Virginia Code 15.2-1525: Where officers shall reside
A. Every county officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, either in the county for which he is elected or appointed, or in the city wherein the courthouse of the county is or in a city wholly within the boundaries of such county. If no practicing lawyer who has resided in the county or in such city for the period aforesaid offers for election or appointment or if there is not more than one practicing lawyer residing in the jurisdiction who would be qualified to offer for election, it shall be lawful to elect or appoint as attorney for the Commonwealth for such county a nonresident, or one who has not resided in the county, or in such city, for the period above mentioned. Every city and town officer except the town attorney shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided thirty days next preceding his election or appointment in such city or town unless otherwise specifically provided by charter. Every district officer shall, at the time of his election or appointment, have resided in the district for which he is elected or appointed thirty days next preceding his election or appointment, and residence in any incorporated town within the district shall be regarded as residence in the district.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 15.2-1525
- City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
- County: means any existing county or such unit hereafter created. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July one, nineteen hundred seventy-one, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
B. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, and except as other provisions of law may require otherwise, nonelected officers of any locality, and nonelected deputies of constitutional officers, shall not be required to reside in the jurisdiction in which they are appointed. However, the sheriff of any county or city may for law-enforcement purposes require that deputy sheriffs live within a reasonable distance of the administrative office of the sheriff’s department.
Code 1950, § 15-487; 1952, c. 336; 1954, c. 323; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-51; 1966, c. 97; 1968, c. 6; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 155; 1972, cc. 549, 620, 624; 1973, c. 124; 1974, cc. 135, 229, 646; 1975, c. 100; 1976, c. 402; 1977, c. 28; 1978, cc. 106, 113; 1979, c. 362; 1980, cc. 1, 8, 11; 1981, cc. 551, 552, 556, 560, 561; 1982, c. 48; 1983, cc. 51, 76; 1984, cc. 65, 106, 711; 1994, c. 516; 1997, c. 587.