{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/1-302.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/1-302.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/1-302.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/1-302.html"}],"law_id":345263,"edition_id":2,"section_id":345263,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-302","catch_line":"Jurisdiction and ownership of Commonwealth over offshore waters and submerged lands","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 7-1.1; 1960, c. 518; 1966, c. 102, \u00a7 7.1-2; 1972, c. 689; 2005, c. 839; 2016, c. 371.","full_text":"A\n\nThe jurisdiction of the Commonwealth shall extend to and over, and be exercisable with respect to:\n\n1\n\nWaters offshore from the coasts of the Commonwealth for a distance of three geographical miles as determined by appropriate metes and bounds surveys approved by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in consultation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management pursuant to a decree of the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Maine, 423 U.S. 1 (1975), and the Submerged Lands Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq.\n\n2\n\nAll submerged lands, including the subsurface thereof, lying under the waters listed in subdivision 1.\n\nB\n\nThe ownership of the waters and submerged lands enumerated or described in subsection A shall be in the Commonwealth unless it shall be, with respect to any given parcel or area, in any other person or entity by virtue of a valid and effective instrument of conveyance or by operation of law.\n\nC\n\nNothing contained herein shall be construed to limit or restrict in any way:\n\n1\n\nThe jurisdiction of the Commonwealth over any person or with respect to any subject within or without the Commonwealth which jurisdiction is exercisable by reason of citizenship, residence, or for any other reason recognized by law.\n\n2\n\nThe jurisdiction or ownership of or over any other waters or submerged lands, within or forming part of the boundaries of the Commonwealth. Nor shall anything in this section be construed to impair the exercise of legislative jurisdiction by the United States over any area to which such jurisdiction has been validly ceded by the Commonwealth and that remains in the ownership of the United States.\n\nD\n\nNothing in this section shall alter the geographic area to which any act of the General Assembly applies if the act specifies the area precisely in miles or by some other numerical designation of distance or position. However, nothing in the act or in this section shall be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of jurisdiction or ownership by the Commonwealth over or in any area to which such jurisdiction or ownership extends by virtue of this section or any other provision or rule of law.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1287239,"text":"The jurisdiction of the Commonwealth shall extend to and over, and be exercisable with respect to:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":1287240,"text":"Waters offshore from the coasts of the Commonwealth for a distance of three geographical miles as determined by appropriate metes and bounds surveys approved by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in consultation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management pursuant to a decree of the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Maine, 423 U.S. 1 (1975), and the Submerged Lands Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":1287241,"text":"All submerged lands, including the subsurface thereof, lying under the waters listed in subdivision 1.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"B"},"3":{"id":1287242,"text":"The ownership of the waters and submerged lands enumerated or described in subsection A shall be in the Commonwealth unless it shall be, with respect to any given parcel or area, in any other person or entity by virtue of a valid and effective instrument of conveyance or by operation of law.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"C"},"4":{"id":1287243,"text":"Nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit or restrict in any way:","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"C1"},"5":{"id":1287244,"text":"The jurisdiction of the Commonwealth over any person or with respect to any subject within or without the Commonwealth which jurisdiction is exercisable by reason of citizenship, residence, or for any other reason recognized by law.","type":"section","prefixes":["C","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"C1","prefix_anchor":"C1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"C2"},"6":{"id":1287245,"text":"The jurisdiction or ownership of or over any other waters or submerged lands, within or forming part of the boundaries of the Commonwealth. Nor shall anything in this section be construed to impair the exercise of legislative jurisdiction by the United States over any area to which such jurisdiction has been validly ceded by the Commonwealth and that remains in the ownership of the United States.","type":"section","prefixes":["C","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"C2","prefix_anchor":"C2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C1","next_prefix":"D"},"7":{"id":1287246,"text":"Nothing in this section shall alter the geographic area to which any act of the General Assembly applies if the act specifies the area precisely in miles or by some other numerical designation of distance or position. However, nothing in the act or in this section shall be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of jurisdiction or ownership by the Commonwealth over or in any area to which such jurisdiction or ownership extends by virtue of this section or any other provision or rule of law.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C2"}},"ancestry":[{"id":49578,"edition_id":2,"name":"Boundaries of the Commonwealth","identifier":"3.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":49571,"metadata":{"child_laws":14,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:11:45","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:44","permalink":{"id":1370115,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49578,"identifier":"3.1","token":"1\/3.1","url":"\/1\/3.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49571,"edition_id":2,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":122,"child_structures":12},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:11:27","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:43","permalink":{"id":1369801,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49571,"identifier":"1","token":"1","url":"\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":345261,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-300","catch_line":"Boundaries","url":"\/1-300\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-300","metadata":false},{"id":345262,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-301","catch_line":"Extent of territory of the Commonwealth after the Constitution of 1776","url":"\/1-301\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-301","metadata":false},{"id":345263,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-302","catch_line":"Jurisdiction and ownership of Commonwealth over offshore waters and submerged lands","url":"\/1-302\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-302","metadata":false},{"id":345264,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-303","catch_line":"Cession of territory northwest of Ohio River","url":"\/1-303\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-303","metadata":false},{"id":345265,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-304","catch_line":"Boundary with North Carolina","url":"\/1-304\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-304","metadata":false},{"id":345266,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-305","catch_line":"Boundary with North Carolina eastward from low-water mark of Atlantic Ocean","url":"\/1-305\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-305","metadata":false},{"id":345267,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-306","catch_line":"Boundary with Tennessee","url":"\/1-306\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-306","metadata":false},{"id":345268,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-307","catch_line":"Compact and boundary with Kentucky","url":"\/1-307\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-307","metadata":false},{"id":345269,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-308","catch_line":"Boundary with Maryland","url":"\/1-308\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-308","metadata":false},{"id":345270,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-309","catch_line":"Boundary with Maryland eastward from Assateague Island","url":"\/1-309\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-309","metadata":false},{"id":345271,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-310","catch_line":"Boundary with Maryland in upper reaches of Pocomoke sound and lower reaches of Pocomoke River","url":"\/1-310\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-310","metadata":false},{"id":345272,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-311","catch_line":"Recession of portion of District of Columbia","url":"\/1-311\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-311","metadata":false},{"id":345273,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-312","catch_line":"Boundary with District of Columbia","url":"\/1-312\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-312","metadata":false},{"id":345274,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-313","catch_line":"Boundary line between Loudoun County, Virginia, and Jefferson County, West Virginia","url":"\/1-313\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-313","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":345262,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-301","catch_line":"Extent of territory of the Commonwealth after the Constitution of 1776","url":"\/1-301\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-301","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":345264,"structure_id":49578,"section_number":"1-303","catch_line":"Cession of territory northwest of Ohio River","url":"\/1-303\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-303","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/1-302\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 518; in 1966, chapter 102; in 1972, chapter 689; in 2005, chapter 839<\/a>; in 2016, chapter 371<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1370125,"object_type":"law","relational_id":345263,"identifier":"1-302","token":"1\/3.1\/1-302","url":"\/1-302\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/1-302\/","token":"1\/3.1\/1-302","dublin_core":{"Title":"Jurisdiction and ownership of Commonwealth over offshore waters and submerged lands","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 1-302","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The jurisdiction<\/span> of the Commonwealth shall extend to and over, and be exercisable with respect to: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Waters offshore from the coasts of the Commonwealth for a distance of three geographical miles as determined by appropriate metes and bounds surveys approved by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in consultation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management pursuant to a decree<\/span> of the United States Supreme Court<\/span> in U.S. v. Maine, 423 U.S. 1 (1975), and the Submerged Lands Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> All submerged lands, including the subsurface thereof, lying under the waters listed in subdivision 1. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The ownership of the waters and submerged lands enumerated or described in subsection A shall be in the Commonwealth unless it shall be, with respect to any given parcel or area, in any other person or entity by virtue of a valid and effective instrument of conveyance or by operation of law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit or restrict in any way: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The jurisdiction<\/span> of the Commonwealth over any person or with respect to any subject within or without the Commonwealth which jurisdiction<\/span> is exercisable by reason of citizenship, residence, or for any other reason recognized by law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The jurisdiction<\/span> or ownership of or over any other waters or submerged lands, within or forming part of the boundaries of the Commonwealth. Nor shall anything in this section be construed to impair the exercise of legislative jurisdiction<\/span> by the United States over any area to which such jurisdiction<\/span> has been validly ceded by the Commonwealth and that remains in the ownership of the United States. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall alter the geographic area to which any act of the General Assembly applies if the act specifies the area precisely in miles or by some other numerical designation of distance or position. However, nothing in the act or in this section shall be construed as a waiver<\/span> or relinquishment of jurisdiction<\/span> or ownership by the Commonwealth over or in any area to which such jurisdiction<\/span> or ownership extends by virtue of this section or any other provision or rule of law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nJURISDICTION AND OWNERSHIP OF COMMONWEALTH OVER OFFSHORE WATERS AND SUBMERGED\nLANDS (\u00a7 1-302)\n\nA. The jurisdiction of the Commonwealth shall extend to and over, and be\nexercisable with respect to:\n\n 1. Waters offshore from the coasts of the Commonwealth for a distance of three\n geographical miles as determined by appropriate metes and bounds surveys\n approved by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Marine\n Resources Commission in consultation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy\n Management pursuant to a decree of the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v.\n Maine, 423 U.S. 1 (1975), and the Submerged Lands Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1301\n et seq.\n\n 2. All submerged lands, including the subsurface thereof, lying under the\n waters listed in subdivision 1.\n\nB. The ownership of the waters and submerged lands enumerated or described in\nsubsection A shall be in the Commonwealth unless it shall be, with respect to\nany given parcel or area, in any other person or entity by virtue of a valid and\neffective instrument of conveyance or by operation of law.\n\nC. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit or restrict in any way:\n\n 1. The jurisdiction of the Commonwealth over any person or with respect to any\n subject within or without the Commonwealth which jurisdiction is exercisable\n by reason of citizenship, residence, or for any other reason recognized by\n law.\n\n 2. The jurisdiction or ownership of or over any other waters or submerged\n lands, within or forming part of the boundaries of the Commonwealth. Nor shall\n anything in this section be construed to impair the exercise of legislative\n jurisdiction by the United States over any area to which such jurisdiction has\n been validly ceded by the Commonwealth and that remains in the ownership of\n the United States.\n\nD. Nothing in this section shall alter the geographic area to which any act of\nthe General Assembly applies if the act specifies the area precisely in miles or\nby some other numerical designation of distance or position. However, nothing in\nthe act or in this section shall be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of\njurisdiction or ownership by the Commonwealth over or in any area to which such\njurisdiction or ownership extends by virtue of this section or any other\nprovision or rule of law.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 7-1.1; 1960, c. 518; 1966, c. 102, \u00a7 7.1-2; 1972, c.\n689; 2005, c. 839; 2016, c. 371.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}