Spotsylvania County, VA Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Chapter 13, Article II puts the county health officer in charge of fielding nuisance complaints. Sec. 13-26 requires the health officer to periodically inspect all portions of the county for nuisance conditions or activity on his own initiative, and separately obligates the officer to open an investigation whenever any responsible person files a complaint, making a citizen complaint the trigger for a formal county investigation rather than merely a request the county may decline to act on. Once a complaint is lodged, Sec. 13-27 gives the health officer and assistants the right to enter private premises to investigate, though the code requires reasonable advance notice to occupants unless advance warning would defeat the purpose of the inspection, and it is unlawful for an owner or occupant to block an entry made in compliance with the law.

If the investigation finds an ongoing nuisance activity or practice, Sec. 13-28 lets the health officer act immediately, notifying the violator by the most expeditious means available to cease and desist forthwith, without waiting for the longer written-notice process. For a standing physical condition rather than an ongoing activity, the health officer instead proceeds under Sec. 13-29, issuing written notice with up to 10 days to correct it. Because the ordinance does not specify a particular phone number, portal or department name for filing the complaint, a resident reporting a nuisance should direct it to the county health officer's office referenced throughout Chapter 13, which is the office Sec. 13-26 makes responsible for both routine inspections and complaint-driven investigations.