# Virginia — Workers' compensation waiting periods and retroactive thresholds by US state

For Virginia, waiting period (days) is 7 calendar days; retroactive trigger (days) is 21 days (3 weeks); how days are counted is Calendar days. Compensation is not allowed for the first seven calendar days of incapacity. If incapacity extends beyond the waiting period, compensation starts on the eighth day. If incapacity continues for more than three weeks (21 days), compensation is allowed from the first day; statute or rule citation is Va. Code § 65.2-508, recorded from its source on 2026-08-17.

- **State:** Virginia _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Waiting period (days):** 7 calendar days _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Retroactive trigger (days):** 21 days (3 weeks) _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **How days are counted:** Calendar days. Compensation is not allowed for the first seven calendar days of incapacity. If incapacity extends beyond the waiting period, compensation starts on the eighth day. If incapacity continues for more than three weeks (21 days), compensation is allowed from the first day. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statute or rule citation:** Va. Code § 65.2-508 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> Seven Day Waiting Period: Compensation is not allowed for the first seven calendar days of incapacity. If incapacity extends beyond the waiting period, then compensation will start on the eighth day of disability. If incapacity continues for a period of more than three weeks (21 days), then compensation is allowed from the first day of incapacity.

## Source

- https://workcomp.virginia.gov/documents/vwc-glossary-terms

Last verified: 2026-08-17. Review by: 2027-08-17.
Part of [Workers' compensation waiting periods and retroactive thresholds by US state](https://referencesource.org/wc-waiting-periods-by-state/).