GENERAL PROVISIONS

Norfolk City Code ch. 1

in effect

Norfolk City Code § 1-1 How Code designated and cited.

Sec. 1-1. - How Code designated and cited. The ordinances embraced in this and the following chapters and sections shall constitute and be designated the "Code of the City of Norfolk, Virginia, 1979," and may be so cited. Said Code may also be cited as the "Norfolk City Code, 1979".

Norfolk City Code § 1-2 Rules of construction and definitions.

Sec. 1-2. - Rules of construction and definitions. (a) Generally. In the construction of this Code and of all ordinances of the city, the rules and definitions set out in this section shall apply and be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the council, or unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (b) And, or. The word "and" shall be read as "or" and the word "or" as "and," where the sense requires it. (c) Charter. The word "Charter" shall mean the Norfolk Charter of 1918, as amended from time to time. (d) City. The words "city", "the city" and "this city" shall be construed as if the words "of Norfolk, Virginia" followed them. (e) Code. Whenever the term "Code" or "this Code" is used without further qualification, it shall mean the Code of the City of Norfolk, Virginia, 1979, as designated in section 1-1. Whenever reference is made to chapters or sections by number only, and without further qualification, the reference shall apply to the appropriate chapter or section of this Code. (f) Computation of time. Whenever a notice is required to be given, or an act to be done, a certain length of time before any proceeding shall be had, the day on which such notice is given, or such act is done, shall be counted in computing the time, but the day on which such proceeding is to be had shall not be counted. (g) Council. Wherever the term "council" or "city council" is used, it shall be construed to mean the council of the City of Norfolk, Virginia. (h) Gender. A word importing the masculine gender only shall extend and be applied to females and to firms, partnerships and corporations, as well as to males. (i) Number. A word importing the singular number only may extend and be applied to several persons or things as well as to one person or thing; and a word importing the plural number only may extend and be applied to one person or thing, as well as to several persons or things. (j) Oath. The word "oath" shall be construed to include an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. (k) Officers, boards, etc. Whenever reference is made to a particular officer, department, board, commission or other agency, such reference shall be construed as if followed by the words "of the City of Norfolk, Virginia." Any reference to any specific officer shall be deemed to include his duly authorized deputy, agent or representative. (l) Person. The word "person" may extend and be applied to associations, firms, partnerships and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals. (m) Preceding, following. The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively. (n) State or Commonwealth. The word "state" or "commonwealth" shall be construed as if the words "of Virginia" followed it. (o) State Code. References to the "State Code" or "Code of Virginia" shall mean the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. (p) Street. The word "street" shall include streets, avenues, boulevards, highways, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts, bridges and the approaches thereto and all other public thoroughfares in the city, and shall mean the entire width thereof between abutting property lines. It shall be construed to include a sidewalk or footpath. (q) Swear; sworn. The words "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed" in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. (r) Written; in writing. The words "written" or "in writing" shall be construed to include any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise. (Code 1958, § 1-2)

Norfolk City Code § 1-3 Catchlines of sections.

Sec. 1-3. - Catchlines of sections. The catchlines of the several sections of this Code printed in boldface type are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the section and shall not be deemed or taken to be titles of such sections, nor as any part of the section, nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so deemed when any of such sections, including the catchlines, are amended or reenacted. (Code 1958, § 1-4)

Norfolk City Code § 1-4 Provisions of Code considered as continuations of existing ordinances.

Sec. 1-4. - Provisions of Code considered as continuations of existing ordinances. The provisions appearing in this Code, so far as they are the same as the Code of the City of Norfolk, Virginia, 1958, and all ordinances adopted subsequent to such Code and included herein, shall be considered as continuations thereof and not as new enactments.

Norfolk City Code § 1-5 Miscellaneous ordinances not affected by Code.

Sec. 1-5. - Miscellaneous ordinances not affected by Code. Nothing in this Code or the ordinance adopting this Code shall affect: (1) Any ordinance promising or guaranteeing the payment of money by or for the city or authorizing the issuance of any bonds of the city or any evidence of the city's indebtedness or any contract or obligation assumed by the city; (2) Any ordinance granting any franchise or right; (3) Any ordinance appropriating funds, levying or imposing taxes or relating to an annual budget; (4) Any ordinance relating to salaries of city officers and employees or to compensation or pay plans or classification plans for such officers or employees; (5) Any ordinance authorizing, providing for or otherwise relating to any public improvement; (6) Ordinance No. 24,504, being the zoning ordinance set out in Appendix A of this Code, or any amendment thereto, including amendments to the zoning map and ordinances zoning or rezoning specific property; (7) Any ordinance regulating or otherwise relating to the subdivision of land; (8) Any ordinance adopted for purposes which have been consummated; or (9) Any ordinance which is temporary, although general in effect, or special, although permanent in effect; and all such ordinances are hereby recognized as continuing in full force and effect to the same extent as if set out at length in this Code.

Norfolk City Code § 1-6 Code does not affect prior offenses, rights, etc.

Sec. 1-6. - Code does not affect prior offenses, rights, etc. Nothing in this Code or the ordinance adopting this Code shall affect any offense or act committed or done, or any penalty or forfeiture incurred, or any contract or right established or accruing, or any prosecution, suit or proceeding pending or any judgment rendered, on or before the effective date of this Code.

Norfolk City Code § 1-8 Supplementation of Code.

Sec. 1-8. - Supplementation of Code. (a) By contract or by municipal personnel, supplements to this Code shall be prepared and printed whenever authorized or directed by the city council. A supplement to the Code shall include all substantive permanent and general parts of ordinances adopted during the period covered by the supplement and all changes made thereby in the Code. The pages of a supplement shall be so numbered that they will fit properly into the Code and will, where necessary, replace pages which have become obsolete or partially obsolete, and the new pages shall be so prepared that, when they have been inserted, the Code will be current through the date of the adoption of the latest ordinance included in the supplement. (b) In preparing a supplement to this Code, all portions of the Code which have been replaced shall be excluded from the Code by the omission thereof from reprinted pages. (c) When preparing a supplement to this Code, the codifier (meaning the person, agency or organization authorized to prepare the supplement) may make formal, nonsubstantive changes in ordinances and parts of ordinances included in the supplement, insofar as it is necessary to do so to embody them into a unified code. For example, the codifier may: (1) Organize the ordinance material into appropriate subdivisions; (2) Provide appropriate catchlines, headings and titles for sections and other subdivisions of the Code printed in the supplement, and make changes in such catchlines, headings and titles; (3) Assign appropriate numbers to sections and other subdivisions to be inserted in the Code and, where necessary to accommodate new material, change existing section or other subdivision numbers; (4) Change the words "this ordinance" or words of the same meaning to "this chapter," "this article," "this division," etc., as the case may be, or to "sections -to-" (inserting section numbers to indicate the sections of the Code which embody the substantive sections to the ordinance incorporated into the Code); and (5) Make other nonsubstantive changes necessary to preserve the original meaning of ordinance sections inserted into the Code; but in no case shall the codifier make any change in the meaning or effect of ordinance material included in the supplement or already embodied in the Code.

Norfolk City Code § 1-9 Copies of Code and supplements to be available for public inspection.

Sec. 1-9. - Copies of Code and supplements to be available for public inspection. At least three (3) copies of this Code and every supplement thereto shall be kept in the office of the city clerk and shall there be available for public inspection, during normal business hours.

Norfolk City Code § 1-10 Sale of copies of Code and ordinances; free distribution thereof.

Sec. 1-10. - Sale of copies of Code and ordinances; free distribution thereof. Except as otherwise provided, the city clerk shall sell copies of this Code and supplements thereto and copies of other codes and copies of ordinances at reasonable prices which do not exceed the cost of such codes and ordinances and the costs of handling the same, which prices shall be published annually by the city clerk, by posting in his office and mailing to the council. The city clerk shall provide, without charge, copies of such codes and copies of such ordinances to officials of the city who require the same and to such public agencies as, in the city clerk's opinion, should receive free copies. (Code 1958, § 2-6.1; Ord. No. 29, 796, § 1, 1-16-79)

Norfolk City Code § 1-11 Classification of and penalties for violations; continuing violations.

Sec. 1-11. - Classification of and penalties for violations; continuing violations. (a) Whenever in this Code or any other ordinance of the city or any rule or regulation promulgated by any officer or agency of the city, under authority duly vested in such officer or agency, it is provided that a violation of any provision thereof shall constitute a Class l, 2, 3 or 4 misdemeanor, such violation shall be punished as follows: (1) Class 1 misdemeanor: Confinement in jail for not more than twelve (12) months and a fine of not more than two thousand live hundred dollars ($2,500.00), either or both. (2) Class 2 misdemeanor: Confinement in jail for not more than six (6) months and a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), either or both. (3) Class 3 misdemeanor: A fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00). (4) Class 4 misdemeanor: A fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). (b) Whenever in any provisions of this Code or in any other ordinance of the city or any rule or regulation promulgated by an officer or agency of the city, under authority duly vested in such officer or agency, any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense or misdemeanor, or the doing of any act is required, or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor, where no specific penalty is provided for the violation of such provision and such violation is not described as being of a particular class of misdemeanor, such violation shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor and be punished as prescribed in subsection (a)(1) above. (c) Each day any violation of this Code or any other ordinance, rule or regulation referred to in this section shall continue shall constitute a separate offense, except where otherwise provided. (Code 1958, § 1-6; Ord. No. 34,667, § 1, 8-25-87; Ord. No. 36,110, § 1, 7-17-90)

Norfolk City Code § 1-12 Separability of parts of Code.

Sec. 1-12. - Separability of parts of Code. If any part, section or subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Code is, for any reason, declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Code. (Code 1958, § 1-3)

Norfolk City Code § 1.7 Effect of new ordinances on former ordinances.

Sec. 1.7. - Effect of new ordinances on former ordinances. No new ordinance shall be construed to repeal a former ordinance as to any offense committed against the former ordinance, or as to any act done, any penalty, forfeiture or punishment incurred, or any right accrued, or claim arising under the former ordinance, or in any way whatsoever to affect any such offense or act so committed or done, or any penalty, forfeiture or punishment so incurred, or any right accrued, or claim arising before the new ordinance takes effect, save only that the proceedings thereafter had shall conform, so far as practicable, to the ordinance in force at the time of such proceedings. (Code 1958, § 1-10)

Source: City of Norfolk, Virginia, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/norfolk/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCI_CH1GEPRFetched: 11/1/2026