The Virginia Division of Legislative Services has released its annual In Due Course guide, summarizing selected laws passed by the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly and signed by the governor.

Most of the new laws take effect July 1, 2026, although some provisions have later effective dates. The guide is intended to highlight legislation likely to affect the daily lives of Virginians, with topics ranging from agriculture, alcoholic beverage control and cannabis enforcement to housing, labor, public safety, taxation, technology and voting. 

Among the major employment-related changes, Virginia’s minimum wage will increase in stages, reaching $13.75 per hour on Jan. 1, 2027, and $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2028. Beginning in 2029, the rate will be adjusted annually based on inflation. A separate law will require most employees of private employers and state and local governments to accrue paid sick leave at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, with certain provisions delayed until July 1, 2027. 

The guide also notes new protections for job applicants and employees. Employers will be barred from seeking or relying on a prospective employee’s wage or salary history, and job postings will be required to include a wage, salary or salary range. Virginia also approved a paid family and medical leave insurance program, with benefits scheduled to begin April 1, 2028. 

Several consumer and business provisions are included. A new law tightens requirements for automatic renewal and continuous service offers, requiring sellers to provide cancellation methods that are at least as easy to use as the method used to sign up. Another law establishes future licensing and operating rules for virtual currency kiosk operators, including fraud-prevention requirements, transaction limits and fee restrictions. 

Public bodies subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act will be required to post proposed meeting agendas on their official government websites before meetings. The law also limits final action on items added after a meeting begins, unless the matter is time-sensitive or properly handled in a closed meeting. Another FOIA-related change prohibits the Virginia Lottery from disclosing information about individual winners unless the winner consents. 

In housing, one new law removes the cap on certain local grants for employees, school board employees and constitutional officer employees to buy homes in their locality. Another law, effective Jan. 1, 2027, allows certain religious organizations and nonprofit tax-exempt organizations to develop affordable housing on their property by right, subject to conditions including a requirement that at least 60 percent of units be affordable and remain so for at least 30 years. 

Criminal justice changes include a process for sentence modification for certain marijuana-related offenses committed before July 1, 2021, as well as expanded expungement eligibility for certain charges where a person was not ultimately convicted. The guide also summarizes new laws addressing sexual extortion, gift-card fraud, failure to appear and restrictions on certain offenders being near playgrounds, athletic facilities and similar places. 

Other changes include a prohibition on using credit cards to fund sports betting accounts, new enforcement tools for illegal marijuana and hemp-product sales, expanded regulation of retail tobacco products under the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, and new rules affecting nursing homes, contraceptive coverage, landlord-tenant notices, child protective services intake and state data privacy. 

The full In Due Course: 2026 Changes to Virginia’s Laws document is available as a PDF and provides brief summaries of selected legislation by subject area.

Information from a release. Edited by Dan McDermott.