It shall be unlawful for any person to transact business in this Commonwealth as a corporation or to offer or advertise to transact business in this Commonwealth as a corporation unless the alleged corporation is either a domestic corporation or a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this Commonwealth. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Code 1950, § 13.1-135; 1958, c. 565; 1981, c. 320; 1985, c. 522.
Structure Code of Virginia
Chapter 9 - Virginia Stock Corporation Act
§ 13.1-602. Reservation of power to amend or repeal
§ 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
§ 13.1-611. 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
§ 13.1-614.2. Defective corporate actions
§ 13.1-614.3. Ratification of defective corporate actions
§ 13.1-614.4. Action of ratification
§ 13.1-614.6. Effect of ratification
§ 13.1-614.8. Commission proceedings regarding validity of corporate actions
§ 13.1-615.1. Charter and entrance fees for corporations
§ 13.1-616. Fees for filing documents or issuing certificates
§ 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
§ 13.1-629. Lack of power to act
§ 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
§ 13.1-639. Terms of class or series determined by board of directors
§ 13.1-640. Issued and outstanding shares
§ 13.1-642. Subscription for shares before incorporation
§ 13.1-643. Issuance of shares
§ 13.1-644. Liability of shareholders and others
§ 13.1-646. 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
§ 13.1-651. Shareholders' preemptive rights
§ 13.1-652. Corporation's acquisition of its own shares
§ 13.1-653. Distributions to shareholders
§ 13.1-656. Court-ordered meeting
§ 13.1-657. Action without meeting
§ 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
§ 13.1-664. 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
§ 13.1-671.1. Shareholder agreements
§ 13.1-672.1. Standing; condition precedent; stay of proceedings
§ 13.1-672.2. Discontinuance or settlement
§ 13.1-672.3. Foreign corporations
§ 13.1-672.5. 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
§ 13.1-681.1. 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
§ 13.1-690. 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
§ 13.1-694. Duties of officers
§ 13.1-695. Resignation and removal of officers
§ 13.1-697. Authority to indemnify
§ 13.1-698. Mandatory indemnification
§ 13.1-699. Advance for expenses
§ 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
§ 13.1-704. 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
§ 13.1-712.1. 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
§ 13.1-718. 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
§ 13.1-722.3. Action on a plan of domestication of a domestic corporation
§ 13.1-722.5. Articles of domestication; effectiveness
§ 13.1-722.6. Amendment of plan of domestication; abandonment
§ 13.1-722.7:1. Effect of domestication
§ 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
§ 13.1-723. Disposition of assets not requiring shareholder approval
§ 13.1-724. Shareholder approval of certain dispositions
§ 13.1-725.1. Affiliated transactions
§ 13.1-726. Voting requirements for affiliated transactions
§ 13.1-726.1. Determination by disinterested directors
§ 13.1-728.4. Control share acquisition statement
§ 13.1-728.5. Meeting of shareholders
§ 13.1-728.6. Notice to shareholders
§ 13.1-728.8. Appraisal rights
§ 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
§ 13.1-735.1. Perfection of rights; right to withdraw
§ 13.1-738. After-acquired shares
§ 13.1-739. Procedure if shareholder dissatisfied with payment or offer
§ 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
§ 13.1-747. 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
§ 13.1-757. 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
§ 13.1-769. Involuntary revocation of certificate of authority
§ 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
§ 13.1-775.2. Collection of unpaid bills for registration fees
§ 13.1-777. Institution of proceeding to determine shareholders
§ 13.1-778. Application to existing corporations
§ 13.1-781. Property title records
§ 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