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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>79464</law_id><section_number>15.2-2244</section_number><catch_line>Provisions for subdivision of a lot for conveyance to a family member</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-2241</reference><reference>15.2-2244.1</reference><reference>15.2-2244.2</reference><reference>15.2-4314</reference><reference>58.1-3241</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="22">Planning, Subdivision of Land and Zoning</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="6">Land Subdivision and Development</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In any <span class="dictionary">county</span> a subdivision <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> shall provide for reasonable provisions permitting a single division of a lot or parcel for the purpose of sale or gift to a member of the immediate family of the property owner, including the family member&#x2019;s spouse, subject only to any express requirement contained in the Code of Virginia and to any requirement imposed by the local <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> that all lots of less than five acres have reasonable right-of-way of not less than 10 feet or more than 20 feet providing ingress and egress to a dedicated recorded public <span class="dictionary">street</span> or thoroughfare. Only one such division shall be allowed per family member, and shall not be for the purpose of circumventing this section. For the purpose of this subsection, a member of the immediate family is defined as any person who is a natural or legally defined offspring, stepchild, spouse, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, or parent of the owner. In addition, any such <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may include aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews in its definition of immediate family. <a id="paragraph-284676" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2244/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notwithstanding subsection A, in a <span class="dictionary">county</span> having the urban <span class="dictionary">county</span> executive form of government, a subdivision <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> shall provide for reasonable provisions permitting a single division of a lot or parcel for the purpose of sale or gift to a member of the immediate family of the property owner, subject only to any express requirement contained in the Code of Virginia and to any requirement imposed by the local <span class="dictionary">governing body</span> that all lots of less than five acres have frontage of not less than 10 feet or more than 20 feet on a dedicated recorded public <span class="dictionary">street</span> or thoroughfare. Only one such division shall be allowed per family member, and the division shall not be for the purpose of circumventing a local subdivision <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>. For the purpose of this subsection, a member of the immediate family is defined as any person who is a natural or legally defined offspring or parent of the owner. <a id="paragraph-284677" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2244/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Notwithstanding subsections A and B, a subdivision <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> may include reasonable provisions permitting divisions of lots or parcels for the purpose of sale or gift to a member of the immediate family of the property owner in (i) any <span class="dictionary">county</span> or <span class="dictionary">city</span> which has had population growth of 10 percent or more from the next-to-latest to latest decennial census year, based on population reported by the United States Bureau of the Census; (ii) any <span class="dictionary">city</span> or <span class="dictionary">county</span> adjoining such <span class="dictionary">city</span> or <span class="dictionary">county</span>; (iii) any <span class="dictionary">towns</span> located within such <span class="dictionary">county</span>; and (iv) any <span class="dictionary">county</span> contiguous with at least three such counties, and any <span class="dictionary">town</span> located in that <span class="dictionary">county</span>. Such divisions shall be subject to all requirements of the Code of Virginia and to any requirements imposed by the local <span class="dictionary">governing body</span>. <a id="paragraph-284678" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-2244/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 15-781, 15-967.1; 1950, p. 183; 1962, c. 407, &#xA7; 15.1-466; 1970, c. 436; 1973, cc. 169, 480; 1975, c. 641; 1976, c. 270; 1978, cc. 429, 439, 440; 1979, cc. 183, 188, 395; 1980, cc. 379, 381; 1981, c. 348; 1983, cc. 167, 609; 1984, c. 111; 1985, cc. 422, 455; 1986, c. 54; 1987, c. 717; 1988, cc. 279, 735; 1989, cc. 332, 393, 403, 495; 1990, cc. 170, 176, 287, 708, 973; 1991, cc. 30, 47, 288, 538; 1992, c. 380; 1993, cc. 836, 846, 864; 1994, c. 421; 1995, cc. 386, 388, 389, 452, 457, 474; 1996, cc. 77, 325, 452, 456; 1997, cc. 587, 718; 1998, c. 457; 2008, cc. 340, 717; 2009, cc. 283, 465; 2010, c. 216.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
