{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/56-265.28.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/56-265.28.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/56-265.28.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/56-265.28.html"}],"law_id":370278,"edition_id":2,"section_id":370278,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.28","catch_line":"Sovereign immunity","history":"1979, c. 291.","full_text":"Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to abrogate the immunity from suit accruing to the Commonwealth, her political subdivisions, agencies, officers or employees, or the officers or employees of her political subdivisions and agencies, as exists prior to July 1, 1980.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1381393,"text":"Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to abrogate the immunity from suit accruing to the Commonwealth, her political subdivisions, agencies, officers or employees, or the officers or employees of her political subdivisions and agencies, as exists prior to July 1, 1980.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52732,"edition_id":2,"name":"Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act","identifier":"10.3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":16,"parent_id":52702,"metadata":{"child_laws":29,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:48","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:39","permalink":{"id":1476263,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52732,"identifier":"10.3","token":"56\/10.3","url":"\/56\/10.3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52702,"edition_id":2,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":121,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":710,"child_structures":93},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:25","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:34","permalink":{"id":1475475,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52702,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":370253,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.14","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/56-265.14\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.14","metadata":false},{"id":370254,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.15","catch_line":"Definitions; calculation of time periods","url":"\/56-265.15\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.15","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. v. Properties One, Inc.","case_number":"Record 930110","citation":"439 S.E.2d 369","date":"1994-01-07","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1301658\/chesapeake-potomac-telephone-co-v-properties-one-inc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 439 S.E.2d 369 (1994) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":370255,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.15:1","catch_line":" Exemptions; routine maintenance","url":"\/56-265.15_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.15_1","metadata":false},{"id":370256,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.16","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-265.16\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.16","metadata":false},{"id":370257,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.16:1","catch_line":"Operators to join notification centers; certification","url":"\/56-265.16_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.16_1","metadata":false},{"id":370258,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.17","catch_line":"Notification required prior to excavation or demolition; waiting periods; marking of proposed site","url":"\/56-265.17\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.17","metadata":false},{"id":370259,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.17:1","catch_line":"Notification and procedures for designers","url":"\/56-265.17_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.17_1","metadata":false},{"id":370260,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.17:2","catch_line":"Procedures for project owners","url":"\/56-265.17_2\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.17_2","metadata":false},{"id":370261,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.17:3","catch_line":"Procedures for operators in response to a designer notice","url":"\/56-265.17_3\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.17_3","metadata":false},{"id":370262,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.18","catch_line":"Notification requirements","url":"\/56-265.18\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.18","metadata":false},{"id":370263,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.19","catch_line":"Duties of operator; regulations","url":"\/56-265.19\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.19","metadata":false},{"id":370264,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.19:1","catch_line":"Private sewer laterals and sewer system laterals","url":"\/56-265.19_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.19_1","metadata":false},{"id":370266,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.20","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-265.20\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.20","metadata":false},{"id":370267,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.20:1","catch_line":"Locating nonmetallic underground utility lines","url":"\/56-265.20_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.20_1","metadata":false},{"id":370268,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.21","catch_line":"Marking by color","url":"\/56-265.21\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.21","metadata":false},{"id":370269,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.22","catch_line":"Duties of notification center upon notification by person intending to excavate; record of notification made by telephone required","url":"\/56-265.22\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.22","metadata":false},{"id":370270,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.22:1","catch_line":"Meetings between excavators and operators","url":"\/56-265.22_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.22_1","metadata":false},{"id":370271,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.23","catch_line":"Exemption for roadway maintenance operations by the Virginia Department of Transportation and certain counties, cities, and towns","url":"\/56-265.23\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.23","metadata":false},{"id":370272,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.24","catch_line":"Duties of excavator","url":"\/56-265.24\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.24","metadata":false},{"id":370273,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.24:1","catch_line":"Request to cease operation; immediate threat; penalty","url":"\/56-265.24_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.24_1","metadata":false},{"id":370274,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.25","catch_line":"Liability of operator and excavator; penalties","url":"\/56-265.25\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.25","metadata":false},{"id":370275,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.26","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-265.26\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.26","metadata":false},{"id":370276,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.26:1","catch_line":"Utility line depth requirement","url":"\/56-265.26_1\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.26_1","metadata":false},{"id":370277,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.27","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-265.27\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.27","metadata":false},{"id":370278,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.28","catch_line":"Sovereign immunity","url":"\/56-265.28\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.28","metadata":false},{"id":370279,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.29","catch_line":"Other similar laws","url":"\/56-265.29\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.29","metadata":false},{"id":370282,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.30","catch_line":"Authority of the State Corporation Commission","url":"\/56-265.30\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.30","metadata":false},{"id":370283,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.31","catch_line":"Commission to establish advisory committee","url":"\/56-265.31\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.31","metadata":false},{"id":370284,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.32","catch_line":"Commission to impose civil penalties for certain violations; establishment of Underground Utility Damage Prevention Special Fund","url":"\/56-265.32\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.32","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":370277,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.27","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/56-265.27\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.27","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":370279,"structure_id":52732,"section_number":"56-265.29","catch_line":"Other similar laws","url":"\/56-265.29\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.29","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-265.28\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1979. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 291 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. Unfortunately, the 1979 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1476361,"object_type":"law","relational_id":370278,"identifier":"56-265.28","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.28","url":"\/56-265.28\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-265.28\/","token":"56\/10.3\/56-265.28","dublin_core":{"Title":"Sovereign immunity","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-265.28","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to abrogate the immunity from suit accruing to the Commonwealth, her political subdivisions, agencies, officers or employees, or the officers or employees of her political subdivisions and agencies, as exists prior to July 1, 1980.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSOVEREIGN IMMUNITY (\u00a7 56-265.28)\n\nNothing in this chapter shall be construed to abrogate the immunity from suit\naccruing to the Commonwealth, her political subdivisions, agencies, officers or\nemployees, or the officers or employees of her political subdivisions and\nagencies, as exists prior to July 1, 1980.\n\nHISTORY: 1979, c. 291.","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"}}