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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>80761</law_id><section_number>2.2-505</section_number><catch_line>Official opinions of Attorney General</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="2.2">Administration of Government</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Organization of State Government</unit><unit label="part" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="B">Department of Law</unit><unit label="chapter" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Department of Law</unit><unit label="article" level="5" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> shall give his advice and render official advisory <span class="dictionary">opinions</span> in writing only when requested in writing so to do by one of the following: the Governor; a member of the General Assembly; a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of record or a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of a <span class="dictionary">court</span> not of record; the State Corporation Commission; an attorney for the Commonwealth; a county, city or town attorney in those localities in which such office has been created; a clerk of a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of record; a city or county sheriff; a city or county treasurer or similar officer; a commissioner of the revenue or similar officer; a chairman or secretary of an electoral board; or the head of a state department, division, bureau, institution or board. <a id="paragraph-289469" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-505/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Except in cases where an <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> is requested by the Governor or a member of the General Assembly, the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> shall have no authority to render an official <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> unless the question dealt with is directly related to the discharge of the duties of the official requesting the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span>. Any <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> request to the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> by an attorney for the Commonwealth or county, city or town attorney shall itself be in the form of an <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> embodying a precise statement of all <span class="dictionary">facts</span> together with such attorney&#x2019;s legal conclusions. <a id="paragraph-289470" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-505/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 2-86; 1966, c. 677, &#xA7; 2.1-118; 1968, c. 414; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 155; 1976, c. 715; 1999, c. 14; 2001, c. 844.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
