{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/15.2-1402.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/15.2-1402.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/15.2-1402.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/15.2-1402.html"}],"law_id":347306,"edition_id":2,"section_id":347306,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1402","catch_line":"Declared to be body politic of Commonwealth; seal","history":"1997, c. 587.","full_text":"Every locality of this Commonwealth is hereby declared to be a body politic of the Commonwealth and may have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1295927,"text":"Every locality of this Commonwealth is hereby declared to be a body politic of the Commonwealth and may have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":49848,"edition_id":2,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":49847,"metadata":{"child_laws":15,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:28","permalink":{"id":1379827,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49848,"identifier":"1","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1","url":"\/15.2\/II\/14\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49847,"edition_id":2,"name":"Governing Bodies of Localities","identifier":"14","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":49834,"metadata":{"child_laws":42,"child_structures":5},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:28","permalink":{"id":1379825,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49847,"identifier":"14","token":"15.2\/II\/14","url":"\/15.2\/II\/14\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49834,"edition_id":2,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":49831,"metadata":{"child_laws":1081,"child_structures":112},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:25","permalink":{"id":1379371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49834,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49831,"edition_id":2,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":46,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":2297,"child_structures":225},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:16:22","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:22","permalink":{"id":1378281,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49831,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":347304,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1400","catch_line":"Governing bodies","url":"\/15.2-1400\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1400","metadata":false},{"id":347305,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1401","catch_line":"Powers granted localities vested in their governing bodies","url":"\/15.2-1401\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1401","metadata":false},{"id":347306,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1402","catch_line":"Declared to be body politic of Commonwealth; seal","url":"\/15.2-1402\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1402","metadata":false},{"id":347307,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1403","catch_line":"Governing body to be continuing body","url":"\/15.2-1403\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1403","metadata":false},{"id":347308,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1404","catch_line":"How localities may sue or be sued; arbitration","url":"\/15.2-1404\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1404","metadata":false},{"id":347309,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1405","catch_line":"Immunity of members of local governmental entities; exception","url":"\/15.2-1405\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1405","metadata":false},{"id":347310,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1406","catch_line":"Compensation of governing bodies","url":"\/15.2-1406\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1406","metadata":false},{"id":347311,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1407","catch_line":"Administrative leave for certain members of governing bodies","url":"\/15.2-1407\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1407","metadata":false},{"id":347312,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1408","catch_line":"Restrictions on activities of former officers and employees by certain counties and cities","url":"\/15.2-1408\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1408","metadata":false},{"id":347313,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1409","catch_line":"Investigations by governing bodies","url":"\/15.2-1409\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1409","metadata":false},{"id":347314,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1410","catch_line":"Chairman and mayor may administer oaths","url":"\/15.2-1410\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1410","metadata":false},{"id":347315,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1411","catch_line":"Appointment of advisory boards, committees and commissions; compensation and reimbursement of expenses","url":"\/15.2-1411\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1411","metadata":false},{"id":347316,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1412","catch_line":"Reproductions of records and documents and legal status thereof; destruction of originals","url":"\/15.2-1412\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1412","metadata":false},{"id":347317,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1413","catch_line":"Governing bodies of localities may provide for continuity of government in case of enemy attack, etc","url":"\/15.2-1413\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1413","metadata":false},{"id":347325,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1414","catch_line":"Governing bodies may have a legal enumeration of the population","url":"\/15.2-1414\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1414","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":347305,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1401","catch_line":"Powers granted localities vested in their governing bodies","url":"\/15.2-1401\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1401","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":347307,"structure_id":49848,"section_number":"15.2-1403","catch_line":"Governing body to be continuing body","url":"\/15.2-1403\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1403","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1402\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1997. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?971+ful+CHAP0587\">587<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1379837,"object_type":"law","relational_id":347306,"identifier":"15.2-1402","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1402","url":"\/15.2-1402\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1402\/","token":"15.2\/II\/14\/1\/15.2-1402","dublin_core":{"Title":"Declared to be body politic of Commonwealth; seal","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1402","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Every <span class=\"dictionary\">locality<\/span> of this Commonwealth is hereby declared to be a body politic of the Commonwealth and may have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDECLARED TO BE BODY POLITIC OF COMMONWEALTH; SEAL (\u00a7 15.2-1402)\n\nEvery locality of this Commonwealth is hereby declared to be a body politic of\nthe Commonwealth and may have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure.\n\nHISTORY: 1997, c. 587.","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"}}