Whenever a party is required or permitted under these Rules to do an act within a prescribed time after receipt or delivery of a paper and the paper is sent by mail, three days will be added to the prescribed period.
Rule 7A:2.Computation of Time.
Part Seven A: General District Courts – In General · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 7A:2 adds three days to any deadline that these Rules measure from the receipt or delivery of a paper whenever that paper was sent by mail, giving the recipient extra time to account for mailing delay.
Full Text of Rule 7A:2
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7A:2 solves a timing problem that mail creates. When a Part Seven-A deadline runs from the date a party receives or is delivered a paper, and that paper arrived by mail rather than by hand or electronic means, the rule adds three days to whatever period would otherwise apply. A ten-day deadline measured from receipt of a mailed paper becomes a thirteen-day deadline.
The extra three days exist because mail takes time to arrive, and a deadline tied to receipt should not penalize a party for delay that is out of anyone’s control. The rule applies only when the triggering event is receipt or delivery of a paper by mail — it does not extend deadlines that run from some other event, such as a hearing date or the date an order is entered, and it has no bearing on papers served by hand, fax, or electronic means, which do not carry the same transit delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the three-day mail extension in Rule 7A:2 apply?
It applies whenever a Part Seven-A deadline is measured from a party’s receipt or delivery of a paper, and that paper was sent by mail. In that situation, three days are added to the prescribed period.
Does Rule 7A:2 extend every deadline in a General District Court case?
No. It only extends deadlines that run from the receipt or delivery of a mailed paper. A deadline tied to a hearing date, a filing date, or some other triggering event is not affected.
If a paper is served by fax or hand delivery instead of mail, do I still get the extra three days?
No. The three-day addition applies specifically when the paper was sent by mail. Hand delivery, facsimile, and other non-mail methods do not trigger the extension.
How is the three-day extension calculated?
Three calendar days are added to whatever period the Rules or an order otherwise prescribes for the act, running from the date the paper was received or delivered by mail.
Is there a similar time-computation rule for Circuit Court proceedings?
Yes, Rule 1:7 addresses computation of time for Circuit Court proceedings under Part One. Rule 7A:2 is the General District Court’s own separate rule, adopted specifically for proceedings in that court.
Amendment History
Last amended by Order dated November 23, 2020; effective March 1, 2021.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia, published by the
Supreme Court of Virginia. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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