{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/17.1-294.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/17.1-294.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/17.1-294.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/17.1-294.html"}],"law_id":57189,"edition_id":1,"section_id":57189,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-294","catch_line":"Secure remote access to land records","history":"2007, cc. 548, 626; 2009, c. 312; 2011, c. 715; 2012, c. 234.","full_text":"A\n\nNo circuit court clerk shall provide secure remote access to any land record that does not comply with the provisions of this section and the secure remote access standards developed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency in consultation with the circuit court clerks, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, the Compensation Board, and users of land and other court records.B\n\n1. Beginning July 1, 2012, any land record made available to subscribers via secure remote access may contain only the last four digits of the social security number of any party. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the clerk to reinsert the last four digits of a social security number on any land record where the redaction of the entire social security number has been completed prior to July 1, 2012.2\n\nHowever, the original land record maintained by the clerk may contain a social security number if otherwise provided by law, but that original record shall not be made available via secure remote access unless it complies with this section.3\n\nExcept in cases where the original record is required by law to contain a social security number, the attorney or party who prepares or submits the land record for recordation has the responsibility for ensuring that the social security number has been removed from the writing prior to the instrument’s being submitted for recordation.C\n\nNothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit access to any original document as provided by law.D\n\nNothing in this section shall be construed to permit any data accessed by secure remote access to be sold or posted on any other website or in any way redistributed to any third party, and the clerk, in his discretion, may deny secure remote access to ensure compliance with these provisions. However, the data accessed by secure remote access may be included in products or services provided to a third party of the subscriber provided that (i) such data is not made available to the general public and (ii) the subscriber maintains administrative, technical, and security safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and limited availability of the data.E\n\nThe clerk of the circuit court of any jurisdiction shall be immune from suit arising from any acts or omissions relating to providing secure remote access to land records pursuant to this section unless the clerk was grossly negligent or engaged in willful misconduct.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":209484,"text":"No circuit court clerk shall provide secure remote access to any land record that does not comply with the provisions of this section and the secure remote access standards developed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency in consultation with the circuit court clerks, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, the Compensation Board, and users of land and other court records.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":209485,"text":"1. Beginning July 1, 2012, any land record made available to subscribers via secure remote access may contain only the last four digits of the social security number of any party. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the clerk to reinsert the last four digits of a social security number on any land record where the redaction of the entire social security number has been completed prior to July 1, 2012.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"B2"},"2":{"id":209486,"text":"However, the original land record maintained by the clerk may contain a social security number if otherwise provided by law, but that original record shall not be made available via secure remote access unless it complies with this section.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"B2","prefix_anchor":"B2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"B3"},"3":{"id":209487,"text":"Except in cases where the original record is required by law to contain a social security number, the attorney or party who prepares or submits the land record for recordation has the responsibility for ensuring that the social security number has been removed from the writing prior to the instrument’s being submitted for recordation.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"B3","prefix_anchor":"B3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B2","next_prefix":"C"},"4":{"id":209488,"text":"Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit access to any original document as provided by law.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B3","next_prefix":"D"},"5":{"id":209489,"text":"Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit any data accessed by secure remote access to be sold or posted on any other website or in any way redistributed to any third party, and the clerk, in his discretion, may deny secure remote access to ensure compliance with these provisions. However, the data accessed by secure remote access may be included in products or services provided to a third party of the subscriber provided that (i) such data is not made available to the general public and (ii) the subscriber maintains administrative, technical, and security safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and limited availability of the data.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"E"},"6":{"id":209490,"text":"The clerk of the circuit court of any jurisdiction shall be immune from suit arising from any acts or omissions relating to providing secure remote access to land records pursuant to this section unless the clerk was grossly negligent or engaged in willful misconduct.","type":"section","prefixes":["E"],"prefix":"E","entire_prefix":"E","prefix_anchor":"E","level":1,"prior_prefix":"D"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14991,"edition_id":1,"name":"Secure Remote Access","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13472,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:20","permalink":{"id":163459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14991,"identifier":"8","token":"17.1\/2\/8","url":"\/17.1\/2\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13472,"edition_id":1,"name":"Clerks, Clerks' Offices and Records","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12766,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:58","permalink":{"id":162961,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13472,"identifier":"2","token":"17.1\/2","url":"\/17.1\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12766,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts of Record","identifier":"17.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":162799,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12766,"identifier":"17.1","token":"17.1","url":"\/17.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":64813,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-292","catch_line":"Applicability; definitions","url":"\/17.1-292\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-292","metadata":false},{"id":71693,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-293","catch_line":"Posting and availability of certain information on the Internet; prohibitions","url":"\/17.1-293\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-293","metadata":false},{"id":62281,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-293.1","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Online case information system; exceptions","url":"\/17.1-293.1\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-293.1","metadata":false},{"id":57189,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-294","catch_line":"Secure remote access to land records","url":"\/17.1-294\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-294","metadata":false},{"id":63862,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-295","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/17.1-295\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-295","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":62281,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-293.1","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Online case information system; exceptions","url":"\/17.1-293.1\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-293.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":63862,"structure_id":14991,"section_number":"17.1-295","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/17.1-295\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-295","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/17.1-294\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2007. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 548<\/a> and 626<\/a> 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. It has been modified 3 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 2009, chapter 312<\/a>; in 2011, chapter 715<\/a>; in 2012, chapter 234<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":69099,"section_number":"17.1-225","catch_line":"Remote access to nonconfidential court records","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-225\/"},{"id":59820,"section_number":"17.1-276","catch_line":"Fee allowed for providing secure remote access to land records","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-276\/"},{"id":69820,"section_number":"17.1-279","catch_line":"Additional fee to be assessed by circuit court clerks for information technology","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-279\/"},{"id":71693,"section_number":"17.1-293","catch_line":"Posting and availability of certain information on the Internet; prohibitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-293\/"},{"id":63862,"section_number":"17.1-295","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-295\/"},{"id":78399,"section_number":"8.01-449","catch_line":"How judgments are docketed","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-449\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":163473,"object_type":"law","relational_id":57189,"identifier":"17.1-294","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-294","url":"\/17.1-294\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/17.1-294\/","token":"17.1\/2\/8\/17.1-294","dublin_core":{"Title":"Secure remote access to land records","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 17.1-294","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> No circuit<\/span> court<\/span> clerk shall provide secure remote access to any land record that does not comply with the provisions of this section and the secure remote access standards developed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency in consultation with the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> clerks, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court<\/span>, the Compensation Board, and users of land and other court<\/span> records. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> 1. Beginning July 1, 2012, any land record made available to subscribers<\/span> via secure remote access may contain only the last four digits of the social security number of any party<\/span>. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the clerk to reinsert the last four digits of a social security number on any land record where the redaction of the entire social security number has been completed prior to July 1, 2012. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> However, the original land record maintained by the clerk may contain a social security number if otherwise provided by law<\/span>, but that original record shall not be made available via secure remote access unless it complies with this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Except in cases where the original record is required by law<\/span> to contain a social security number, the attorney or party<\/span> who prepares or submits the land record for recordation has the responsibility for ensuring that the social security number has been removed from the writing prior to the instrument’s being submitted for recordation. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit access to any original document as provided by law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit any data accessed by secure remote access to be sold or posted on any other website or in any way redistributed to any third party<\/span>, and the clerk, in his discretion, may deny secure remote access to ensure compliance with these provisions. However, the data accessed by secure remote access may be included in products or services provided to a third party<\/span> of the subscriber<\/span> provided that (i) such data is not made available to the general public and (ii) the subscriber<\/span> maintains administrative, technical, and security safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and limited availability of the data. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

E.<\/span> The clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> of any jurisdiction<\/span> shall be immune from suit arising from any acts or omissions relating to providing secure remote access to land records<\/span> pursuant to this section unless the clerk was grossly negligent or engaged in willful misconduct. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSECURE REMOTE ACCESS TO LAND RECORDS (\u00a7 17.1-294)\n\nA. No circuit court clerk shall provide secure remote access to any land record\nthat does not comply with the provisions of this section and the secure remote\naccess standards developed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency in\nconsultation with the circuit court clerks, the Executive Secretary of the\nSupreme Court, the Compensation Board, and users of land and other court\nrecords.\n\nB. 1. Beginning July 1, 2012, any land record made available to subscribers via\nsecure remote access may contain only the last four digits of the social\nsecurity number of any party. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to\nrequire the clerk to reinsert the last four digits of a social security number\non any land record where the redaction of the entire social security number has\nbeen completed prior to July 1, 2012.\n\n 2. However, the original land record maintained by the clerk may contain a\n social security number if otherwise provided by law, but that original record\n shall not be made available via secure remote access unless it complies with\n this section.\n\n 3. Except in cases where the original record is required by law to contain a\n social security number, the attorney or party who prepares or submits the land\n record for recordation has the responsibility for ensuring that the social\n security number has been removed from the writing prior to the\n instrument’s being submitted for recordation.\n\nC. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit access to any original\ndocument as provided by law.\n\nD. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit any data accessed by\nsecure remote access to be sold or posted on any other website or in any way\nredistributed to any third party, and the clerk, in his discretion, may deny\nsecure remote access to ensure compliance with these provisions. However, the\ndata accessed by secure remote access may be included in products or services\nprovided to a third party of the subscriber provided that (i) such data is not\nmade available to the general public and (ii) the subscriber maintains\nadministrative, technical, and security safeguards to protect the\nconfidentiality, integrity, and limited availability of the data.\n\nE. The clerk of the circuit court of any jurisdiction shall be immune from suit\narising from any acts or omissions relating to providing secure remote access to\nland records pursuant to this section unless the clerk was grossly negligent or\nengaged in willful misconduct.\n\nHISTORY: 2007, cc. 548, 626; 2009, c. 312; 2011, c. 715; 2012, c. 234.","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}}