{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/16.1-69.53.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/16.1-69.53.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/16.1-69.53.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/16.1-69.53.html"}],"law_id":59268,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59268,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.53","catch_line":"Definitions; construction of references to period of years","history":"1983, c. 499; 2002, c. 747.","full_text":"As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Court records” shall include case records, financial records and administrative records as defined in this section.\n\t\t“Case records” shall mean all documents, dockets and indices.\n\t\t“Documents” shall mean all motions for judgment, bills of complaint, answers, bills of particulars, other pleadings, interrogatories, motions in writing, warrants, summonses, petitions, proof of service, witness summonses and subpoenas, documents received in evidence, transcripts, orders, judgments, writs, and any other similar case-related records and papers in the possession of the district courts and filed with the pleadings in the case.\n\t\t“Financial records” shall mean all papers and records related to the receipt and disbursement of money by the district court.\n\t\t“Administrative records” shall mean all other court papers and records not otherwise defined.\n\t\tWhenever a reference to a period of years for the retention of documents is made in this section, it shall be construed to commence on January 2 of the first year following (i) the final adjudication of a civil case or (ii) the final disposition in all other cases, unless otherwise specified herein. In foster care cases, the final disposition date is the date of transfer of custody to a local board of social services or a child welfare agency.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":217234,"text":"As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Court records” shall include case records, financial records and administrative records as defined in this section.\n\t\t“Case records” shall mean all documents, dockets and indices.\n\t\t“Documents” shall mean all motions for judgment, bills of complaint, answers, bills of particulars, other pleadings, interrogatories, motions in writing, warrants, summonses, petitions, proof of service, witness summonses and subpoenas, documents received in evidence, transcripts, orders, judgments, writs, and any other similar case-related records and papers in the possession of the district courts and filed with the pleadings in the case.\n\t\t“Financial records” shall mean all papers and records related to the receipt and disbursement of money by the district court.\n\t\t“Administrative records” shall mean all other court papers and records not otherwise defined.\n\t\tWhenever a reference to a period of years for the retention of documents is made in this section, it shall be construed to commence on January 2 of the first year following (i) the final adjudication of a civil case or (ii) the final disposition in all other cases, unless otherwise specified herein. In foster care cases, the final disposition date is the date of transfer of custody to a local board of social services or a child welfare agency.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15537,"edition_id":1,"name":"Retention and Disposition of District Court Records","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13142,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:08","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:08","permalink":{"id":162333,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15537,"identifier":"6","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6","url":"\/16.1\/4.1\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13142,"edition_id":1,"name":"District Courts","identifier":"4.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12700,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:21","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:21","permalink":{"id":161993,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13142,"identifier":"4.1","token":"16.1\/4.1","url":"\/16.1\/4.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12700,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts Not of Record","identifier":"16.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":160919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12700,"identifier":"16.1","token":"16.1","url":"\/16.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":59268,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.53","catch_line":"Definitions; construction of references to period of years","url":"\/16.1-69.53\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.53","metadata":false},{"id":74208,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.54","catch_line":"General provisions","url":"\/16.1-69.54\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.54","metadata":false},{"id":65286,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.54:1","catch_line":"Request for district court records","url":"\/16.1-69.54_1\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.54_1","metadata":false},{"id":68420,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.55","catch_line":"Retention of case records; limitations on enforcement of judgments; extensions","url":"\/16.1-69.55\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.55","metadata":false},{"id":59876,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.56","catch_line":"Retention of financial and administrative records","url":"\/16.1-69.56\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.56","metadata":false},{"id":80700,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.57","catch_line":"Destruction of court records","url":"\/16.1-69.57\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.57","metadata":false},{"id":74109,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.58","catch_line":"Processing, retention and reproduction of court records; retention and destruction of records in which final disposition was entered before January 1, 1985","url":"\/16.1-69.58\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.58","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":74208,"structure_id":15537,"section_number":"16.1-69.54","catch_line":"General provisions","url":"\/16.1-69.54\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.54","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/16.1-69.53\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1983. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 499 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1983 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":162335,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59268,"identifier":"16.1-69.53","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.53","url":"\/16.1-69.53\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/16.1-69.53\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/6\/16.1-69.53","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions; construction of references to period of years","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 16.1-69.53","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Court records<\/span>” shall include case records<\/span>, financial records<\/span> and administrative records<\/span> as defined in this section.\n\t\t“Case records<\/span>” shall mean all documents<\/span>, dockets<\/span> and indices.\n\t\t“Documents<\/span>” shall mean all motions<\/span> for judgment<\/span>, bills of complaint, answers, bills of particulars, other pleadings<\/span>, interrogatories<\/span>, motions<\/span> in writing, warrants, summonses, petitions<\/span>, proof of service<\/span>, witness<\/span> summonses and subpoenas<\/span>, documents<\/span> received in evidence<\/span>, transcripts<\/span>, orders<\/span>, judgments<\/span>, writs<\/span>, and any other similar case-related records and papers in the possession<\/span> of the district courts<\/span> and filed with the pleadings<\/span> in the case.\n\t\t“Financial records<\/span>” shall mean all papers and records related to the receipt and disbursement of money by the district court.\n\t\t“Administrative records<\/span>” shall mean all other court papers and records not otherwise defined.\n\t\tWhenever a reference to a period of years for the retention of documents<\/span> is made in this section, it shall be construed to commence on January 2 of the first year following (i) the final adjudication of a civil case or (ii) the final disposition<\/span> in all other cases, unless otherwise specified herein. In foster care cases, the final disposition<\/span> date is the date of transfer of custody<\/span> to a local board of social services or a child welfare agency.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS; CONSTRUCTION OF REFERENCES TO PERIOD OF YEARS (\u00a7 16.1-69.53)\n\nAs used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:\n\t\t“Court records” shall include case records, financial records and\nadministrative records as defined in this section.\n\t\t“Case records” shall mean all documents, dockets and indices.\n\t\t“Documents” shall mean all motions for judgment, bills of\ncomplaint, answers, bills of particulars, other pleadings, interrogatories,\nmotions in writing, warrants, summonses, petitions, proof of service, witness\nsummonses and subpoenas, documents received in evidence, transcripts, orders,\njudgments, writs, and any other similar case-related records and papers in the\npossession of the district courts and filed with the pleadings in the case.\n\t\t“Financial records” shall mean all papers and records related to\nthe receipt and disbursement of money by the district court.\n\t\t“Administrative records” shall mean all other court papers and\nrecords not otherwise defined.\n\t\tWhenever a reference to a period of years for the retention of documents is\nmade in this section, it shall be construed to commence on January 2 of the\nfirst year following (i) the final adjudication of a civil case or (ii) the\nfinal disposition in all other cases, unless otherwise specified herein. In\nfoster care cases, the final disposition date is the date of transfer of custody\nto a local board of social services or a child welfare agency.\n\nHISTORY: 1983, c. 499; 2002, c. 747.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}