appropriate under the circumstances.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13507,"edition_id":1,"name":"Who and Where to Serve Process","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13353,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:05","permalink":{"id":281515,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13507,"identifier":"3","token":"8.01\/8\/3","url":"\/8.01\/8\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13353,"edition_id":1,"name":"Process","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12747,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","permalink":{"id":281473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13353,"identifier":"8","token":"8.01\/8","url":"\/8.01\/8\/","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":72321,"structure_id":13507,"section_number":"8.01-293","catch_line":"Authorization to serve process, capias or show cause order; execute writ of possession or eviction and levy upon property","url":"\/8.01-293\/","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-293","metadata":false},{"id":72019,"structure_id":13507,"section_number":"8.01-294","catch_line":"Sheriff to get from clerk's office process and other papers; return of papers; effect of late return","url":"\/8.01-294\/","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-294","metadata":false},{"id":54472,"structure_id":13507,"section_number":"8.01-295","catch_line":"Territorial limits within which sheriff may serve process in his official capacity; process appearing to be duly served","url":"\/8.01-295\/","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-295","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":72321,"structure_id":13507,"section_number":"8.01-293","catch_line":"Authorization to serve process, capias or show cause order; execute writ of possession or eviction and levy upon property","url":"\/8.01-293\/","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-293","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":54472,"structure_id":13507,"section_number":"8.01-295","catch_line":"Territorial limits within which sheriff may serve process in his official capacity; process appearing to be duly served","url":"\/8.01-295\/","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-295","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-294\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 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 1954, chapter 545; in 1977, chapter 617; in 1978, chapter 831; in 2002, chapter 65<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 627<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":57169,"section_number":"8.01-296","catch_line":"Manner of serving process upon natural persons","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-296\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":72321,"section_number":"8.01-293","catch_line":"Authorization to serve process, capias or show cause order; execute writ of possession or eviction and levy upon property","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-293\/"}],"permalink":{"id":281521,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72019,"identifier":"8.01-294","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-294","url":"\/8.01-294\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-294\/","token":"8.01\/8\/3\/8.01-294","dublin_core":{"Title":"Sheriff to get from clerk’s office process and other papers; return of papers; effect of late return","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-294","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every sheriff<\/span> who attends a court<\/span> shall, every day when the clerk’s office is open for business, go to such office and receive all process, and other papers to be served by him, and give receipts therefor, unless he has received notice from a regular employee of the clerk’s office that there are no such papers requiring service and shall return all papers within 72 hours of service, except when such returns would be due on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. In such case, the return is due on the next day following such Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.\n\t\tFailure to make return of service of process<\/span> by anyone authorized to serve process under \u00a7 8.01-293<\/a> within the time specified in this section shall not invalidate any service of process<\/span> or any judgment<\/span> based thereon. In the event a late return prejudices a party<\/span> or interferes with the court<\/span>’s administration of a case, the court<\/span> may, in its discretion, continue the case, require additional or substitute service of process<\/span>, or take such other action<\/span> or enter such order<\/span> as the court<\/span> deems appropriate under the circumstances.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSHERIFF TO GET FROM CLERK’S OFFICE PROCESS AND OTHER PAPERS; RETURN OF\nPAPERS; EFFECT OF LATE RETURN (\u00a7 8.01-294)\n\nEvery sheriff who attends a court shall, every day when the clerk’s office\nis open for business, go to such office and receive all process, and other\npapers to be served by him, and give receipts therefor, unless he has received\nnotice from a regular employee of the clerk’s office that there are no\nsuch papers requiring service and shall return all papers within 72 hours of\nservice, except when such returns would be due on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal\nholiday. In such case, the return is due on the next day following such\nSaturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.\n\t\tFailure to make return of service of process by anyone authorized to serve\nprocess under \u00a7 8.01-293 within the time specified in this section shall not\ninvalidate any service of process or any judgment based thereon. In the event a\nlate return prejudices a party or interferes with the court’s\nadministration of a case, the court may, in its discretion, continue the case,\nrequire additional or substitute service of process, or take such other action\nor enter such order as the court deems appropriate under the circumstances.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 8-49; 1954, c. 545; 1977, c. 617; 1978, c. 831; 2002, c.\n65; 2004, c. 627.","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}}