Virginia Accessory dwellings (SB 531, 2026): what it allows on a lot
Accessory dwellings (SB 531, 2026) is Virginia law, and the official source is at lis.virginia.gov.
Signed April 2026, in force July 1, 2027. Most localities must allow an accessory dwelling as a permitted accessory use in single family zoning districts, with a permit fee of no more than $500, side and rear setbacks no stricter than the house's, and no rule that the occupant be related. Localities with a qualifying ordinance before 2026 are excepted. Read from news reports; the enrolled bill is on lis.virginia.gov.
Whether it applies to one lot turns on where the lot is and what it is zoned; the city, county or state office named in the law decides. Mapped areas are approximate. This is a plain reading of public law with its source, not legal advice.
Free, no account. ParcelSheet shows the lot's mapped size, parcel lines and flood zone, and this law on the lot's Virginia sheet.
Other Virginia laws on a lot: Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act.