{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/45.2-601.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/45.2-601.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/45.2-601.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/45.2-601.html"}],"law_id":364375,"edition_id":2,"section_id":364375,"structure_id":52012,"section_number":"45.2-601","catch_line":" Adjacent owner to be permitted to survey mine; proceedings to compel entry for survey","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 45-92, 45-93; 1966, c. 594, \u00a7 45.1-103; 1978, c. 118; 1994, c. 28, \u00a7 45.1-161.311; 1997, c. 390; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","full_text":"A\n\nThe owner, tenant, or occupant of any land or coal on or in which a mine is opened and worked, or his agent, shall permit any person interested in or having title to any land or mineral rights coterminal with that in which such mine is located to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine at his own expense if such person has reason to believe his property is being trespassed upon. The purpose of such survey shall be to ascertain whether a violation of § 45.2-600 has occurred. However, such person is not entitled to enter the property more often than once a month. Every owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses such permission, exploration, or survey shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused.\n\nB\n\nThe judge of the general district court of the county or city in which such mine is located, before whom any complaint of such refusal shall be made, may issue a summons to such owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer such complaint. On the return of the summons executed and proof that (i) the complainant has a right of entry and (ii) such right has been refused without sufficient cause, the judge shall designate an early and convenient time for such entry to be made and issue a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and prevent any obstruction or impediment to such entry, exploration, or survey. The costs of such summons and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If the court dismisses the complaint, the costs shall be paid by the party making the complaint.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1357472,"text":"The owner, tenant, or occupant of any land or coal on or in which a mine is opened and worked, or his agent, shall permit any person interested in or having title to any land or mineral rights coterminal with that in which such mine is located to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine at his own expense if such person has reason to believe his property is being trespassed upon. The purpose of such survey shall be to ascertain whether a violation of § 45.2-600 has occurred. However, such person is not entitled to enter the property more often than once a month. Every owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses such permission, exploration, or survey shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1357473,"text":"The judge of the general district court of the county or city in which such mine is located, before whom any complaint of such refusal shall be made, may issue a summons to such owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer such complaint. On the return of the summons executed and proof that (i) the complainant has a right of entry and (ii) such right has been refused without sufficient cause, the judge shall designate an early and convenient time for such entry to be made and issue a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and prevent any obstruction or impediment to such entry, exploration, or survey. The costs of such summons and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If the court dismisses the complaint, the costs shall be paid by the party making the complaint.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":52012,"edition_id":2,"name":"Rights of Owners of Land Adjacent to Coal Mines","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52011,"metadata":{"child_laws":2,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:52:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:36","permalink":{"id":1450005,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52012,"identifier":"1","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1","url":"\/45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52011,"edition_id":2,"name":"Coal Mining Property, Interests, Adjacent Owners, and Dams","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":2,"parent_id":51999,"metadata":{"child_laws":21,"child_structures":4},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:52:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:35","permalink":{"id":1450003,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52011,"identifier":"6","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6","url":"\/45.2\/II\/A\/6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51999,"edition_id":2,"name":"Coal Mines Generally","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":51931,"metadata":{"child_laws":103,"child_structures":16},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:54","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:33","permalink":{"id":1449651,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51999,"identifier":"A","token":"45.2\/II\/A","url":"\/45.2\/II\/A\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51931,"edition_id":2,"name":"Coal Mining","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":51927,"metadata":{"child_laws":337,"child_structures":56},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:33","permalink":{"id":1449649,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51931,"identifier":"II","token":"45.2\/II","url":"\/45.2\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51927,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mines, Minerals, and Energy","identifier":"45.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":99,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":627,"child_structures":120},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:32","permalink":{"id":1449541,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51927,"identifier":"45.2","token":"45.2","url":"\/45.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":364374,"structure_id":52012,"section_number":"45.2-600","catch_line":" Consent required before working mine near land of another","url":"\/45.2-600\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1\/45.2-600","metadata":false},{"id":364375,"structure_id":52012,"section_number":"45.2-601","catch_line":" Adjacent owner to be permitted to survey mine; proceedings to compel entry for survey","url":"\/45.2-601\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1\/45.2-601","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":364374,"structure_id":52012,"section_number":"45.2-600","catch_line":" Consent required before working mine near land of another","url":"\/45.2-600\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1\/45.2-600","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/45.2-601\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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 1966, chapter 594; in 1978, chapter 118; in 1994, chapter 28<\/a>; in 1997, chapter 390<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":364374,"section_number":"45.2-600","catch_line":" Consent required before working mine near land of another","order_by":null,"url":"\/45.2-600\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1450011,"object_type":"law","relational_id":364375,"identifier":"45.2-601","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1\/45.2-601","url":"\/45.2-601\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/45.2-601\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/1\/45.2-601","dublin_core":{"Title":" Adjacent owner to be permitted to survey mine; proceedings to compel entry for survey","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 45.2-601","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The owner, tenant, or occupant of any land or coal on or in which a mine is opened and worked, or his agent, shall permit any person interested in or having title to any land or mineral rights coterminal with that in which such mine is located to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and survey such mine at his own expense if such person has reason to believe his property is being trespassed upon. The purpose of such survey shall be to ascertain whether a violation of § 45.2-600<\/a> has occurred. However, such person is not entitled to enter the property more often than once a month. Every owner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses such permission, exploration, or survey shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The judge<\/span> of the general district court<\/span> of the county or city in which such mine is located, before whom any complaint of such refusal shall be made, may issue<\/span> a summons<\/span> to such owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer such complaint. On the return of the summons<\/span> executed and proof that (i) the complainant has a right of entry and (ii) such right has been refused without sufficient cause, the judge<\/span> shall designate an early and convenient time for such entry to be made and issue<\/span> a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county or city to attend and prevent any obstruction or impediment to such entry, exploration, or survey. The costs of such summons<\/span> and a fee of $3 to the sheriff executing the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the complaint. If the court<\/span> dismisses the complaint, the costs shall be paid by the party<\/span> making the complaint. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n ADJACENT OWNER TO BE PERMITTED TO SURVEY MINE; PROCEEDINGS TO COMPEL ENTRY FOR\nSURVEY (\u00a7 45.2-601)\n\nA. The owner, tenant, or occupant of any land or coal on or in which a mine is\nopened and worked, or his agent, shall permit any person interested in or having\ntitle to any land or mineral rights coterminal with that in which such mine is\nlocated to have ingress and egress with surveyors and assistants to explore and\nsurvey such mine at his own expense if such person has reason to believe his\nproperty is being trespassed upon. The purpose of such survey shall be to\nascertain whether a violation of § 45.2-600 has occurred. However, such\nperson is not entitled to enter the property more often than once a month. Every\nowner, tenant, occupant, or agent who refuses such permission, exploration, or\nsurvey shall forfeit $20 for each refusal to the person so refused.\n\nB. The judge of the general district court of the county or city in which such\nmine is located, before whom any complaint of such refusal shall be made, may\nissue a summons to such owner, tenant, occupant, or agent to answer such\ncomplaint. On the return of the summons executed and proof that (i) the\ncomplainant has a right of entry and (ii) such right has been refused without\nsufficient cause, the judge shall designate an early and convenient time for\nsuch entry to be made and issue a warrant commanding the sheriff of the county\nor city to attend and prevent any obstruction or impediment to such entry,\nexploration, or survey. The costs of such summons and a fee of $3 to the sheriff\nexecuting the warrant shall be paid by the person whose refusal caused the\ncomplaint. If the court dismisses the complaint, the costs shall be paid by the\nparty making the complaint.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 45-92, 45-93; 1966, c. 594, \u00a7 45.1-103; 1978, c. 118;\n1994, c. 28, \u00a7 45.1-161.311; 1997, c. 390; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","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"}}