Virginia Law

Article 2. Emblems, Designations, and Honors.

The following are hereby designated official emblems and designations of the Commonwealth:

Artisan Center — "Virginia Artisans Center," located in the City of Waynesboro.

Bat — Virginia Big-eared bat (Corynorhinos townsendii virginianus).

Beverage — Milk.

Bird — Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).

Blue Ridge Folklore State Center — Blue Ridge Institute located in the village of Ferrum.

Boat — "Chesapeake Bay Deadrise."

Cabin Capital of Virginia — Page County.

Coal Miners' Memorial — The Richlands Coal Miners' Memorial located in Tazewell County.

Covered Bridge Capital of the Commonwealth — Patrick County.

Covered Bridge Festival — Virginia Covered Bridge Festival held in Patrick County.

Dog — American Foxhound.

Fish (Freshwater) — Brook Trout.

Fish (Saltwater) — Striped Bass.

Flag of Remembrance of September 11, 2001 — Freedom Flag, designed by a Virginian, as the flag of remembrance of September 11, 2001.

Fleet — Replicas of the three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery, which comprised the Commonwealth's founding fleet that brought the first permanent English settlers to Jamestown in 1607, and which are exhibited at the Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg.

Flower — American Dogwood (Cornus florida).

Folk dance — Square dancing, the American folk dance that traces its ancestry to the English Country Dance and the French Ballroom Dance, and is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers, and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, the Virginia Reel, and heritage dances.

Fossil — Chesapecten jeffersonius.

Gold mining interpretive center — Monroe Park, located in the County of Fauquier.

Insect — Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus).

Maple Festival — The Highland County Maple Festival.

Motor sports museum — "Wood Brothers Racing Museum and Virginia Motor Sports Hall of Fame," located in Patrick County.

Opry — The Virginia Opry.

Outdoor drama — "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama," adapted for the stage by Clara Lou Kelly and performed in the Town of Big Stone Gap.

Outdoor drama, historical — "The Long Way Home" based on the life of Mary Draper Ingles, adapted for the stage by Earl Hobson Smith, and performed in the City of Radford.

Pollinator — Honey Bee (Apis mellifera).

Pony — Chincoteague Pony.

Rock — Nelsonite.

Salamander — Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber).

Shakespeare festival — The Virginia Shakespeare Festival held in the City of Williamsburg.

Shell — Oyster shell (Crassostrea virginica).

Snake — Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis).

Song emeritus — "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," by James A. Bland, as set out in the House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia at the Session of 1940.

Song (Popular) — "Sweet Virginia Breeze," by Robbin Thompson and Steve Bassett.

Song (Traditional) — "Our Great Virginia," lyrics by Mike Greenly and arranged by Jim Papoulis with music from the original American folk song "Oh Shenandoah."

Spirit — George Washington's rye whiskey produced at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Sports hall of fame — "Virginia Sports Hall of Fame," located in the City of Portsmouth.

Television series — "Song of the Mountains."

Tree — American Dogwood (Cornus florida).

War memorial museum — "Virginia War Museum," (formerly known as the War Memorial Museum of Virginia), located in the City of Newport News.

Code 1950, §§ 7-35, 7-36, 7-37; 1966, cc. 102, 547, §§ 7.1-37, 7.1-38, 7.1-39; 1974, c. 24, § 7.1-40; 1982, c. 191, § 7.1-40.1; 1986, c. 138, § 7.1-40.2; 1988, c. 317, § 7.1-40.3; 1991, cc. 71, 575, §§ 7.1-40.4, 7.1-40.5; 1993, cc. 251, 509, § 7.1-40.6; 1994, cc. 33, 134, 220, 464, §§ 7.1-40.2:1, 7.1-40.8; 1995, cc. 12, 180, § 7.1-40.2:2; 1996, c. 52, § 7.1-40.9; 1997, cc. 66, 576, § 7.1-40.10; 1999, cc. 69, 336, § 7.1-40.11; 2001, cc. 97, 134, § 7.1-40.12; 2001, c. 228, § 7.1-40.13; 2005, cc. 557, 839; 2006, c. 128; 2007, cc. 391, 685; 2008, c. 262; 2009, cc. 145, 227; 2011, c. 671; 2013, c. 702; 2014, c. 553; 2015, cc. 586, 587; 2016, cc. 278, 675; 2017, cc. 15, 576, 577; 2018, cc. 284, 684; 2020, c. 583; 2023, cc. 60, 61; 2024, c. 43.

English shall be designated as the official language of the Commonwealth. Except as provided by law, no state agency or local government shall be required to provide and no state agency or local government shall be prohibited from providing any documents, information, literature or other written materials in any language other than English.

1996, c. 829, § 7.1-42; 2005, c. 839.

The honorary position of Poet Laureate of Virginia is hereby created. The Governor may appoint a poet laureate from a list of nominees submitted by the Poetry Society of Virginia. Each poet laureate shall serve a term of two years with no restrictions on reappointment.

1997, c. 299, § 7.1-43; 2005, c. 839.