{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-392.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-392.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-392.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-392.1.html"}],"law_id":60918,"edition_id":1,"section_id":60918,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.1","catch_line":"Statement of policy","history":"1977, c. 675; 1984, c. 642; 2021 Sp. Sess. I, cc. 550, 551.","full_text":"The General Assembly finds that arrest records can be a hindrance to a citizen’s ability to obtain employment and an education. It further finds that the police and court records of those of its citizens who have been absolutely pardoned for crimes for which they have been unjustly convicted or who have demonstrated their rehabilitation can also be a hindrance. This chapter is intended to protect such persons from the unwarranted damage that may occur as a result of being arrested and convicted.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":222825,"text":"The General Assembly finds that arrest records can be a hindrance to a citizen’s ability to obtain employment and an education. It further finds that the police and court records of those of its citizens who have been absolutely pardoned for crimes for which they have been unjustly convicted or who have demonstrated their rehabilitation can also be a hindrance. This chapter is intended to protect such persons from the unwarranted damage that may occur as a result of being arrested and convicted.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14617,"edition_id":1,"name":"Expungement of Criminal Records","identifier":"23.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:56","permalink":{"id":170495,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14617,"identifier":"23.1","token":"19.2\/23.1","url":"\/19.2\/23.1\/","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":60918,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.1","catch_line":"Statement of policy","url":"\/19.2-392.1\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.1","metadata":false},{"id":77838,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.2","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Expungement of police and court records","url":"\/19.2-392.2\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.2","metadata":false},{"id":64671,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.2:1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-392.2_1\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.2_1","metadata":false},{"id":56153,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.2:2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/19.2-392.2_2\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.2_2","metadata":false},{"id":68382,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.3","catch_line":"Disclosure of expunged records","url":"\/19.2-392.3\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.3","metadata":false},{"id":84742,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.3:1","catch_line":"Motion for the disclosure of expunged police and court records in a civil case","url":"\/19.2-392.3_1\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.3_1","metadata":false},{"id":60006,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.4","catch_line":"Prohibited practices by employers, educational institutions, agencies, etc., of state and local governments","url":"\/19.2-392.4\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.4","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":77838,"structure_id":14617,"section_number":"19.2-392.2","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Expungement of police and court records","url":"\/19.2-392.2\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-392.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1977. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 675 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 1977 \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 1984, chapter 642.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":170497,"object_type":"law","relational_id":60918,"identifier":"19.2-392.1","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.1","url":"\/19.2-392.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-392.1\/","token":"19.2\/23.1\/19.2-392.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Statement of policy","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-392.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The General Assembly finds that arrest<\/span> records can be a hindrance to a citizen’s ability to obtain employment and an education. It further finds that the police and court<\/span> records of those of its citizens who have been absolutely pardoned for crimes<\/span> for which they have been unjustly convicted or who have demonstrated their rehabilitation can also be a hindrance. This chapter is intended to protect such persons from the unwarranted damage that may occur as a result of being arrested and convicted.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSTATEMENT OF POLICY (\u00a7 19.2-392.1)\n\nThe General Assembly finds that arrest records can be a hindrance to a\ncitizen’s ability to obtain employment and an education. It further finds\nthat the police and court records of those of its citizens who have been\nabsolutely pardoned for crimes for which they have been unjustly convicted or\nwho have demonstrated their rehabilitation can also be a hindrance. This chapter\nis intended to protect such persons from the unwarranted damage that may occur\nas a result of being arrested and convicted.\n\nHISTORY: 1977, c. 675; 1984, c. 642; 2021 Sp. Sess. I, cc. 550, 551.","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}}