Code of Virginia
Chapter 9 - Virginia Stock Corporation Act
§ 13.1-604. Filing requirements

A. A document shall satisfy the requirements of this section, and of any other section that adds to or varies these requirements, to be entitled to be filed with the Commission.
B. To be entitled to be filed with the Commission, this chapter shall require or permit the document to be filed with the Commission.
C. The document shall contain the information required by this chapter and may contain other information as well.
D. The document shall be typewritten or printed or, if electronically transmitted, shall be in a format that can be retrieved or reproduced in typewritten or printed form. The typewritten or printed portion shall be in black. Photocopies, or other reproduced copies, of typewritten or printed documents may be filed. In every case, information in the document shall be legible and the document shall be capable of being reformatted and reproduced in copies of archival quality.
E. The document shall be in the English language. A corporate name need not be in English if written in English letters or Arabic or Roman numerals. The articles of incorporation, duly authenticated by the official having custody of corporate records in the jurisdiction of formation of the foreign corporation, that are required of foreign corporations need not be in English if accompanied by a reasonably authenticated English translation.
F. The document shall be signed in the name of the domestic or foreign corporation:
1. By the chairman or any vice-chairman of the board of directors, the president, or any other of its officers;
2. If directors have not been selected or the corporation has not been formed, by an incorporator; or
3. If the corporation is in the hands of a receiver, trustee, or other court-appointed fiduciary, by that fiduciary.
G. Any annual report required to be filed by § 13.1-775 shall be signed in the name of the corporation by an officer or director listed in the report or, if the corporation is in the hands of a receiver, trustee, or other court-appointed fiduciary, by that fiduciary.
H. The person executing the document shall sign it and state beneath or opposite his signature his name and the capacity in which the document is signed. The document may but need not contain a corporate seal, attestation, acknowledgment, or verification.
I. If, pursuant to any provision of this chapter, the Commission has prescribed a mandatory form for the document, the document shall be in or on the prescribed form.
J. The document shall be delivered to the Commission for filing and shall be accompanied by the correct filing fee, and any franchise tax, charter or entrance fee, registration fee, or penalty required by this chapter to be paid at the time of delivery for filing.
K. The Commission may accept the electronic transmission of any document or other information required or permitted to be filed by this chapter and may prescribe the methods of execution, recording, reproduction and certification of electronically transmitted information pursuant to § 59.1-496.
L. Whenever a provision of this chapter permits any of the terms of a plan or a filed document to be dependent on facts objectively ascertainable outside the plan or filed document, the following provisions apply:
1. The plan or filed document shall specify the nationally recognized news or information medium in which the facts can be found or otherwise state the manner in which the facts can be objectively ascertained. The manner in which the facts will operate upon the terms of the plan or filed document shall be set forth in the plan or filed document.
2. The facts may include:
a. Any of the following that is available in a nationally recognized news or information medium either in print or electronically: statistical or market indices, market prices of any security or group of securities, interest rates, currency exchange rates, or similar economic or financial data;
b. A determination or action by any person or body, including the corporation or any other party to a plan or filed document; or
c. The terms of, or actions taken under, an agreement to which the corporation is a party, or any other agreement or document.
3. As used in this subsection:
a. "Filed document" means a document filed with the Commission under § 13.1-619 or Article 11 (§ 13.1-705 et seq.), 12 (§ 13.1-715.1 et seq.), 12.1 (§ 13.1-722.1:1 et seq.), 12.2 (§ 13.1-722.8 et seq.), 16 (§ 13.1-742 et seq.), or 22 (§ 13.1-782 et seq.); and
b. "Plan" means a plan of domestication, conversion, merger, or share exchange.
4. The following terms of a plan or filed document may not be made dependent on facts outside the plan or filed document:
a. The name and address of any person required in a filed document;
b. A purpose that is required to be set forth in a filed document;
c. The registered office address of any entity required in a filed document;
d. The name or qualification of the registered agent of any entity required in a filed document;
e. The number of authorized shares and the designation and terms, including the preferences, rights, and limitations of each class or series of shares;
f. The effective date of a filed document; and
g. Any required statement in a filed document of the date on which the underlying transaction was approved or the manner in which that approval was given.
5. If a term of a filed document is made dependent on a fact objectively ascertainable outside of the filed document, and that fact is not objectively ascertainable by reference to a source described in subdivision 2 a or a document that is a matter of public record, nor has notice of the fact been given by the corporation to the affected shareholders, then the corporation shall file with the Commission articles of amendment setting forth the fact promptly after the time when the fact referred to is first ascertainable or thereafter changes. Articles of amendment under this subdivision are deemed to be authorized by the authorization of the original filed document or plan to which they relate and may be filed by the corporation without further action by the board of directors or the shareholders.
6. The provisions of subdivisions 1, 2, and 5 shall not be considered by the Commission in deciding whether the terms of a plan or filed document comply with the requirements of law.
1985, c. 522; 1986, c. 231; 1995, c. 70; 2000, c. 995; 2005, c. 765; 2010, c. 782; 2015, c. 623; 2019, c. 734; 2020, c. 1226.

Structure Code of Virginia

Code of Virginia

Title 13.1 - Corporations

Chapter 9 - Virginia Stock Corporation Act

§ 13.1-601. Short title

§ 13.1-602. Reservation of power to amend or repeal

§ 13.1-603. Definitions

§ 13.1-604. Filing requirements

§ 13.1-604.1. Filings with the Commission pursuant to reorganization

§ 13.1-605. Issuance of certificate by Commission; recordation of documents

§ 13.1-606. Effective time and date of document

§ 13.1-607. Correcting filed articles

§ 13.1-608. Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document

§ 13.1-609. Certificate of good standing

§ 13.1-610. Notices and other communications

§ 13.1-610.1. Householding

§ 13.1-611. Number of shareholders

§ 13.1-612. Penalty for signing false document

§ 13.1-613. Unlawful to transact or offer to transact business as a corporation unless authorized

§ 13.1-614. Hearing and finality of Commission action; injunctions

§ 13.1-614.1. Definitions

§ 13.1-614.2. Defective corporate actions

§ 13.1-614.3. Ratification of defective corporate actions

§ 13.1-614.4. Action of ratification

§ 13.1-614.5. Notice

§ 13.1-614.6. Effect of ratification

§ 13.1-614.7. Filings

§ 13.1-614.8. Commission proceedings regarding validity of corporate actions

§ 13.1-615. Fees to be collected by Commission; application of payment; payment of fees prerequisite to Commission action; exceptions

§ 13.1-615.1. Charter and entrance fees for corporations

§ 13.1-616. Fees for filing documents or issuing certificates

§ 13.1-617. Repealed

§ 13.1-618. Incorporators

§ 13.1-619. Articles of incorporation

§ 13.1-620. Special kinds of business

§ 13.1-621. Issuance of certificate of incorporation

§ 13.1-622. Liability for preincorporation transactions

§ 13.1-623. Organization of corporation

§ 13.1-624. Bylaws

§ 13.1-625. Emergency bylaws

§ 13.1-626. Purposes

§ 13.1-627. General powers

§ 13.1-628. Emergency powers

§ 13.1-629. Lack of power to act

§ 13.1-630. Corporate name

§ 13.1-631. Reserved name

§ 13.1-632. Registered name

§ 13.1-633. Repealed

§ 13.1-634. Registered office and registered agent

§ 13.1-635. Change of registered office or registered agent

§ 13.1-636. Resignation of registered agent

§ 13.1-637. Service on corporation

§ 13.1-638. Authorized shares

§ 13.1-639. Terms of class or series determined by board of directors

§ 13.1-640. Issued and outstanding shares

§ 13.1-641. Fractional shares

§ 13.1-642. Subscription for shares before incorporation

§ 13.1-643. Issuance of shares

§ 13.1-644. Liability of shareholders and others

§ 13.1-645. Share dividends

§ 13.1-646. Share rights, options, warrants, and other awards

§ 13.1-647. Form and content of certificates evidencing shares

§ 13.1-648. Shares without certificates

§ 13.1-649. Restriction on transfer of shares and other securities

§ 13.1-650. Expense of issue

§ 13.1-651. Shareholders' preemptive rights

§ 13.1-652. Corporation's acquisition of its own shares

§ 13.1-653. Distributions to shareholders

§ 13.1-654. Annual meeting

§ 13.1-655. Special meeting

§ 13.1-656. Court-ordered meeting

§ 13.1-657. Action without meeting

§ 13.1-658. Notice of meeting

§ 13.1-659. Waiver of notice

§ 13.1-660. Record date for meeting

§ 13.1-660.1. Conduct of the meeting

§ 13.1-660.2. Remote participation in shareholders' meetings

§ 13.1-661. Shareholders' list for meeting

§ 13.1-662. Voting entitlement of shares

§ 13.1-663. Proxies

§ 13.1-664. Shares held by intermediaries and nominees

§ 13.1-664.1. Inspectors of election

§ 13.1-665. Corporation's acceptance of votes

§ 13.1-666. Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups

§ 13.1-667. Action by single and multiple voting groups

§ 13.1-668. Modifying quorum or voting requirements

§ 13.1-669. Voting for directors; cumulative voting

§ 13.1-669.1. Judicial determination of corporate offices and review of elections and shareholder votes

§ 13.1-670. Voting trusts

§ 13.1-671. Voting agreements

§ 13.1-671.1. Shareholder agreements

§ 13.1-672. Repealed

§ 13.1-672.1. Standing; condition precedent; stay of proceedings

§ 13.1-672.2. Discontinuance or settlement

§ 13.1-672.3. Foreign corporations

§ 13.1-672.4. Dismissal

§ 13.1-672.5. Payment of and security for expenses

§ 13.1-672.6. Shareholder action to appoint a custodian or receiver for a public corporation

§ 13.1-672.7. Shareholder defined

§ 13.1-673. Requirement for and duties of board of directors

§ 13.1-674. Qualifications for directors or for nominees for director

§ 13.1-675. Number and election of directors

§ 13.1-676. Election of directors by certain classes or series of shares

§ 13.1-677. Terms of directors generally

§ 13.1-678. Staggered terms for directors

§ 13.1-679. Resignation of directors

§ 13.1-680. Removal of directors by shareholders

§ 13.1-681. Repealed

§ 13.1-681.1. Removal of directors by judicial proceeding

§ 13.1-682. Vacancy on board of directors

§ 13.1-683. Compensation of directors

§ 13.1-684. Meetings of the board of directors

§ 13.1-685. Action without meeting of board of directors

§ 13.1-686. Notice of board of directors' meetings

§ 13.1-687. Waiver of notice by director

§ 13.1-688. Quorum and voting by directors

§ 13.1-689. Committees

§ 13.1-690. General standards of conduct for director

§ 13.1-690.1. Director of open-end management investment company deemed disinterested

§ 13.1-691. Director conflict of interests

§ 13.1-691.1. Business opportunities

§ 13.1-692. Liability for unlawful distributions

§ 13.1-692.1. Limitation on liability of officers and directors; exception

§ 13.1-693. Required officers

§ 13.1-694. Duties of officers

§ 13.1-695. Resignation and removal of officers

§ 13.1-696. Definitions

§ 13.1-697. Authority to indemnify

§ 13.1-698. Mandatory indemnification

§ 13.1-699. Advance for expenses

§ 13.1-700. Repealed

§ 13.1-700.1. Court orders for advance, reimbursement, or indemnification

§ 13.1-701. Determination and authorization of indemnification

§ 13.1-702. Advance for expenses and indemnification for officers

§ 13.1-703. Insurance

§ 13.1-704. Application of article

§ 13.1-705. Authority to amend articles of incorporation

§ 13.1-706. Amendment of articles of incorporation by the board of directors

§ 13.1-707. Amendment of articles of incorporation by the board of directors and shareholders

§ 13.1-708. Voting on amendments by voting groups

§ 13.1-709. Amendment of articles of incorporation by incorporators

§ 13.1-710. Articles of amendment

§ 13.1-711. Restated articles of incorporation

§ 13.1-712. Repealed

§ 13.1-712.1. Abandonment of amendment or restatement of articles of incorporation

§ 13.1-713. Effect of amendment of articles of incorporation

§ 13.1-714. Amendment of bylaws by board of directors or shareholders

§ 13.1-715. Bylaw provisions increasing quorum or voting requirements for the board of directors

§ 13.1-715.1. Definitions

§ 13.1-716. Merger

§ 13.1-717. Share exchange

§ 13.1-718. Action on a plan of merger or share exchange

§ 13.1-719. Merger between parent and subsidiary or between subsidiaries

§ 13.1-719.1. Formation of a holding company

§ 13.1-720. Articles of merger or share exchange

§ 13.1-721. Effect of merger or share exchange

§ 13.1-721.1. Abandonment of a merger or share exchange

§ 13.1-722. Repealed

§ 13.1-722.1:1. Definitions

§ 13.1-722.2. Domestication

§ 13.1-722.3. Action on a plan of domestication of a domestic corporation

§ 13.1-722.4. Repealed

§ 13.1-722.5. Articles of domestication; effectiveness

§ 13.1-722.6. Amendment of plan of domestication; abandonment

§ 13.1-722.7. Repealed

§ 13.1-722.7:1. Effect of domestication

§ 13.1-722.8. Definitions

§ 13.1-722.9. Conversion

§ 13.1-722.10. Plan of conversion

§ 13.1-722.11. Action on plan of conversion

§ 13.1-722.12. Articles of conversion; effectiveness

§ 13.1-722.12:1. Amendment of plan of conversion; abandonment

§ 13.1-722.13. Effect of conversion

§ 13.1-722.14. Repealed

§ 13.1-723. Disposition of assets not requiring shareholder approval

§ 13.1-724. Shareholder approval of certain dispositions

§ 13.1-725. Definitions

§ 13.1-725.1. Affiliated transactions

§ 13.1-726. Voting requirements for affiliated transactions

§ 13.1-726.1. Determination by disinterested directors

§ 13.1-727. Exceptions

§ 13.1-727.1. Nonexclusivity

§ 13.1-728. Repealed

§ 13.1-728.1. Definitions

§ 13.1-728.2. Application

§ 13.1-728.3. Voting rights

§ 13.1-728.4. Control share acquisition statement

§ 13.1-728.5. Meeting of shareholders

§ 13.1-728.6. Notice to shareholders

§ 13.1-728.7. Redemption

§ 13.1-728.8. Appraisal rights

§ 13.1-728.9. Nonexclusivity

§ 13.1-729. Definitions

§ 13.1-730. Right to appraisal

§ 13.1-731. Assertion of rights by nominees and beneficial owners

§ 13.1-732. Notice of appraisal rights

§ 13.1-733. Notice of intent to demand payment

§ 13.1-734. Appraisal notice and form

§ 13.1-735. Repealed

§ 13.1-735.1. Perfection of rights; right to withdraw

§ 13.1-736. Repealed

§ 13.1-737. Payment

§ 13.1-738. After-acquired shares

§ 13.1-739. Procedure if shareholder dissatisfied with payment or offer

§ 13.1-740. Court action

§ 13.1-741. Court costs and counsel fees

§ 13.1-741.1. Limitations on other remedies for fundamental transactions

§ 13.1-742. Dissolution by directors and shareholders

§ 13.1-743. Articles of dissolution

§ 13.1-744. Revocation of dissolution

§ 13.1-745. Effect of dissolution

§ 13.1-746. Known claims against dissolved corporation

§ 13.1-746.1. Other claims against dissolved corporation

§ 13.1-746.2. Court proceedings

§ 13.1-746.3. Director duties

§ 13.1-747. Grounds for judicial dissolution

§ 13.1-748. Receivership or custodianship

§ 13.1-749. Decree of dissolution

§ 13.1-749.1. Election to purchase in lieu of dissolution

§ 13.1-750. Articles of termination of corporate existence

§ 13.1-751. Termination of corporate existence by incorporators or initial directors

§ 13.1-752. Automatic termination of corporate existence

§ 13.1-753. Involuntary termination of corporate existence

§ 13.1-754. Reinstatement of a corporation that has ceased to exist

§ 13.1-755. Survival of remedy after termination of corporate existence

§ 13.1-756. Repealed

§ 13.1-757. Authority to transact business required

§ 13.1-758. Consequences of transacting business without authority

§ 13.1-759. Application for certificate of authority

§ 13.1-760. Amended certificate of authority

§ 13.1-761. Effect of certificate of authority

§ 13.1-762. Corporate name of foreign corporation

§ 13.1-763. Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation

§ 13.1-764. Change of registered office or registered agent of a foreign corporation

§ 13.1-765. Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation

§ 13.1-766. Service of process on foreign corporation

§ 13.1-766.1. Merger of foreign corporation authorized to transact business in Commonwealth

§ 13.1-766.2. Conversion of foreign corporation authorized to transact business in Commonwealth

§ 13.1-767. Withdrawal of foreign corporation

§ 13.1-768. Automatic revocation of certificate of authority

§ 13.1-768.1. Repealed

§ 13.1-769. Involuntary revocation of certificate of authority

§ 13.1-769.1. Reinstatement of a foreign corporation's certificate of authority that has been withdrawn or revoked

§ 13.1-770. Corporate records

§ 13.1-771. Inspection of records by shareholders

§ 13.1-772. Scope of inspection right

§ 13.1-773. Court-ordered inspection

§ 13.1-773.1. Inspection of records by directors

§ 13.1-774. Financial statements for shareholders

§ 13.1-775. Annual report of domestic and foreign corporations

§ 13.1-775.1. Annual registration fees to be paid by domestic and foreign corporations; penalty for failure to pay timely

§ 13.1-775.2. Collection of unpaid bills for registration fees

§ 13.1-776. Definitions

§ 13.1-777. Institution of proceeding to determine shareholders

§ 13.1-778. Application to existing corporations

§ 13.1-779. Savings provision

§ 13.1-780. Repealed

§ 13.1-781. Property title records

§ 13.1-782. Definitions

§ 13.1-783. Application and effect of article

§ 13.1-784. Formation of benefit corporations

§ 13.1-785. Election of status after formation

§ 13.1-786. Termination of status

§ 13.1-787. Corporate purposes

§ 13.1-788. Standard of conduct for directors

§ 13.1-789. Limitation upon liability of officers

§ 13.1-790. Right of action

§ 13.1-791. Annual benefit report

§ 13.1-792. Reserved