{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-431.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-431.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-431.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-431.html"}],"law_id":76798,"edition_id":1,"section_id":76798,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-431","catch_line":"Duty of telephone companies; notices in directories","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 18.1-238, 18.1-371; 1960, c. 358; 1964, c. 577; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1982, c. 502.","full_text":"1\n\nIt shall be the duty, on pain of contempt of court, of each telephone company in this Commonwealth to furnish immediately in response to a subpoena issued by a circuit court such information as it, its officers and employees may possess which, in the opinion of the court, may aid in the apprehension of persons suspected of violating the provisions of this article or the provisions of § 18.2-83 or § 18.2-212.2\n\nEvery telephone directory distributed to the public which lists the calling numbers of telephones or of any telephone exchange located in this Commonwealth shall contain a notice which explains the offenses made punishable under this article, such notice to be printed in type which conforms with and is comparable to other type on the same page, and to be placed in a prominent place in such directory. Any violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":275751,"text":"It shall be the duty, on pain of contempt of court, of each telephone company in this Commonwealth to furnish immediately in response to a subpoena issued by a circuit court such information as it, its officers and employees may possess which, in the opinion of the court, may aid in the apprehension of persons suspected of violating the provisions of this article or the provisions of § 18.2-83 or § 18.2-212.","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"next_prefix":"2"},"1":{"id":275752,"text":"Every telephone directory distributed to the public which lists the calling numbers of telephones or of any telephone exchange located in this Commonwealth shall contain a notice which explains the offenses made punishable under this article, such notice to be printed in type which conforms with and is comparable to other type on the same page, and to be placed in a prominent place in such directory. Any violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14837,"edition_id":1,"name":"Unlawful Use of Telephones","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14570,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:17","permalink":{"id":168107,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14837,"identifier":"6","token":"18.2\/9\/6","url":"\/18.2\/9\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14570,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against Peace and Order","identifier":"9","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:42","permalink":{"id":167995,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14570,"identifier":"9","token":"18.2\/9","url":"\/18.2\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":71628,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-424","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-424\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-424","metadata":false},{"id":56725,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-425.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-425.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-425.1","metadata":false},{"id":56806,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-426","catch_line":"\"Emergency call\" and \"emergency personnel\" defined","url":"\/18.2-426\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-426","metadata":false},{"id":61013,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-427","catch_line":"Use of profane, threatening, or indecent language over public airways or by other methods","url":"\/18.2-427\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-427","metadata":false},{"id":79700,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-428","catch_line":"Giving certain false information to another by telephone","url":"\/18.2-428\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-428","metadata":false},{"id":77553,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-429","catch_line":"Causing a telephone, digital pager, or other device to ring or signal with intent to annoy; emergency communications; penalties","url":"\/18.2-429\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-429","metadata":false},{"id":62009,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-429.1","catch_line":"False caller identification information; penalty","url":"\/18.2-429.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-429.1","metadata":false},{"id":64613,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-430","catch_line":"Venue for offenses under this article","url":"\/18.2-430\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-430","metadata":false},{"id":76798,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-431","catch_line":"Duty of telephone companies; notices in directories","url":"\/18.2-431\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431","metadata":false},{"id":79843,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-431.1","catch_line":"Illegal conveyance or possession of cellular telephone or other wireless telecommunications device by prisoner or committed person; penalty","url":"\/18.2-431.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":64613,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-430","catch_line":"Venue for offenses under this article","url":"\/18.2-430\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-430","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79843,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-431.1","catch_line":"Illegal conveyance or possession of cellular telephone or other wireless telecommunications device by prisoner or committed person; penalty","url":"\/18.2-431.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-431\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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 1960, chapter 358; in 1964, chapter 577; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1982, chapter 502.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":65236,"section_number":"18.2-83","catch_line":"Threats to bomb, damage, or discharge a firearm within or at buildings or means of transportation; false information as to danger to such buildings, etc.; punishment; venue","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-83\/"}],"permalink":{"id":168141,"object_type":"law","relational_id":76798,"identifier":"18.2-431","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431","url":"\/18.2-431\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-431\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duty of telephone companies; notices in directories","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-431","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> It shall be the duty, on pain of contempt of court<\/span>, of each telephone company in this Commonwealth to furnish immediately in response to a subpoena<\/span> issued by a circuit<\/span> court such information as it, its officers and employees may possess which, in the opinion<\/span> of the court, may aid in the apprehension of persons suspected of violating the provisions of this article or the provisions of § 18.2-83<\/a> or § 18.2-212<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Every telephone directory distributed to the public which lists the calling numbers of telephones or of any telephone exchange located in this Commonwealth shall contain a notice which explains the offenses<\/span> made punishable under this article, such notice to be printed in type which conforms with and is comparable to other type on the same page, and to be placed in a prominent place in such directory. Any violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTY OF TELEPHONE COMPANIES; NOTICES IN DIRECTORIES (\u00a7 18.2-431)\n\n1. It shall be the duty, on pain of contempt of court, of each telephone company\nin this Commonwealth to furnish immediately in response to a subpoena issued by\na circuit court such information as it, its officers and employees may possess\nwhich, in the opinion of the court, may aid in the apprehension of persons\nsuspected of violating the provisions of this article or the provisions of\n§ 18.2-83 or § 18.2-212.\n\n2. Every telephone directory distributed to the public which lists the calling\nnumbers of telephones or of any telephone exchange located in this Commonwealth\nshall contain a notice which explains the offenses made punishable under this\narticle, such notice to be printed in type which conforms with and is comparable\nto other type on the same page, and to be placed in a prominent place in such\ndirectory. Any violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 4\nmisdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 18.1-238, 18.1-371; 1960, c. 358; 1964, c. 577; 1975,\ncc. 14, 15; 1982, c. 502.","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}}