Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 1-214 (2026)

Effective dates

✓ current as of May 2026

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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.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 15 cases (11 in the last 5 years), 2006–2025 · leading case: Peter Timothy Gionis v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2022).

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Peter Timothy Gionis v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 8× “Therefore, given the plain language of Code § 1-214, Code § 18.2-104 took effect on July 1, 2021.”

Joshua Nathan Christie v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 4× “See generally Code § 1-214(A) (providing that when no effective date is specified in ordinary legislation enacted in a general session, that legislation takes effect on July 1).”

Anderson v. Clarke (Va. 2023). · cites it 4× “See Code § 1-214(B) (“All laws enacted at a special session of the General Assembly .”

Nicole J Poullath (Bankr. W.D. Va. 2024). · cites it 3× “; Va. Code § 1-214(A). 7 See 1993 Va. Laws Ch.”

Commonwealth of Virginia v. Linwood Lester Rivera (Va. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 2× “7 See 6 At the time of the offense, the Code required the motorist’s “written promise” to comply with the citation. See 1989 Va. Acts ch. 727.”

Michael Angelo Street v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 2× “1(F)); Code § 1-214(B) (providing effective date); see also Montgomery v.”

Raymond Travis Swinson, Sr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “IV, § 13 (providing effective date for laws enacted during special session); Code § 1-214(B) (same). The subsection provides that “[n]o law-enforcement officer shall stop a motor vehicle” for illegal use of defective or unsafe equipment.”

Michael A. Dobson v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “The clause extending the trial court’s jurisdiction for 60 days after such transfer was added in March 2021, effective July 1, 2021.”

Brandon Rahsaan Moore v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “IV, § 13 (providing effective date for laws enacted during special session); Code § 1-214(B) (same). The subsection provides that “[n]o law-enforcement officer shall stop a motor vehicle” for illegal use of defective or unsafe equipment.”

Bryan Temple Smith v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “IV, § 13; Code § 1-214(B). Yet Smith claims that the amendment should be given retroactive effect.”

Diego Claramunt v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 2× “153 , 165 (2021) (discussing retroactivity principles); Code § 1-214 (establishing the effective dates for statutes).”

Sigmon v. Dir. (Va. 2013). · cites it 2× “577; Code § 1-214(A). 5 Relying on our decisions in Bowman v.”

Show all 15 citing cases →

— Va. Code Ann. § 1-214(A) — 5 cases

Joshua Nathan Christie v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2021). “See generally Code § 1-214(A) (providing that when no effective date is specified in ordinary legislation enacted in a general session, that legislation takes effect on July 1).”

Nicole J Poullath (Bankr. W.D. Va. 2024). “; Va. Code § 1-214(A). 7 See 1993 Va. Laws Ch.”

Sigmon v. Dir. (Va. 2013). “577; Code § 1-214(A). 5 Relying on our decisions in Bowman v.”

In re: Robert Floyd Brown, Jr. (Va. 2015).

Minnix v. Sinclair Television Grp., Inc. (W.D. Va. 2023).

— Va. Code Ann. § 1-214(B) — 7 cases

Peter Timothy Gionis v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2022). “Therefore, given the plain language of Code § 1-214, Code § 18.2-104 took effect on July 1, 2021.”

Michael Angelo Street v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2022). “1(F)); Code § 1-214(B) (providing effective date); see also Montgomery v.”

Raymond Travis Swinson, Sr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). “IV, § 13 (providing effective date for laws enacted during special session); Code § 1-214(B) (same). The subsection provides that “[n]o law-enforcement officer shall stop a motor vehicle” for illegal use of defective or unsafe equipment.”

Michael A. Dobson v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). “The clause extending the trial court’s jurisdiction for 60 days after such transfer was added in March 2021, effective July 1, 2021.”

Brandon Rahsaan Moore v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). “IV, § 13 (providing effective date for laws enacted during special session); Code § 1-214(B) (same). The subsection provides that “[n]o law-enforcement officer shall stop a motor vehicle” for illegal use of defective or unsafe equipment.”

— Va. Code Ann. § 1-214(C) — 1 case

Anderson v. Clarke (Va. 2023). “See Code § 1-214(B) (“All laws enacted at a special session of the General Assembly .”

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