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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>87002</law_id><section_number>33.2-213</section_number><catch_line>Naming highways, bridges, interchanges, and other transportation facilities</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-2019</reference><reference>15.2-719.1</reference><reference>33.2-1530</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="33.2">Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">General Provisions and Transportation Entities</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Transportation Entities</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Commonwealth Transportation Board; Powers and Duties</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall have the power and duty to give suitable names to state <span class="dictionary">highways</span>, bridges, interchanges, and other transportation facilities and change the names of any <span class="dictionary">highways</span>, bridges, interchanges, or other transportation facilities forming a part of the systems of state <span class="dictionary">highways</span>. The names of private entities, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/33.2-1800/">33.2-1800</a>, located within the Commonwealth shall not be used for such purposes unless such private entity pays the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> an annual naming rights fee as determined by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>. The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall place and maintain appropriate signs indicating the names of <span class="dictionary">highways</span>, bridges, interchanges, and other transportation facilities named by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> or by the General Assembly. The costs of producing, placing, and maintaining these signs shall be paid by the localities in which they are located or by the private entity whose name is attached to the <span class="dictionary">highway</span>, bridge, interchange, or other transportation facility. However, for a <span class="dictionary">highway</span>, bridge, interchange, or other transportation facility named after a state official killed during the performance of his official duties, the costs of producing, placing, and maintaining these signs shall be paid from Commonwealth Transportation Funds. For purposes of this section, &#x201C;state official&#x201D; includes <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers employed by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police and state <span class="dictionary">highway</span> transportation workers. No name shall be given to any state <span class="dictionary">highway</span>, bridge, interchange, or other transportation facility by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> unless and until the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> receives (i) for a naming after a state official, a letter or resolution from the head of the state agency by which the state official was employed requesting such naming or (ii) for a naming other than after a state official, a resolution from the governing body of the locality within which a portion of the facility to be named is located requesting such naming, except in such cases where a private entity has requested the naming. No <span class="dictionary">highway</span>, bridge, interchange, or other transportation facility previously named by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> or the General Assembly shall be eligible for renaming by a private entity, unless such naming incorporates the previous name. The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall develop and approve guidelines governing the naming of <span class="dictionary">highways</span>, bridges, interchanges, and other transportation facilities by private entities and the applicable fees for such naming rights. Such fees shall be deposited in the <span class="dictionary">Highway</span> <span class="dictionary">Maintenance</span> and Operating Fund established pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund" href="/33.2-1530/">33.2-1530</a>.
		No name shall be eligible for the naming rights under this section if it in any way reasonably connotes anything that (i) is profane, obscene, or vulgar; (ii) is sexually explicit or graphic; (iii) is excretory related; (iv) is descriptive of intimate body parts or genitals; (v) is descriptive of illegal activities or substances; (vi) condones or encourages violence; or (vii) is socially, racially, or ethnically offensive or disparaging.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 33-12; 1956, c. 92; 1964, c. 265; 1970, c. 322, &#xA7; 33.1-12; 1974, c. 462; 1977, c. 150; 1978, c. 650; 1986, Sp. Sess., c. 13; 1988, cc. 844, 903; 1989, c. 727; 1992, c. 167; 1995, c. 94; 2001, c. 349; 2003, cc. 281, 533, 560; 2004, c. 110; 2005,  cc. 839, 919; 2006, cc. 197, 417, 833, 924; 2006, Sp. Sess. I, c. 8; 2007, c. 337; 2008, Sp. Sess. II, c. 5; 2009, cc. 670, 690; 2011, cc. 104, 164; 2012, cc. 729, 733; 2013, cc. 388, 569, 585, 646, 741; 2014, c. 805; 2019, c. 802.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
