Virginia Code 15.2-912.3: Regulation of dance halls by counties, cities, and towns.
For the purposes of this section, “public dance hall” means any place open to the general public where dancing is permitted; however, a restaurant located in any city licensed under subsection A of § 4.1-206.3 to serve food and beverages having a dance floor with an area not exceeding 10 percent of the total floor area of the establishment shall not be considered a public dance hall.
Attorney's Note
Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 misdemeanor | up to $500 |
Terms Used In Virginia Code 15.2-912.3
- 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
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- 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
Any locality may by ordinance regulate public dance halls in such locality and prescribe punishment for violation of such ordinance not to exceed that prescribed for a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Such ordinance shall prescribe for (i) the issuance of permits to operate public dance halls, grounds for revocation and procedure for revocation of such permits; (ii) a license tax not to exceed $600 on every person operating or conducting any such dance hall; and (iii) rules and regulations for the operation of such dance halls. Such ordinances may exempt from their operation dances held for benevolent or charitable purposes and dances conducted under the auspices of religious, educational, civic, or military organizations.
No county ordinance adopted under the provisions of this section shall be in effect in any town in which an ordinance adopted under the provisions of this section is in effect.
Code 1950, § 18.1-354; 1960, c. 358; 1962, c. 620; 1975, cc. 14, 15, § 18.2-433; 1978, c. 661; 1993, c. 866; 2004, c. 462; 2020, cc. 1113, 1114.