It is illegal to engage in sexual intercourse before marriage.

The Law

Virginia was one of the last states to have a criminal law against 'fornication,' keeping it on the books until it was finally repealed in 2013. The statute was an outdated remnant of puritanical colonial laws meant to police public morality and prevent out-of-wedlock births. Though effectively unenforceable after a 2005 state Supreme Court ruling, the law technically lingered for years.