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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>377721</law_id><section_number>8.01-637</section_number><catch_line>By whom filed; when leave granted and writ issued</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="12" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="55" identifier="25">Extraordinary Writs</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Writ of Quo Warranto</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> or attorney for the Commonwealth of any county or city of which the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> has <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the proceeding, at his own instance or at the relation of <span class="dictionary">any interested person</span>, or <span class="dictionary">any interested person</span>, may apply to such <span class="dictionary">court</span> by <span class="dictionary">petition</span> verified by <span class="dictionary">oath</span> for a <span class="dictionary">writ</span> of quo warranto. In case of an application under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="In what cases writ issued" href="/8.01-636/">8.01-636</a> 2a the term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">any interested person</span>&#x201D; shall include any attorney licensed to practice <span class="dictionary">law</span> in this Commonwealth and qualified to practice before the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia, or the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> in which the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> is filed. <a id="paragraph-1409027" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-637/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If, in the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, the matters stated in the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> are sufficient in <span class="dictionary">law</span> to authorize the issuance of such <span class="dictionary">writ</span>, a <span class="dictionary">writ</span> shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> thereon, commanding the <span class="dictionary">sheriff</span> to summon the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> to appear at a date set forth in the <span class="dictionary">writ</span>. <a id="paragraph-1409028" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-637/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> is filed on the relation of any person or by any person at his own instance, before the clerk shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> the <span class="dictionary">writ</span> the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall require the relator or person to give <span class="dictionary">bond</span> with sufficient <span class="dictionary">surety</span>, to be approved by the clerk, to indemnify the Commonwealth against all costs and expenses of the proceedings, in case the same shall not be recovered from and paid by the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>. <a id="paragraph-1409029" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-637/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 8-858, 8-859, 8-860; 1977, c. 617; 1980, c. 705.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
