Va. Code Ann. § 1-214
This is the official text of Va. Code Ann. § 1-214, part of Virginia’s Code of Virginia — the complete compiled statutory law of Virginia, organized into 60+ numbered titles by subject.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Effective dates
Official statutory text
A. All laws enacted at a regular session of the General Assembly, including laws which are enacted by reason of actions taken during the reconvened session following a regular session, but excluding general appropriation acts, decennial reapportionment acts, and emergency acts, shall take effect on the first day of July following the adjournment of the regular session at which they were enacted, unless a subsequent date is specified.
B. All laws enacted at a special session of the General Assembly, including laws which are enacted by reason of actions taken during the reconvened session following a special session, but excluding general appropriations acts, decennial reapportionment acts, and emergency acts, shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the month of adjournment of the special session at which they were enacted, unless a subsequent date is specified.
C. A general appropriation act shall take effect from its passage, unless another effective date is specified in the act.
D. An emergency act shall take effect from its passage, or on a subsequent date if specified in the act, provided that the emergency shall be expressed in the body of the act and that the emergency shall be approved by a four-fifths vote of the members voting in each house of the General Assembly. The name of each member voting and how he voted shall be recorded in the journal.
E. A decennial reapportionment act to reapportion the Commonwealth into electoral districts shall take effect immediately.
Code 1919, § 4; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 49, § 1-12; 1981, c. 329; 2005, c. 839 .
B. All laws enacted at a special session of the General Assembly, including laws which are enacted by reason of actions taken during the reconvened session following a special session, but excluding general appropriations acts, decennial reapportionment acts, and emergency acts, shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the month of adjournment of the special session at which they were enacted, unless a subsequent date is specified.
C. A general appropriation act shall take effect from its passage, unless another effective date is specified in the act.
D. An emergency act shall take effect from its passage, or on a subsequent date if specified in the act, provided that the emergency shall be expressed in the body of the act and that the emergency shall be approved by a four-fifths vote of the members voting in each house of the General Assembly. The name of each member voting and how he voted shall be recorded in the journal.
E. A decennial reapportionment act to reapportion the Commonwealth into electoral districts shall take effect immediately.
Code 1919, § 4; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 49, § 1-12; 1981, c. 329; 2005, c. 839 .
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Virginia?
Find a Virginia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.