Every officer shall endorse on each writ of fieri facias the date and time he receives the same and also when he levies upon tangible personal property of the debtor.
§ 8.01-487.Officer to endorse on fieri facias time of receiving it.
Chapter 18. Executions and Other Means of Recovery · Article 4. Enforcement Generally · Last amended 2009 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceEvery officer who receives a writ of fieri facias must endorse on it the exact date and time of receipt, and must likewise endorse the date and time whenever a levy is made on the debtor’s tangible personal property.
Full Text of § 8.01-487
Plain-English Summary
Timing drives much of this chapter — from when a lien attaches, to which of several competing writs gets satisfied first. Section 8.01-487 makes sure the record preserves that timing information. Every officer who receives a writ of fieri facias must endorse the precise date and time of receipt directly on the writ itself.
The same endorsement duty applies again at the moment of levy. When the officer levies on the debtor’s tangible personal property, the date and time of that levy must also be noted on the writ. Together, those two endorsements create the paper trail that other sections in this chapter depend on — establishing, for instance, when a lien attached under § 8.01-478, or which of several writs delivered on the same day should be treated as first in line under § 8.01-488.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must an officer endorse on a writ of fieri facias upon receiving it?
The date and time the officer receives the writ.
Must the officer also record when a levy occurs?
Yes, the officer must endorse on the writ when he levies upon tangible personal property of the debtor.
Why does the exact time of receipt matter, not just the date?
The text specifically requires endorsement of both date and time, which supports determining priority among multiple writs and confirming when the officer’s authority to act began.
Does this endorsement requirement apply to every officer who receives such a writ?
Yes, the section states that every officer shall make this endorsement.
When was the requirement to endorse the time, not just the date, added?
The history note shows an amendment in 2009 to this section, which traces originally to Code 1950, § 8-420.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-420; 1977, c. 617; 2009, c. 443.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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