Virginia Law

Article 5. Miscellaneous.

A. The following securities are exempted from the securities registration requirements of this chapter:

1. Any security (including a revenue obligation) issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state, any political subdivision of a state or any agency or corporate or other instrumentality of one or more of the foregoing; or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing;

2. Any security issued or guaranteed by Canada, any Canadian province, any political subdivision of any such province, any agency or corporate or other instrumentality of one or more of the foregoing or any other foreign government with which the United States currently maintains diplomatic relations, if the security is recognized as a valid obligation by such issuer or guarantor;

3. Any security issued by and representing an interest in or a debt of, or guaranteed by, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or any national bank, or any bank or trust company organized under the laws of any state or trust subsidiary organized under the provisions of Article 3 (§ 6.2-1047 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 6.2;

4. Any security issued by and representing an interest in or a debt of, or guaranteed by, any federal savings and loan association or savings bank, or by any savings and loan association or savings bank which is organized under the laws of this Commonwealth;

5. Any security issued or guaranteed by an insurance company licensed to transact insurance business in this Commonwealth;

6. Any security issued by any credit union, industrial loan association or consumer finance company which is organized under the laws of this Commonwealth and is supervised and examined by the Commission;

7. Any security issued or guaranteed by any railroad, other common carrier or public service company supervised as to its rates and the issuance of its securities by a governmental authority of the United States, any state, Canada or any Canadian province;

8. Any security which is listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange or any other security of the same issuer which is of senior or substantially equal rank; any security called for by subscription rights or warrants admitted to trading in any of said exchanges; or any warrant or right to subscribe to any of the foregoing securities;

9. Any commercial paper which arises out of a current transaction or the proceeds of which have been or are to be used for current transactions, and which evidences an obligation to pay cash within nine months after the date of issuance, exclusive of days of grace, or any renewal thereof which is likewise limited, or any guaranty of such paper or of any such renewal;

10. Any security issued in connection with an employee's stock purchase, savings, pension, profit-sharing or similar benefit plan. The Commission may by rule or order, as to any security issued pursuant to such plan, specify or designate persons eligible to participate in such plan;

11. Any security issued by a cooperative association organized as a corporation under the laws of this Commonwealth;

12. Any security listed on an exchange registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or quoted on an automated quotation system operated by a national securities association registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and approved by regulations of the State Corporation Commission;

13. Any security issued by any issuer organized under the laws of any foreign country and approved by rule or regulation of the Commission.

B. The following transactions are exempted from the securities, broker-dealer and agent registration requirements of this chapter except as expressly provided in this subsection:

1. Any isolated transaction by the owner or pledgee of a security, whether effected through a broker-dealer or not, which is not directly or indirectly for the benefit of the issuer;

2. Any nonissuer distribution by a registered broker-dealer and its registered agent of a security that has been outstanding in the hands of the public for the past five years, if the issuer in each of the past three fiscal years has lawfully paid dividends on its common stock aggregating at least four percent of its current market price;

3. Any transaction by a registered broker-dealer and its registered agent pursuant to an unsolicited order or offer to buy;

4. Any transaction in a bond or other evidence of indebtedness secured by a real or chattel mortgage or deed of trust or by an agreement for the sale of real estate or chattels, if the entire indebtedness secured thereby is offered and sold as a unit;

5. Any transaction in his official capacity by a receiver, trustee in bankruptcy or other judicially appointed officer selling securities pursuant to court order;

6. Any offer or sale to a corporation, investment company or pension or profit-sharing trust or to a broker-dealer;

7. a. Any sale of its securities by an issuer or any sale of securities by a registered broker-dealer and its registered agent acting on behalf of an issuer if, after the sale, such issuer has not more than 35 security holders, and if its securities have not been offered to the general public by advertisement or solicitation; or

b. To the extent the Commission by rule or order permits, any sale of its securities by an issuer or any sale of securities by a registered broker-dealer and its registered agent acting on behalf of an issuer to not more than 35 persons in the Commonwealth during any period of 12 consecutive months, whether or not the issuer or any purchaser is then present in the Commonwealth, if the issuer or broker-dealer reasonably believes that all the purchasers in the Commonwealth are purchasing for investment, and if the securities have not been offered to the general public by advertisement or general solicitation. The Commission may, by rule or order, as to any security or transaction or any type of security or transaction, withdraw or further condition this exemption, increase or decrease the number of purchasers permitted, or waive the condition relating to their investment intent. The Commission may assess and collect in connection with any filing pursuant to this exemption a nonrefundable fee not to exceed $250.

With respect to this subdivision 7, and except to the extent the Commission by rule or order may otherwise permit, the number of security holders of an issuer or the number of purchasers from an issuer, as the case may be, shall not be deemed to include the security holders of any other corporation, partnership, limited liability company, unincorporated association or trust unless it was organized to raise capital for the issuer. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 15, the merger or consolidation of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, unincorporated associations or other entities shall be a violation of this chapter if the surviving or new entity has more than 35 security holders or purchasers and all the securities of the parties thereto were issued under this exemption, unless all of the parties thereto have been engaged in transacting business for more than two years prior to the merger or consolidation;

8. Any transaction pursuant to an offer to existing security holders of the issuer including holders of transferable warrants issued to existing security holders and exercisable within 90 days of their issuance, if either (i) no commission or other remuneration (other than a standby commission) is paid or given directly or indirectly for soliciting any security holder in this Commonwealth or (ii) the issuer first notifies the Commission in writing of the terms of the offer and the Commission does not by order disallow the exemption within five full business days after the date of the receipt of the notice;

9. Any offer (but not a sale) of a security for which registration statements have been filed, but are not effective, under both this chapter and the Securities Act of 1933; but this exemption shall not apply while a stop order is in effect or, after notice to the issuer, while a proceeding or examination looking toward such an order is pending under either act;

10. The issuance of not more than three shares of common stock to one or more of the incorporators of a corporation and the initial transfer thereof;

11. Sales of an issue of bonds, aggregating $150,000 or less, secured by a first lien deed of trust on realty situated in Virginia, to 30 persons or less who are residents of Virginia;

12. Any offer or sale of any interest in any partnership, corporation, association or other entity created solely to provide residential housing located in the Commonwealth, provided that such offer or sale is by the issuer or by a real estate broker or real estate agent duly licensed in Virginia;

13. The Commission is authorized to create by rule a limited offering exemption, the purpose of which shall be to further the objectives of compatibility with similar exemptions from federal securities regulation and uniformity among the states; providing that such rule shall not exempt broker-dealers or agents from the registration requirements of this chapter, except in the case of an agent of the issuer who either (i) receives no sales commission directly or indirectly for offering or selling the securities or (ii) effects transactions in a security exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated under § 4(2) thereof. Any filing made with the Commission pursuant to any exemption created under this subdivision shall be accompanied by a $250 fee;

14. The issuance of any security dividend, whether the corporation distributing the dividend is the issuer of the security or not, if nothing of value is given by stockholders for the distribution other than the surrender of a right to a cash dividend where the stockholder can elect to take a dividend in cash or in a security;

15. Any transaction incident to a right of conversion or a statutory or judicially approved reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, quasi-reorganization, stock split, reverse stock split, merger, consolidation, sale of assets, or exchange of securities;

16. Any offer or sale of a security issued by a Virginia church if the offer and sale are only to its members and the security is offered and sold only by its members who are Virginia residents and who do not receive remuneration or compensation directly or indirectly for offering or selling the security;

17. Any offer or sale of securities issued by a professional business entity (as defined in subsection A of § 13.1-1102) to a person licensed or otherwise legally authorized to render within this Commonwealth the same professional services (as defined in subsection A of § 13.1-1102) rendered by the professional business entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this subdivision shall be deemed to provide that shares of stock, partnership or membership interests or other representations of ownership in a professional business entity are securities except to the extent otherwise provided by subsection A of this section;

18. Any offer that is communicated on the Internet, World Wide Web or similar proprietary or common carrier electronic system and that is in compliance with requirements prescribed by rule or order of the Commission;

19. To the extent the Commission by rule or order permits, any offer or sale to an accredited investor, as defined by the Commission, if the issuer reasonably believes before the sale that the accredited investor, either alone or with the accredited investor's representative, has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment. The Commission may assess and collect in connection with any filing pursuant to this exemption a nonrefundable fee not to exceed $250;

20. Any transaction by a bank pursuant to an unsolicited offer or order to buy or sell any security, provided such transaction is not effected by an employee of the bank who is also an employee of a broker-dealer;

21. To the extent the Commission by rule or order permits, any security issued by an entity if:

a. The offering of the security is conducted in accordance with § 3(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 147 adopted under the Securities Act of 1933 or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Rule 147A;

b. The offer and sale of the security are made only to residents of Virginia. However, for an offering conducted in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Rule 147A, the offer may be made accessible to residents outside of Virginia provided that the sale of the security is made only to residents of Virginia;

c. The aggregate price of securities in an offering under this exemption does not exceed $2 million, which sum the Commission, by rule or order, may increase or decrease;

d. The total consideration paid by any purchaser of securities in an offering under this exemption does not exceed $10,000, unless the purchaser is an accredited investor as defined by Rule 501 of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation D (17 C.F.R. § 230.501). The Commission, by rule or order, may increase or decrease such limit on the total consideration to be paid by any purchaser of securities in an offering under this exemption;

e. No compensation is paid to employees, agents, or other persons for the solicitation of, or based on the sale of, securities in connection with an offering of securities under this exemption to any person who is not registered as a broker-dealer or agent, except to the extent permitted by rule or order of the Commission;

f. Neither the issuer nor any person related to the issuer is subject to disqualification as established by the Commission by rule or order; and

g. The security is sold in an offering conducted in compliance with any conditions established by rule or order of the Commission, which may include:

(1) Restrictions on the nature of the issuer;

(2) Limitations on the number and manner of offerings;

(3) Disclosures required to be provided to investors, including disclosures of risk factors related to the issuer and the offering;

(4) Requirements that all proceeds received from purchasers be placed in escrow in a depository institution located in the Commonwealth until the minimum amount of the offering is raised;

(5) Filings with the Commission of notices and other materials related to the offering;

(6) Requirements regarding the preparation and submission of the issuer's financial statements, including (i) the form and content of such statements and (ii) whether such statements are required to be audited or reviewed by an independent certified public accountant in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and

(7) Requirements that the entity issuing the security is formed, organized, or existing under the laws of the Commonwealth. However, for an offering conducted in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Rule 147A, the entity issuing the security may be formed or organized outside the Commonwealth, provided that the entity has its principal place of business in the Commonwealth and satisfies at least one of the doing business requirements in 17 C.F.R. § 230.147A (c) 2.

The Commission may assess and collect in connection with any filing pursuant to this exemption a nonrefundable fee in an amount to be set by the Commission by rule or order, provided such amount shall not exceed $500;

22. Any offer or sale of securities conducted in accordance with Tier 2 of federal Regulation A (17 CFR 230.251 to 230.263) promulgated under § 3(b)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Release No. 33-9741, 80 Fed. Reg. 21806) to the extent such securities are preempted from the registration requirements of this chapter pursuant to Tier 2 of federal Regulation A. The Commission shall by rule or order prescribe any filings with the Commission of notices, renewals, and other materials. The Commission may assess and collect in connection with any filing pursuant to this exemption a nonrefundable filing fee not to exceed $500. The Commission shall provide information on its website regarding the differences between the exemption provided pursuant to this subdivision and the exemption provided pursuant to subdivision 21; and

23. Any nonissuer distribution by or through a registered broker-dealer and its registered agent of a security that is included in an electronic exchange, marketplace, system, or disclosure repository, which exchange, marketplace, system, or disclosure repository (i) makes information freely available to the public, (ii) is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or rules promulgated thereunder, or (iii) is an Alternative Trading System regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and is approved by regulations of the State Corporation Commission.

C. In any proceeding under this chapter, the burden of proving an exemption shall be upon the person claiming it.

Code 1950, § 13-113; 1956, c. 428; 1966, c. 186; 1970, c. 286; 1972, c. 683; 1974, cc. 86, 830; 1975, cc. 75, 500; 1976, c. 656; 1977, c. 111; 1978, c. 397; 1981, cc. 347, 356, 362; 1982, c. 262; 1983, cc. 231, 516; 1984, cc. 298, 771; 1989, c. 388; 1990, c. 6; 1991, c. 223; 1993, c. 75; 1995, cc. 208, 213, 235; 1996, c. 16; 1997, cc. 279, 538; 1999, c. 92; 2001, c. 722; 2003, c. 595; 2007, c. 457; 2015, cc. 354, 400; 2016, c. 260; 2020, cc. 256, 279, 331.

A. The Commission may by order exempt from the other provisions of this chapter any security that the Commission finds:

1. Is to be offered and sold as part of a community undertaking to attract new business or industry to the community, or to establish or continue financial assistance to an existing business or industry in the community;

2. Is sponsored by the local chamber of commerce, by a local industrial development corporation or by other groups of representative local businessmen; and

3. Is to be sold mainly to persons interested in the development of the community by salesmen who receive no compensation for offering and selling the security.

B. The Commission may also exempt any security it finds that is to be offered and sold by any person organized and operated not for private profit but exclusively for religious, educational, benevolent, charitable, fraternal, social, athletic or reformatory purposes, or as a chamber of commerce or trade or professional association.

C. The Commission may, by rule, exempt an offer, but not a sale, of a security from the securities and agent registration requirements of this chapter made by or on behalf of an issuer for the sole purpose of soliciting an indication of interest in receiving a prospectus (or its equivalent) for the security. The rulemaking proceeding shall give due consideration to the provisions of the national pilot project of the North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc., relating to the solicitations of indications of interest prior to the filing of a registration statement. The written documents, broadcasts and oral representations related to solicitation of an indication of interest made to potential investors are subject to the anti-fraud provisions of § 13.1-502. If the Commission determines that such exemption should not be granted, it shall set forth the findings and conclusions upon which its decision is based in its order.

1960, c. 71; 1976, c. 656; 1993, c. 75; 1994, cc. 184, 355; 1995, c. 245; 1997, c. 289.

A. Pursuant to section 6(c) of the federal Philanthropy Protection Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-62, the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, which are referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of section 6 of the aforementioned federal law, shall not be preempted by such section.

B. On and after July 1, 1997, the provisions of this chapter together with any subsequent amendments thereto shall retain primacy and shall apply in all administrative and judicial actions.

1997, c. 145.

The Commission may require, subject to the limitations of § 222 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, in any particular case, any person who has published or circulated any advertisement or sales literature regarding a security, other than a federal covered security as defined in § 18(b)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, or an investment advisory service to file copies thereof with the Commission.

1956, c. 428; 1987, c. 678; 1997, c. 279.

It shall be unlawful for any person willfully to make or cause to be made, in any document filed with the Commission or in any proceeding under this chapter, any statement which is, at the time and in the light of the circumstances in which it is made, false or misleading in any material respect.

1956, c. 428.

Every nonresident registered as a broker-dealer, investment advisor, investment advisor representative or agent shall appoint in writing the clerk of the Commission as his agent upon whom may be served any process, notice, order or demand. Every nonresident issuer of a security registered hereunder who sells such security in this Commonwealth shall be deemed to have appointed the clerk of the Commission as his agent upon whom may be served, in any matter arising under this chapter, any process, notice, order or demand. Service may be made on the clerk in accordance with § 12.1-19.1. A foreign corporation that has complied with § 13.1-759 or § 13.1-767 need not comply with this section.

Code 1950, §§ 13-144, 13-145; 1956, c. 428; 1958, c. 564; 1987, c. 678; 1990, c. 263; 1991, c. 672.

A. The Commission may make such investigations within or outside of this Commonwealth as it deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated or is about to violate the provisions of this chapter or any order, rule or injunction of the Commission, and may require any broker-dealer, investment advisor, investment advisor representative, issuer or agent subject to the investigation to pay the actual costs of the investigation. The Commission shall have power to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to require the attendance of any person and the production of any papers for the purposes of such investigation. No person shall be excused from testifying on the ground that his testimony would tend to incriminate him, but if, after asserting his claim of the privilege, he is required to testify, he shall not be prosecuted or penalized on account of any transactions concerning which he does testify.

B. Information or documents obtained or prepared by any member, subordinate or employee of the Commission in the course of any examination or investigation conducted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed confidential and shall not be disclosed to the public. However, nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to prohibit or limit (i) the publication of the findings, decisions, orders, judgments or opinions of the Commission; (ii) the use of any such information or documents in proceedings by or before the Commission or a hearing examiner appointed by the Commission; (iii) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any quasi-governmental entity substantially associated with law enforcement or the securities or investment advisory business approved by rule of the Commission; or (iv) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any governmental entity approved by rule of the Commission, or to any attorney for the Commonwealth, or to the Attorney General of Virginia.

Code 1950, § 13-134; 1956, c. 428; 1979, c. 379; 1987, c. 678; 1992, c. 157.

Every broker-dealer and investment advisor registered under this chapter shall file all reports made by such broker-dealers or investment advisors as the Commission, by rule, may require.

1974, c. 381; 1997, c. 279.

The Commission shall have all the power and authority of a court of record as provided in Article IX, Section 3 of the Constitution of Virginia to issue a temporary or a permanent injunction against any violation or attempted violation of any provision of this chapter or any order, rule, or regulation of the Commission issued pursuant to this chapter. For the violation of any injunction or order issued under this chapter it shall have the same power to punish for contempt as a court of equity.

Code 1950, § 13-137; 1956, c. 428; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 1; 1992, c. 468; 1997, c. 279.

A. Any person who shall knowingly and willfully make, or cause to be made, any false statement in any book of account or other paper of any person subject to the provisions of this chapter, or knowingly and willfully exhibit any false paper to the Commission, or who shall knowingly and willfully commit any act declared unlawful by this chapter, with the intent to defraud any purchaser of securities or user of investment advisory services or with intent to deceive the Commission as to any material fact for the purpose of inducing the Commission to take any action or refrain from taking any action pursuant to this chapter, shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

B. Any person who shall knowingly make or cause to be made any false statement in any book of account or other paper of any person subject to the provisions of this chapter or exhibit any false paper to the Commission or who shall commit any act declared unlawful by this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

C. Prosecutions under this section shall be instituted by indictments in the courts of record having jurisdiction of felonies within three years from the date of the offense.

Code 1950, §§ 13-152, 13-155; 1956, c. 428; 1977, c. 484; 1987, c. 678.

The Commission may transmit the record of any proceeding or any complaint involving any violation of this Act to the attorney for the Commonwealth in the county or city wherein the violation occurred.

1974, c. 253.

A. The Commission may, by judgment entered after a hearing on 30 days' notice to the defendant, if it is proved that the defendant has knowingly made any misrepresentation of a material fact for the purpose of inducing the Commission to take any action or to refrain from taking action, or has violated any provision of this chapter or any order, rule, or regulation of the Commission issued pursuant to this chapter, impose a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000, which shall be collectible by the process of the Commission as provided by law.

B. In addition to imposing the penalty set forth in subsection A, or without imposing such penalty, the Commission may, in any such case, revoke any authority or registration issued by the Commission to or at the instance of the defendant.

C. Each sale of a security contrary to the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a separate violation. The Commission may in any such case under subsection A order the seller to rescind any such sale and to make restitution to the purchaser and the Commission shall consider such rescission and restitution in determining whether a penalty should be imposed on him on account of that illegal sale, and if so, the amount of such penalty.

D. Each investment advisory contract, transaction or activity contrary to the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a separate violation. The Commission may in any such case under subsection A order the investment advisor or investment advisor representative to rescind any such contract or transaction and to make restitution to the user of the investment advisory service and the Commission shall consider such rescission and restitution in determining whether a penalty should be imposed on him on account of that illegal contract, transaction or activity and, if so, the amount of such penalty.

E. The provisions of subsections C and D of this section regarding rescission and restitution apply only to this chapter.

Code 1950, § 13-153; 1956, c. 428; 1987, c. 678; 1990, c. 31; 2000, c. 166; 2009, c. 566.

A. Any person who: (i) sells a security in violation of §§ 13.1-502, 13.1-504 A, 13.1-507 (i) or (ii), 13.1-510 (e) or (f), or (ii) sells a security by means of an untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (the purchaser not knowing of such untruth or omission), and who shall not sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of such untruth or omission, shall be liable to the person purchasing such security from him who may sue either at law or in equity to recover the consideration paid for such security, together with interest thereon at the annual rate of six percent, costs, and reasonable attorneys' fees, less the amount of any income received on the security, upon the tender of such security, or for the substantial equivalent in damages if he no longer owns the security.

B. Any person who (i) engages in the business of advising others, for compensation, either directly or through publications or writings, as to the value of securities or as to the advisability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities, or who, for compensation and as a part of a regular business, issues or promulgates analyses or reports concerning securities in willful and material violation of § 13.1-503, subsection A of § 13.1-504, or of any rule or order under § 13.1-505.1, or (ii) receives, directly or indirectly, any consideration from another person for advice as to the value of securities or their purchase or sale, whether through the issuance of analyses, reports or otherwise and employs any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud such other person or engages in any act, practice or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on such other person, shall be liable to that person who may sue either at law or in equity to recover the consideration paid for such advice and any loss due to such advice, together with interest thereon at the annual rate of six percent from the date of payment of the consideration plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees, less the amount of any income received from such advice and any other economic advantage.

C. Every person who directly or indirectly controls a person liable under subsection A or B of this section, including every partner, officer, or director of such a person, every person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, every employee of such a person who materially aids in the conduct giving rise to the liability, and every broker-dealer, investment advisor, investment advisor representative or agent who materially aids in such conduct shall be liable jointly and severally with and to the same extent as such person, unless able to sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the existence of the facts by reason of which the liability is alleged to exist. There shall be contribution as in cases of contract among the several persons so liable.

D. No suit shall be maintained to enforce any liability created under this section unless brought within two years after the transaction upon which it is based; provided, that, if any person liable by reason of subsection A, B or C of this section makes a written offer, before suit is brought, to refund the consideration paid and any loss due to any investment advice provided by such person, together with interest thereon at the annual rate of six percent, less the amount of any income received on the security or resulting from such advice, or to pay damages if the purchaser no longer owns the security, no purchaser or user of the investment advisory service shall maintain a suit under this section who has refused or failed to accept such offer within thirty days of its receipt.

E. Any tender specified in this section may be made at any time before entry of judgment.

F. Any condition, stipulation or provision binding any person acquiring any security or receiving any investment advice to waive compliance with any provision of this chapter or of any rule or order thereunder shall be void.

G. The rights and remedies provided by this chapter shall be in addition to any and all other rights and remedies that may exist at law or in equity.

Code 1950, § 13-150; 1956, c. 428; 1987, c. 678; 1997, c. 279.

A. The Commission shall have authority from time to time to make, amend and rescind such rules and forms as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including rules and forms governing registration statements, applications and reports, and defining accounting, technical and trade terms used in this chapter insofar as such definitions are not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. Among other things, the Commission shall have authority, for the purposes of this chapter, to prescribe the content and form of financial statements and to direct whether they should be certified by independent public or certified accountants. For the purpose of rules and forms, the Commission may classify securities, persons and matters within its jurisdiction and prescribe different requirements for different classes.

B. All such rules and forms shall be available for distribution at the office of the Commission either in printed or electronic format.

C. No provision of this chapter imposing any liability shall apply to any act done or omitted in conformity with any rule of the Commission, notwithstanding that such rule may, after such act or omission, be amended, rescinded or found for any reason to be invalid.

1956, c. 428; 2003, c. 595.

A. The Commission shall have all the power, authority and jurisdiction reserved to or conferred upon the states by the federal National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-290 (1996)) to regulate securities and investment advisory activities, including the authority to require the registration of persons and securities, the filing of documents, notices, reports and information, and the payment of fees, and to exercise its administrative, investigative, judicial and legislative powers with respect thereto. The Commission shall have the authority to make, amend and rescind such rules and forms in conformance with the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 as may be necessary for the regulation of securities and investment advisory activities and transactions within its jurisdiction.

B. The Commission may by rule or order, with respect to any security that is a federal covered security under § 18(b)(4)(C) of the Securities Act of 1933, require the issuer to file a notice together with a consent to service of process where (i) the principal place of business of the issuer is in the Commonwealth or (ii) purchasers of 50 percent or more of the securities sold by the issuer pursuant to an offering made in reliance on § 18(b)(4)(C) of the Securities Act of 1933 are residents of the Commonwealth. The Commission may assess and collect in connection with any filing pursuant to this subsection a nonrefundable filing fee not to exceed $100.

1997, c. 279; 2017, c. 754.

The information contained in or filed with any registration statement, application or report shall be available to the public at the office of the Commission. Copies thereof certified by the clerk under the seal of the Commission shall be admissible in evidence in lieu of the originals, and the originals shall not be removed from the office of the Commission. But papers, documents and files may be destroyed by the Commission when, in its opinion, they no longer serve any useful purpose.

1956, c. 428.

The Commission shall have jurisdiction, upon written application, payment of a filing fee of $500 and submission of such data as may be necessary for the purpose, to determine whether or not (i) a particular security or transaction is exempt from the registration requirements of this chapter, (ii) the offer or sale of a particular security would be lawful, or (iii) a person is an investment advisor or an investment advisor representative. Its determination shall be made by order, which, subject to the right of appeal, shall be conclusive on the same state of facts in any court in which the matter may come for adjudication, whether in a civil or a criminal case.

Code 1950, § 13-112; 1956, c. 428; 1984, c. 771; 1992, c. 19.

The fees paid into the state treasury under this chapter, except for fees and funds collected for the Literary Fund, shall be deposited into a special fund and specifically accounted for and used by the State Corporation Commission to defray the costs of supervising, implementing, and administering the provisions of this chapter and Chapters 6 (§ 13.1-528 et seq.) and 8 (§ 13.1-557 et seq.) of this title, and Chapters 6.1 (§ 59.1-92.1 et seq.) and 7 (§ 59.1-93 et seq.) of Title 59.1. Included in the Commission's costs shall be a reasonable margin in the nature of a reserve fund. All excesses of fees collected exceeding these costs shall revert to the general fund.

1987, c. 434.

Registrations of dealers and agents under prior law shall continue as registrations as broker-dealers and agents under this chapter until April 30 following the effective date of this chapter. Licenses issued under § 13-128 of the Code of 1950 shall continue in effect until April 30 following the effective date of this chapter. The exemption provided for regularly established dealers by § 13-113 (11), whenever the requirements of §§ 13-116 to 13-121 inclusive have been complied with prior to the effective date of this chapter, shall continue in effect until April 30 following the effective date of this chapter and all securities for which a registration is in effect pursuant to that exemption on the effective date of the repeal of § 13-113 (11) shall be deemed to have been registered by notification under this chapter. But such registrations, licenses and exemptions may be terminated by the Commission for causes justifying termination of registrations under this chapter.

1956, c. 428.

This chapter may be cited as the Securities Act.

1956, c. 428.

Repealed by Acts 2015, c. 709, cl. 2.