Railway Express Agency, Inc. v. Virginia

347 U.S. 359 · Decided April 5, 1954 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Railway Express Agency, Inc. v. Virginia was decided on April 5, 1954 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Robert H. Jackson wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local government tax” in the Economic Activity area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Railway Express Agency, Inc. v. Virginia

SCDB identifiers: case 1953-059, docket 1953-059-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “State or local government tax”

• Miller Brothers Co. v. MarylandLaw held unconstitutional
  347 U.S. 340Decided April 5, 19545–4Robert H. Jackson
• Walters v. City of St. Louis
  347 U.S. 231Decided March 15, 19549–0Robert H. Jackson
• Kern-Limerick, Inc. v. ScurlockLaw held unconstitutional
  347 U.S. 110Decided February 8, 19546–3Stanley F. Reed
• Michigan-Wisconsin Pipe Line Co. v. CalvertLaw held unconstitutional
  347 U.S. 157Decided February 8, 19549–0Tom C. Clark
• General Electric Co. v. Washington.
  347 U.S. 909Decided February 8, 19549–0Per curiam
• Braniff Airways, Inc. v. Nebraska State Board of Equalization and Assessment
  347 U.S. 590Decided June 1, 19547–2Stanley F. Reed

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Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)

• Lloyd A. Fry Roofing Co. v. Wood
  344 U.S. 157Decided December 8, 19525–4Hugo L. Black
• Collins v. American Buslines, Inc.
  350 U.S. 528Decided April 9, 19569–0Felix Frankfurter
• Breard v. Alexandria
  341 U.S. 622Decided June 4, 19516–3Stanley F. Reed
• Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. v. Michigan Public Service Commission
  341 U.S. 329Decided May 14, 19517–2Sherman Minton
• Dean Milk Co. v. City of MadisonLaw held unconstitutional
  340 U.S. 349Decided January 15, 19516–3Tom C. Clark
• California v. Zook
  336 U.S. 725Decided April 25, 19495–4Frank Murphy

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

• Voris v. Eikel
  346 U.S. 328Decided November 9, 19539–0Earl Warren
• Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc.
  346 U.S. 356Decided November 9, 19537–2Per curiam
• Avondale Marine Ways, Inc. v. Henderson
  346 U.S. 366Decided November 9, 19538–0Per curiam
• Pope & Talbot, Inc. v. Hawn
  346 U.S. 406Decided December 7, 19536–3Hugo L. Black
• Wilko v. Swan
  346 U.S. 427Decided December 7, 19537–2Stanley F. Reed
• General Protective Committee for the Holders of Option Warrants of the United Corporation v. Securities and Exchange Commission
  346 U.S. 521Decided January 4, 19549–0William O. Douglas

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error