<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65834</law_id><section_number>16.1-69.7</section_number><catch_line>District courts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4.1">District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Districts; District Courts and Judges</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>On and after July 1, 1973, in every county and city there shall be one <span class="dictionary">court</span> which shall be called the &#x201C;________________ (Name of County or City) General District <span class="dictionary">Court</span>&#x201D; and one <span class="dictionary">court</span> which shall be called the &#x201C;________________ (Name of County or City) Juvenile and Domestic Relations District <span class="dictionary">Court</span>,&#x201D; and for each such <span class="dictionary">court</span> there shall be one or more <span class="dictionary">judges</span> who shall be called the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of such general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> or juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">court</span> as appropriate. Unless the General Assembly specifically so provides to the contrary, however, no general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall be established in any city in which there is no municipal <span class="dictionary">court</span> with general civil or criminal <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in operation prior to July 1, 1973, and <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> previously exercised in such city by a county <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall be vested in the general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> of such county.</p></section></text><history>1972, c. 708; 1973, c. 546.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
