                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DAYS OF OPERATION OF CLERKS&#8217; OFFICES (§ 17.1-207)

A. The clerk&#8217;s office of every court shall be kept open on every day
except Saturday, except as provided in subsection B, and Sunday, and the days
provided for in § 2.2-3300, for the transaction of business; provided that:

   1. The clerk&#8217;s office of the circuit court of any county or city may be
   closed on any day which is established as a general holiday for the employees
   of such county or city by a resolution duly adopted by the governing body of
   such county or city and filed in the office of the clerk; provided that such
   general holiday shall have the same force and effect as a legal holiday as set
   forth in subsection B of &#xA7; 1-210;

   2. The clerk of the circuit court of any county or city may close such
   clerk&#8217;s office on Christmas Eve; provided that the closing of any
   clerk&#8217;s office as provided by this subdivision shall have the same force
   and effect as a legal holiday as set forth in subsection B of &#xA7; 1-210;

   3. The chief judge or presiding judge of any circuit court may authorize the
   clerk of the court to close the clerk&#8217;s office on any day when the chief
   judge or presiding judge determines that operation of the clerk&#8217;s
   office, under prevailing conditions, would constitute a threat to the health
   and safety of the clerk&#8217;s office personnel or the general public.
   Closing of the clerk&#8217;s office pursuant to this subdivision shall have
   the same effect as provided in subsection B of &#xA7; 1-210;

   4. The clerk of the circuit court of any county or city may close such
   clerk&#8217;s office on any day or portion of a day that the Governor declares
   as a holiday for state employees, or on any day or portion of a day on which
   the Governor, Supreme Court, or Judicial Council authorizes state offices to
   be closed; provided that such closing of any clerk&#8217;s office shall have
   the same force and effect as a legal holiday as set forth in subsection B of
   &#xA7; 1-210.

B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the clerk to open the
clerk&#8217;s office on Saturdays, during such hours as the clerk of the circuit
court may authorize, solely for the purposes of (i) permitting examination and
copying of court records, (ii) accepting applications for and granting licenses
pursuant to applicable law, and (iii) recording instruments. For all other
purposes, including without limitation the filing of actions at law and suits in
equity and all pleadings, pleas and motions therein, such clerk&#8217;s office
shall be closed with the force and effect of a statutory closing as provided in
subsection B of &#xA7; 1-210.

HISTORY: Code 1919, § 3388, § 17-41; 1920, p. 242; 1930, p. 353; 1936, p. 16;
1942, p. 242; 1944, p. 39; 1946, p. 55; 1947, p. 95; 1950, p. 1166; 1952, c.
434; 1954, c. 304; 1956, c. 24; 1959, Ex. Sess., c. 64; 1960, cc. 25, 482; 1962,
c. 409; 1966, c. 250; 1970, c. 61; 1972, c. 128; 1974, cc. 279, 569; 1986, c.
166; 1993, c. 429; 1996, cc. 588, 592; 1998, c. 872; 2000, cc. 412, 444; 2001,
c. 287; 2005, c. 839; 2024, cc. 482, 521.