Title 8.01, Title 8.01. Civil Remedies and Procedure

Except for process commencing actions for divorce or annulment of marriage or other actions wherein service of process is specifically prescribed by statute, process which has reached the person to whom it is directed within the time prescribed by law, if any, shall be sufficient…

No civil process shall be served on Sunday, except in cases of persons escaping out of custody, or where it is otherwise expressly provided by law.

Upon the commencement of every action, the plaintiff shall furnish in writing to the clerk or other issuing officer the full name and last known address of each defendant and if unable to furnish such name and address, he shall furnish such salient facts as are calculated to iden…

The clerk issuing any such process unless otherwise directed shall deliver or transmit therewith as many copies thereof as there are persons named therein on whom it is to be served.

Process from any court, whether original, mesne, or final, may be directed to the sheriff of, and may be executed in, any county, city, or town in the Commonwealth.

A. The following persons are authorized to serve process: 1. The sheriff within such territorial bounds as described in § 8.01-295; 2. Any person 18 years of age or older and who is not a party or otherwise interested in the subject matter in controversy. For purposes of this sub…

Every sheriff who attends a court shall, every day when the clerk's office is open for business, go to such office and receive all process, and other papers to be served by him, and give receipts therefor, unless he has received notice from a regular employee of the clerk's offic…

The sheriff may execute such process throughout the political subdivision in which he serves and in any contiguous county or city. If the process appears to be duly served, and is good in other respects, it shall be deemed valid although not directed to an officer, or if directed…

In addition to any other manner of service upon natural persons prescribed elsewhere in the Code, and subject to the provisions of § 8.01-286.1, in any action at law or in equity or any other civil proceeding in any court, process, for which no particular mode of service is presc…

In all actions against one who has been convicted of a felony and is confined in a local or regional jail or State correctional institution, process shall be served on such convict and, subject to § 8.01-9, a guardian ad litem shall be appointed for him. Such service may be effec…

In addition to the manner of service on natural persons prescribed in § 8.01-296, a summons for a witness or for a juror may be served: 1. At his or her usual place of business or employment during business hours, by delivering a copy thereof and giving information of its purport…

Except as prescribed in § 8.01-300 as to municipal and quasi-governmental corporations, and subject to § 8.01-286.1, process may be served on a domestic stock corporation, nonstock corporation, or limited liability company created by the laws of the Commonwealth as follows: 1. By…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 8.01-299 for service of process on other domestic corporations, process shall be served on municipal and county governments and quasi-governmental bodies or agencies in the following manner: 1. If the case be against a city or a town, on its ci…

Subject to § 8.01-286.1, service of process on a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or a foreign limited liability company may be effected in the following manner: 1. By personal service on any officer or director or the registered agent of a foreign stock or nonstock corporat…

In addition to the methods by which service of process may be effected pursuant to § 8.01-301, when a party in a civil action issues a subpoena for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by …

Subject to § 8.01-286.1, when any corporation is operated by a trustee or by a receiver appointed by any court, in any action against such corporation, process may be served on its trustee or receiver; and if there is more than one such trustee or receiver, then service may be on…

A. Subject to § 8.01-286.1, process against a copartner or partnership may be served upon a general partner, and it shall be deemed service upon the partnership and upon each partner individually named in the action, provided the person served is not a plaintiff in the suit and p…

A domestic or foreign business trust may be served by personal service on its registered agent as provided in subsection A of § 13.1-1223 and by substituted service in accordance with subsection B of § 13.1-1223 or subsection E of § 13.1-1247.

Subject to § 8.01-286.1, process against an unincorporated (i) association, (ii) order, or (iii) common carrier, may be served on any officer, trustee, director, staff member or other agent.

Subject to § 8.01-286.1, if an unincorporated (i) association, (ii) order, or (iii) common carrier has its principal office outside Virginia and transacts business or affairs in the Commonwealth, process may be served on any officer, trustee, director, staff member, or agent of s…

For the purpose of §§ 8.01-308 through 8.01-313: 1. The term "motor vehicle" shall mean every vehicle which is self-propelled or designed for self-propulsion and every vehicle drawn by or designed to be drawn by a motor vehicle and includes every device in, upon, or by which any …

Any operation in the Commonwealth of a motor vehicle by a nonresident, including those nonresidents defined in subdivision 2 of § 8.01-307, either in person or by an agent or employee, shall be deemed equivalent to an appointment by such nonresident of the Commissioner of the Dep…

Any nonresident owner or operator of any aircraft that is operated over and above the land and waters of the Commonwealth or uses aviation facilities within the Commonwealth, shall by such operation and use appoint the Secretary of the Commonwealth as his statutory agent for the …

A. Service of process on the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission as a statutory agent authorized by law to receive service of process on behalf of any natural person, corporation, or other entity is governed by § 12.1-19.1. Service of process on either the Commissioner of t…

The court, in which an action is pending against a nonresident growing out of an accident or collision as specified in §§ 8.01-308 and 8.01-309, or in an action pending against a person or entity served with process through the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission as statuto…

A. Service of process on the statutory agent shall have the same legal force and validity as if served within the Commonwealth personally upon the person for whom it is intended. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Secretary of the …

A. For the statutory agent appointed pursuant to §§ 8.01-308 and 8.01-309, the address for the mailing of the process as required by § 8.01-312 shall be the last known address of the nonresident or, where appropriate under subdivision B 1 or 2 of § 8.01-310, of the executor, admi…

When an attorney authorized to practice law in this Commonwealth has entered a general appearance for any party, any process, order or other legal papers to be used in the proceeding may be served on such attorney of record. Such service shall have the same effect as if service h…

No judgment shall be rendered upon, or by virtue of, any instrument in writing authorizing the acceptance of service of process by another on behalf of any person who is obligated upon such instrument, when such service is accepted as therein authorized, unless the person accepti…

A. Except in condemnation actions, an order of publication may be entered against a defendant in the following manner: 1. An affidavit by a party seeking service stating one or more of the following grounds: a. That the party to be served is (i) a foreign corporation, (ii) a fore…

Except in condemnation actions, every order of publication shall give the abbreviated style of the suit, state briefly its object, and require the defendants, or unknown parties, against whom it is entered to appear and protect their interests on or before the date stated in the …

If after an order of publication has been executed, the defendants or unknown parties against whom it is entered shall not appear on or before the date specified in such order, the case may be tried or heard as to them. When the provisions of § 8.01-317 have been complied with, n…

A. In any case in which a nonresident party or party originally served by publication has been served as provided by law, and notice of further proceedings in the case is required but no method of service thereof is prescribed either by statute or by order or rule of court, such …

A. Subject to § 8.01-286.1, service of a process on a nonresident person outside the Commonwealth may be made by: (i) any person authorized to serve process in the jurisdiction where the party to be served is located; or (ii) any person 18 years of age or older who is not a party…

If a party against whom service by publication is had under this chapter did not appear before the date of judgment against him, then such party or his representative may petition to have the case reheard, may plead or answer, and may have any injustice in the proceeding correcte…

Any newspaper published in a city adjoining or wholly or partly within the geographical limits of any county shall be deemed to be published in such county or counties as well as in such city, for the purpose of legal advertisements.

A. As used in this section and throughout the Code, the terms "newspaper of record" and "newspaper of general circulation" are interchangeable and identical in meaning. B. Whenever any ordinance, resolution, notice, or advertisement is required by law, regulation, or judicial ord…

A. Unless otherwise directed by the court, the person serving process shall make return thereof to the clerk's office within seventy-two hours of service, except when such return would be due on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. In such case, the return is due on the next day…

No return shall be conclusive proof as to service of process. The return of a sheriff shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated, and the return of a qualified individual under subdivision 2 of § 8.01-293 shall be evidence of the facts stated therein.

Service of process may be accepted by the person for whom it is intended by signing the proof of service and indicating the jurisdiction and state in which it was accepted. However, service of process in divorce or annulment actions may be accepted only as provided in § 20-99.1:1…

The terms "arrest under civil process" and "civil arrest" shall be synonymous and shall be the apprehending and detaining of a person pursuant to specific provisions of this title to achieve the following: 1. A full and proper answer or response to interrogatories under § 8.01-50…

In addition to the exemptions made by §§ 30-4, 30-6, 30-7, 30-8, 19.2-280, and 44-97, the following persons shall not be arrested, apprehended, or detained under any civil process during the times respectively herein set forth, but shall not otherwise be privileged from service o…