Newport News, VA Accessory Structures: ADU Permits (2026)

Virginia operates under the Dillon Rule, and Newport News's land-use authority flows from Virginia Code section 15.2-2280. Newport News is one of Virginia's independent cities, meaning the City Council exercises all local land-use authority directly rather than through a county. Chapter 45 of the Newport News City Code is the Zoning Ordinance, published through the Municode Library, and accessory structures and uses are addressed within its residential district sections and general provisions. There is no general by-right ADU framework in the current Chapter 45 text: a second independent dwelling on a single-family lot typically requires rezoning, a special use permit, or a BZA variance approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. Construction permits are issued by the Newport News Department of Codes Compliance under the 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC). Because Newport News sits on the Lower Peninsula along the James River and Hampton Roads harbor, VUSBC hurricane wind-load provisions (roughly 115 to 130 mph design wind speeds for the region) apply, and FEMA coastal V-Zone and A-Zone flood-resistant construction rules apply to lots within mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas. Temporary Family Health Care Structures are separately authorized statewide by Virginia Code section 15.2-2292.1.