{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-12.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-12.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-12.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-12.html"}],"law_id":83596,"edition_id":1,"section_id":83596,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-12","catch_line":"Who are conservators of the peace","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-20; 1960, c. 366; 1968, c. 639; 1972, c. 549; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 697; 1981, cc. 572, 587; 1990, c. 558; 1991, cc. 74, 338; 1994, cc. 375, 569, 626; 1997, c. 34; 2001, cc. 3, 31; 2002, cc. 86, 605, 789; 2004, c. 1009; 2005, c. 372; 2006, c. 88; 2007, c. 224; 2015, cc. 75, 126; 2017, c. 674; 2023, cc. 107, 108.","full_text":"Every judge and attorney for the Commonwealth throughout the Commonwealth and every magistrate within the geographical area for which he is appointed or elected shall be a conservator of the peace. In addition, every commissioner in chancery, while sitting as such commissioner; any special agent or law-enforcement officer of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Marine Fisheries Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of the Interior; any inspector, law-enforcement official, or police personnel of the United States Postal Service; any United States marshal or deputy United States marshal whose duties involve the enforcement of the criminal laws of the United States; any officer of the Virginia Marine Police; any criminal investigator of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation who meets the minimum law-enforcement training requirements established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services for in-service training; any criminal investigator of the U.S. Department of Labor; any special agent of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, or United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations; any special agent of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; any sworn municipal park ranger who has completed all requirements under \u00a7 15.2-1706; and any investigator employed by an attorney for the Commonwealth who within 10 years immediately prior to being employed by the attorney for the Commonwealth was an active law-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101 in the Commonwealth and retired or resigned from his position as a law-enforcement officer in good standing shall be a conservator of the peace while engaged in the performance of his official duties.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":299564,"text":"Every judge and attorney for the Commonwealth throughout the Commonwealth and every magistrate within the geographical area for which he is appointed or elected shall be a conservator of the peace. In addition, every commissioner in chancery, while sitting as such commissioner; any special agent or law-enforcement officer of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Marine Fisheries Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of the Interior; any inspector, law-enforcement official, or police personnel of the United States Postal Service; any United States marshal or deputy United States marshal whose duties involve the enforcement of the criminal laws of the United States; any officer of the Virginia Marine Police; any criminal investigator of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation who meets the minimum law-enforcement training requirements established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services for in-service training; any criminal investigator of the U.S. Department of Labor; any special agent of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, or United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations; any special agent of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; any sworn municipal park ranger who has completed all requirements under \u00a7 15.2-1706; and any investigator employed by an attorney for the Commonwealth who within 10 years immediately prior to being employed by the attorney for the Commonwealth was an active law-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101 in the Commonwealth and retired or resigned from his position as a law-enforcement officer in good standing shall be a conservator of the peace while engaged in the performance of his official duties.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14411,"edition_id":1,"name":"Appointment","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14410,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:02","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:02","permalink":{"id":169865,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14411,"identifier":"1","token":"19.2\/2\/1","url":"\/19.2\/2\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14410,"edition_id":1,"name":"Conservators of the Peace and Special Policemen","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:02","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:02","permalink":{"id":169863,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14410,"identifier":"2","token":"19.2\/2","url":"\/19.2\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":83596,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-12","catch_line":"Who are conservators of the peace","url":"\/19.2-12\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-12","metadata":false},{"id":72961,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-13","catch_line":"Special conservators of the peace; authority; jurisdiction; registration; liability of employers; penalty; report","url":"\/19.2-13\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-13","metadata":false},{"id":55754,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-13.1","catch_line":"Application for special conservator of the peace by locality","url":"\/19.2-13.1\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-13.1","metadata":false},{"id":63635,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-14","catch_line":"Conservators of the peace for fairgrounds and cemeteries; bond required","url":"\/19.2-14\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-14","metadata":false},{"id":73666,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-15","catch_line":"When conservator appointed under \u00a7 19.2-13 need not be a citizen","url":"\/19.2-15\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-15","metadata":false},{"id":80124,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-16","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-16\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-16","metadata":false},{"id":56994,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-17","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-17\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-17","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":72961,"structure_id":14411,"section_number":"19.2-13","catch_line":"Special conservators of the peace; authority; jurisdiction; registration; liability of employers; penalty; report","url":"\/19.2-13\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-13","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-12\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 19 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 366; in 1968, chapter 639; in 1972, chapter 549; in 1975, chapter 495; in 1978, chapter 697; in 1981, chapters 572 and 587; in 1990, chapter 558; in 1991, chapters 74 and 338; in 1994, chapters 375<\/a>, 569<\/a>, and 626<\/a>; in 1997, chapter 34<\/a>; in 2001, chapters 3<\/a> and 31<\/a>; in 2002, chapters 86<\/a>, 605<\/a>, and 789<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 1009<\/a>; in 2005, chapter 372<\/a>; in 2006, chapter 88<\/a>; in 2007, chapter 224<\/a>; in 2015, chapters 75<\/a> and 126<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 674<\/a>; in 2023, chapters 107<\/a> and 108<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62252,"section_number":"15.2-7207","catch_line":"Powers generally","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-7207\/"},{"id":57508,"section_number":"19.2-74","catch_line":"Issuance and service of summons in place of warrant in misdemeanor case; issuance of summons by special conservators of the peace","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-74\/"},{"id":73488,"section_number":"9.1-101","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-101\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":85175,"section_number":"15.2-1706","catch_line":"Certification through training required for all law-enforcement officers; waiver of requirements","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1706\/"},{"id":73488,"section_number":"9.1-101","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-101\/"}],"permalink":{"id":169867,"object_type":"law","relational_id":83596,"identifier":"19.2-12","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-12","url":"\/19.2-12\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-12\/","token":"19.2\/2\/1\/19.2-12","dublin_core":{"Title":"Who are conservators of the peace","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-12","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every judge<\/span> and attorney for the Commonwealth throughout the Commonwealth and every magistrate<\/span> within the geographical area for which he is appointed or elected shall be a conservator of the peace. In addition, every commissioner in chancery<\/span>, while sitting as such commissioner; any special agent or law<\/span>-enforcement officer of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Marine Fisheries Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of the Interior; any inspector, law<\/span>-enforcement official, or police personnel of the United States Postal Service; any United States marshal or deputy United States marshal whose duties involve the enforcement of the criminal laws<\/span> of the United States; any officer of the Virginia Marine Police; any criminal investigator of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation who meets the minimum law<\/span>-enforcement training requirements established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services for in-service training; any criminal investigator of the U.S. Department of Labor; any special agent of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, or United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations; any special agent of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; any sworn municipal park ranger who has completed all requirements under \u00a7 15.2-1706<\/a>; and any investigator employed by an attorney for the Commonwealth who within 10 years immediately prior to being employed by the attorney for the Commonwealth was an active law<\/span>-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101<\/a> in the Commonwealth and retired or resigned from his position as a law<\/span>-enforcement officer in good standing shall be a conservator of the peace while engaged in the performance of his official duties.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHO ARE CONSERVATORS OF THE PEACE (\u00a7 19.2-12)\n\nEvery judge and attorney for the Commonwealth throughout the Commonwealth and\nevery magistrate within the geographical area for which he is appointed or\nelected shall be a conservator of the peace. In addition, every commissioner in\nchancery, while sitting as such commissioner; any special agent or\nlaw-enforcement officer of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Marine\nFisheries Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the\nTreasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S.\nDepartment of State, Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of\nTransportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of the\nInterior; any inspector, law-enforcement official, or police personnel of the\nUnited States Postal Service; any United States marshal or deputy United States\nmarshal whose duties involve the enforcement of the criminal laws of the United\nStates; any officer of the Virginia Marine Police; any criminal investigator of\nthe Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation who meets the minimum\nlaw-enforcement training requirements established by the Department of Criminal\nJustice Services for in-service training; any criminal investigator of the U.S.\nDepartment of Labor; any special agent of the United States Naval Criminal\nInvestigative Service, United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, or\nUnited States Air Force Office of Special Investigations; any special agent of\nthe National Aeronautics and Space Administration; any sworn municipal park\nranger who has completed all requirements under \u00a7 15.2-1706; and any\ninvestigator employed by an attorney for the Commonwealth who within 10 years\nimmediately prior to being employed by the attorney for the Commonwealth was an\nactive law-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101 in the Commonwealth and\nretired or resigned from his position as a law-enforcement officer in good\nstanding shall be a conservator of the peace while engaged in the performance of\nhis official duties.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-20; 1960, c. 366; 1968, c. 639; 1972, c. 549; 1975,\nc. 495; 1978, c. 697; 1981, cc. 572, 587; 1990, c. 558; 1991, cc. 74, 338; 1994,\ncc. 375, 569, 626; 1997, c. 34; 2001, cc. 3, 31; 2002, cc. 86, 605, 789; 2004,\nc. 1009; 2005, c. 372; 2006, c. 88; 2007, c. 224; 2015, cc. 75, 126; 2017, c.\n674; 2023, cc. 107, 108.","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}}