{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/15.2-4000.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/15.2-4000.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/15.2-4000.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/15.2-4000.html"}],"law_id":348366,"edition_id":2,"section_id":348366,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4000","catch_line":"Enjoyment of city status until requirements of chapter fulfilled","history":"1971, Ex. Sess., c. 140, \u00a7 15.1-965.1; 1988, c. 881; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"A city which no longer qualifies for city status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia shall change to town status under the provisions of this chapter. Until the court enters an order under \u00a7 15.2-4004 for such change, a city shall enjoy all the rights and obligations of city status.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1298946,"text":"A city which no longer qualifies for city status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia shall change to town status under the provisions of this chapter. Until the court enters an order under \u00a7 15.2-4004 for such change, a city shall enjoy all the rights and obligations of city status.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":49962,"edition_id":2,"name":"Judicial Determination of City Status","identifier":"40","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":11,"parent_id":49941,"metadata":{"child_laws":6,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:19:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:48","permalink":{"id":1384783,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49962,"identifier":"40","token":"15.2\/III\/40","url":"\/15.2\/III\/40\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49941,"edition_id":2,"name":"Boundary Adjustments and Changes of Status of Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":49831,"metadata":{"child_laws":234,"child_structures":20},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:18:37","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:43","permalink":{"id":1383921,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49941,"identifier":"III","token":"15.2\/III","url":"\/15.2\/III\/","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":348366,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4000","catch_line":"Enjoyment of city status until requirements of chapter fulfilled","url":"\/15.2-4000\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4000","metadata":false},{"id":348367,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4001","catch_line":"Investigation by Commission on Local Government; certification of findings to governing body","url":"\/15.2-4001\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4001","metadata":false},{"id":348368,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4002","catch_line":"Report from Commission to be certified to circuit court; appointment of special court","url":"\/15.2-4002\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4002","metadata":false},{"id":348369,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4003","catch_line":"Investigation by special court; public hearing","url":"\/15.2-4003\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4003","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":348370,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4004","catch_line":"Determination of city status","url":"\/15.2-4004\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4004","metadata":false},{"id":348371,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4005","catch_line":"Effect when city becomes town; officers","url":"\/15.2-4005\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4005","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":348367,"structure_id":49962,"section_number":"15.2-4001","catch_line":"Investigation by Commission on Local Government; certification of findings to governing body","url":"\/15.2-4001\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4001","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-4000\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1988, chapter 881; in 1997, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?971+ful+CHAP0587\">587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":348161,"section_number":"15.2-3000","catch_line":"Special court to hear certain cases","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3000\/"},{"id":360596,"section_number":"36-132.1","catch_line":"Commission on Local Government","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-132.1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":348370,"section_number":"15.2-4004","catch_line":"Determination of city status","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-4004\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1384785,"object_type":"law","relational_id":348366,"identifier":"15.2-4000","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4000","url":"\/15.2-4000\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-4000\/","token":"15.2\/III\/40\/15.2-4000","dublin_core":{"Title":"Enjoyment of city status until requirements of chapter fulfilled","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-4000","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>A <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> which no longer qualifies for <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> status under Article VII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia shall change to <span class=\"dictionary\">town<\/span> status under the provisions of this chapter. Until the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> enters an <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> under \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Determination of city status\" href=\"\/15.2-4004\/\">15.2-4004<\/a> for such change, a <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> shall enjoy all the rights and obligations of <span class=\"dictionary\">city<\/span> status.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nENJOYMENT OF CITY STATUS UNTIL REQUIREMENTS OF CHAPTER FULFILLED (\u00a7 15.2-4000)\n\nA city which no longer qualifies for city status under Article VII, Section 1 of\nthe Constitution of Virginia shall change to town status under the provisions of\nthis chapter. Until the court enters an order under \u00a7 15.2-4004 for such\nchange, a city shall enjoy all the rights and obligations of city status.\n\nHISTORY: 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 140, \u00a7 15.1-965.1; 1988, c. 881; 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"}}