diff --git a/examples/server.js b/examples/server.js
index 7f33efa..36a5dc7 100644
--- a/examples/server.js
+++ b/examples/server.js
@@ -2,19 +2,21 @@ var SAME = require('../index');
 
 var message = {
   originator: 'PEP',
-  code: 'EAN',
+  sender: 'WHITEHSE',
+  code: 'CEM',
   region: {
-    subdiv: '0',
-    stateCode: '00',
-    countyCode: '000'
+    // note that these are strings. Multiple codes can be specified separated by a semicolon
+    subdiv: '0;0',
+    stateCode: '34;34',
+    countyCode: '001;003'
   },
-  length: 600,
-  start: {
-    day: 123,
-    hour: 5,
-    minute: 30
-  },
-  sender: 'WHITEHSE'
+  // note that these are numbers
+  length: 1200,  // message applicability period (NOT event length!) as HHMM
+  start: {      // message applicability period begins:
+    day: 205,   // on this Julian day
+    hour: 18,    // at this UTC hour
+    minute: 13  // and this UTC minute
+  }
 };
 
 SAME.Writer.write(SAME.Encoder.encode(message), './output.wav');
diff --git a/lib/same-validator.js b/lib/same-validator.js
index 31f5ee8..728511e 100644
--- a/lib/same-validator.js
+++ b/lib/same-validator.js
@@ -12,19 +12,53 @@ function jq(obj, path) {
 }
 
 function hasValidCountyCode(region) {
-  var s = parseInt(region.stateCode, 10);
-  var c = parseInt(region.countyCode, 10);
-
-  // easy cases:
-  if (s === 0 && c === 0) return true;  // 0 for both is allowed, as "whole country"
-  if (s !== 0 && c === 0) return true;  // 0 for county is allowed, as "whole state"
-  if (s === 0 && c !== 0) return false; // but 0 for state and nonzero county isn't
-
-  // usual case: if the state is defined, and if the state contains
-  // the given county code, it's valid
-  return (typeof SAMEValues.countyCode[region.stateCode] !== 'undefined')
+  //parse region codes
+  var subdivArr = region.subdiv.toString().split(';');
+  var stateCodeArr = region.stateCode.toString().split(';');
+  var countyCodeArr = region.countyCode.toString().split(';');
+  
+  //Only want to return false if failed, will return true at very end assuming nothing failed
+  for (var i = 0; i < subdivArr.length; i = i + 1) {
+	var s = parseInt(stateCodeArr[i], 10);
+    var c = parseInt(countyCodeArr[i], 10);
+  
+    // easy cases:
+    //if (s === 0 && c === 0) return true;  // 0 for both is allowed, as "whole country"
+    //if (s !== 0 && c === 0) return true;  // 0 for county is allowed, as "whole state"
+    if (s === 0 && c !== 0) return false; // but 0 for state and nonzero county isn't
+  
+    // usual case: if the state is defined, and if the state contains
+    // the given county code, it's valid
+	var isFalse = (typeof SAMEValues.countyCode[region.stateCode] !== 'undefined')
     && SAMEValues.countyCode[region.stateCode]
       .hasOwnProperty(region.countyCode);
+    if (isFalse) {
+	  return false;
+	}
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+function hasValidSubdivCode(subdiv) {
+  var subdivArr = subdiv.toString().split(';');
+  for (var i = 0; i < subdivArr.length; i = i + 1) {
+    if (!SAMEValues.subdiv.hasOwnProperty(subdivArr[i])) {
+	  return false;
+	}
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+function hasValidStateCode(stateCode) {
+  var stateCodeArr = stateCode.toString().split(';');
+  for (var i = 0; i < stateCodeArr.length; i = i + 1) {
+    var pass = parseInt(stateCode) === 0
+         || SAMEValues.stateCode.hasOwnProperty(stateCodeArr[i]);
+    if (!pass) {
+	  return false;
+	}
+  }
+  return true;
 }
 
 function isValidLength(n) {
@@ -102,8 +136,7 @@ module.exports = function(message) {
      'message.region must be a non-empty object'],
 
     [check('.region.stateCode', 'str')
-     && (parseInt(message.region.stateCode) === 0
-         || SAMEValues.stateCode.hasOwnProperty(message.region.stateCode)),
+     && hasValidStateCode(message.region.stateCode),
      'message.region.stateCode must be a defined SAME state code'],
 
     [check('.region.countyCode', 'str')
@@ -111,7 +144,7 @@ module.exports = function(message) {
      'message.region.countyCode must be a defined SAME county code'],
 
     [check('.region.subdiv', 'str')
-     && SAMEValues.subdiv.hasOwnProperty(message.region.subdiv),
+     && hasValidSubdivCode(message.region.subdiv),
      'message.region.subdiv must be a defined SAME region subdivision value (try 0)'],
 
     [check('.length', 'int')
@@ -147,6 +180,5 @@ module.exports = function(message) {
       }
     }
   });
-  
   return errors;
 };
diff --git a/lib/same.js b/lib/same.js
index ebb0d0e..6e58116 100644
--- a/lib/same.js
+++ b/lib/same.js
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ function zeropad (str, len) {
  */
 SAME.constructMessageByteArray = function(message) {
   var msgContent = [];
+  var subdivArr = [];
+  var stateCodeArr = [];
+  var countyCodeArr = [];
   
   if (message !== null) {
     // message header
@@ -62,10 +65,25 @@ SAME.constructMessageByteArray = function(message) {
       message.originator,
       '-',
       message.code,
-      '-',
-      zeropad(message.region.subdiv.toString(), 1),
-      zeropad(message.region.stateCode.toString(), 2),
-      zeropad(message.region.countyCode.toString(), 3),
+	];
+	
+	//parse region codes
+	subdivArr = message.region.subdiv.toString().split(';');
+	stateCodeArr = message.region.stateCode.toString().split(';');
+	countyCodeArr = message.region.countyCode.toString().split(';');
+	
+	//add region codes to msgContent
+	for (var i = 0; i < subdivArr.length; i = i + 1) {
+	  msgContent.push(
+	    '-',
+		zeropad(subdivArr[i], 1),
+        zeropad(stateCodeArr[i], 2),
+        zeropad(countyCodeArr[i], 3),
+	  );
+	}
+	
+	//add the rest of the data
+	msgContent.push(
       '+',
       zeropad(message.length.toString(), 4),
       '-',
@@ -73,8 +91,9 @@ SAME.constructMessageByteArray = function(message) {
       zeropad(message.start.hour.toString(), 2),
       zeropad(message.start.minute.toString(), 2),
       '-',
-      message.sender
-    ];
+      message.sender,
+	  '-'
+	);
   } else {
     // message footer
     msgContent = [
@@ -139,8 +158,6 @@ SAME.generateWaveData = function(byteArray) {
  */
 SAME.encode = function(message) {
   var validationErrors = this.validateMessage(message);
-  var msgBytes = [];
-  
   if (validationErrors.length > 0) {
     throw new Error('Message failed to validate: '
                    + validationErrors.join('; '));