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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>63730</law_id><section_number>55.1-1951</section_number><catch_line>Display of the flag of the United States; necessary supporting structures; affirmative defense</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="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Common Interest Communities</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="19">Virginia Condominium Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Management of Condominium</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In accordance with the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-243), no <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association shall prohibit or otherwise adopt or enforce any policy restricting a <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> from displaying upon property to which the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> has a separate ownership interest or a right to exclusive <span class="dictionary">possession</span> or use the flag of the United States whenever such display is in compliance with Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code (4 U.S.C. &#xA7; 1 et seq.) or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper display of the flag. A <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association may, however, establish reasonable restrictions as to the <span class="dictionary">size</span>, place, duration, and manner of placement or display of the flag on such property, provided that such restrictions are necessary to protect a substantial interest of the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association. <a id="paragraph-232132" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1951/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association may restrict the display of such flags in the <span class="dictionary">common elements</span>. <a id="paragraph-232133" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1951/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In any action brought by the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suspension of services for failure to pay assessments; corrective action; assessment of charges for violations; notice; hearing; adoption and enforcement of rules and regulations" href="/55.1-1959/">55.1-1959</a> for a violation of a flag restriction, the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association shall bear the <span class="dictionary">burden of proof</span> that the restrictions as to the <span class="dictionary">size</span>, place, duration, and manner of placement or display of such flag are necessary to protect a substantial interest of the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association. <a id="paragraph-232134" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1951/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> In any action brought by the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Suspension of services for failure to pay assessments; corrective action; assessment of charges for violations; notice; hearing; adoption and enforcement of rules and regulations" href="/55.1-1959/">55.1-1959</a>, the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> shall be entitled to assert as an <span class="dictionary">affirmative defense</span> that the required disclosure of any limitation pertaining to the flag of the United States or any flagpole or similar structure necessary to display the flag of the United States was not contained in the public offering statement or resale certificate, as appropriate, required pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Public offering statement; condominium securities" href="/55.1-1976/">55.1-1976</a> or <a class="law" title="Resale certificate; delivery" href="/55.1-2309/">55.1-2309</a>. <a id="paragraph-232135" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1951/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2007, cc. 854, 910, &#xA7; 55-79.75:2; 2010, cc. 166, 453; 2019, c. 712; 2023, cc. 387, 388.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
