# Operator's responsibilities for abandoned utility lines

**Citation:** 20VAC5-309-165  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** Virginia State Corporation Commission  
**Effective:** 2024-04-01  
**Published:** 2024-04-01

A. Upon receipt of an additional locate request pursuant to § 56-265.24 C of the Code of Virginia, if the operator determines that an abandoned utility line exists, the operator shall provide the status of the utility line to the excavator within 27 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal hol

## Document text

A. Upon receipt of an additional locate request pursuant to § 56-265.24 C of the Code of Virginia, if the operator determines that an abandoned utility line exists, the operator shall provide the status of the utility line to the excavator within 27 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, from the time the excavator makes the locate request. The excavator and operator may negotiate a mutually agreeable time period in excess of 27 hours for the operator to provide such information to the excavator if site conditions prohibit the operator from making such a determination or extraordinary or exigent circumstances exist, as defined in § 56-265.15 of the Code of Virginia. If the site conditions prohibit the operator from making such a determination or extraordinary or exigent circumstances exist, the operator shall directly notify the person who proposes to excavate or demolish and shall, in addition, notify that person of the date and time when the status of the utility line will be determined. The deferral to determine the status of the utility line shall be no longer than 96 hours from 7 a.m. on the next working day following the excavator's additional locate request.

B. The operator shall record and maintain the location information of the abandoned utility line as determined by the operator. Such records need not include abandoned underground electric, telecommunications, cable television, water, and sewer lines connected to a single family dwelling unit.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title20/agency5/chapter309/section165/>
- Source ID: `va-vac`
- SHA-256: `f151797d3d269fccdb47d59b6c8a489453d19c6d128eb0ccd80b5b3ba89ded16`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T11:42:36.995Z
- Exported: 2026-08-24T03:30:01.190Z
- Document slug: `va-vac-20-5-309-165`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "jurisdiction": "US-VA",
  "titleNumber": 20,
  "agencyNumber": 5,
  "chapter": "309",
  "section": "165",
  "part": "V",
  "partTitle": "Supplemental Rules, Etc.",
  "pipelineScope": "underground-utility-damage-prevention-enforcement",
  "incorporatedByReference": false,
  "statutoryAuthority": "§§ 12.1-13 and 56-265.30 of the Code of Virginia.",
  "historicalNotes": "Derived from Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 4, eff. October 1, 2012; amended, Virginia Register Volume 40, Issue 16, eff. April 1, 2024.",
  "references": [
    {
      "citation": "Va. Code § 56-265.24",
      "referenceType": "virginia-code-section",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/56-265.24/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Va. Code § 56-265.15",
      "referenceType": "virginia-code-section",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/56-265.15/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Va. Code § 12.1-13",
      "referenceType": "virginia-code-section",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/12.1-13/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Va. Code § 56-265.30",
      "referenceType": "virginia-code-section",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/56-265.30/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Volume 29, Issue 4",
      "referenceType": "official-source-link",
      "url": "http://register.dls.virginia.gov/toc.aspx?voliss=29:04"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Volume 40, Issue 16",
      "referenceType": "official-source-link",
      "url": "http://register.dls.virginia.gov/toc.aspx?voliss=40:16"
    }
  ],
  "chapterUrl": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title20/agency5/chapter309/",
  "applicabilityCaveat": "Applicability depends on State Corporation Commission jurisdiction, facility and operator type, intrastate status, the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, incorporated federal standards, and section-specific definitions and exceptions. Confirm current official Virginia and federal text before relying on a provision.",
  "publicationStatus": "Current official Virginia Administrative Code HTML published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Services.",
  "region": "VA"
}
```