{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/42.1-76.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/42.1-76.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/42.1-76.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/42.1-76.html"}],"law_id":74854,"edition_id":1,"section_id":74854,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-76","catch_line":"Legislative intent; title of chapter","history":"1976, c. 746.","full_text":"The General Assembly intends by this chapter to establish a single body of law applicable to all public officers and employees on the subject of public records management and preservation and to ensure that the procedures used to manage and preserve public records will be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThis chapter may be cited as the Virginia Public Records Act.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":268958,"text":"The General Assembly intends by this chapter to establish a single body of law applicable to all public officers and employees on the subject of public records management and preservation and to ensure that the procedures used to manage and preserve public records will be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThis chapter may be cited as the Virginia Public Records Act.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12940,"edition_id":1,"name":"Virginia Public Records Act","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12939,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":221153,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12940,"identifier":"7","token":"42.1\/7","url":"\/42.1\/7\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12939,"edition_id":1,"name":"Libraries","identifier":"42.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":220815,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12939,"identifier":"42.1","token":"42.1","url":"\/42.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":74854,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-76","catch_line":"Legislative intent; title of chapter","url":"\/42.1-76\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76","metadata":false},{"id":61180,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-76.1","catch_line":"Notice of Chapter","url":"\/42.1-76.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76.1","metadata":false},{"id":58113,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-77","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/42.1-77\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-77","metadata":false},{"id":85274,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-78","catch_line":"Confidentiality safeguarded","url":"\/42.1-78\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-78","metadata":false},{"id":61369,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-79","catch_line":"Records management function vested in The Library of Virginia","url":"\/42.1-79\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-79","metadata":false},{"id":74386,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-79.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-79.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-79.1","metadata":false},{"id":86610,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-80","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-80\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-80","metadata":false},{"id":73353,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-82","catch_line":"Duties and powers of Library Board","url":"\/42.1-82\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-82","metadata":false},{"id":73183,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-83","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-83\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-83","metadata":false},{"id":86822,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-84","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-84\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-84","metadata":false},{"id":66498,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-85","catch_line":"Records Management Program; agencies to cooperate; agencies to designate records officer","url":"\/42.1-85\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-85","metadata":false},{"id":84716,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-86","catch_line":"Essential public records; security recovery copies; disaster plans","url":"\/42.1-86\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-86","metadata":false},{"id":57661,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-86.01","catch_line":"Records may be retained in electronic medium","url":"\/42.1-86.01\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-86.01","metadata":false},{"id":71117,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-86.1","catch_line":"Disposition of public records","url":"\/42.1-86.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-86.1","metadata":false},{"id":81852,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-87","catch_line":"Archival public records","url":"\/42.1-87\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-87","metadata":false},{"id":54042,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-88","catch_line":"Custodians to deliver all records at expiration of term; penalty for noncompliance","url":"\/42.1-88\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-88","metadata":false},{"id":84495,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-89","catch_line":"Petition and court order for return of public records not in authorized possession","url":"\/42.1-89\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-89","metadata":false},{"id":81039,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-90","catch_line":"Seizure of public records not in authorized possession","url":"\/42.1-90\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-90","metadata":false},{"id":70466,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-90.1","catch_line":"Auditing","url":"\/42.1-90.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-90.1","metadata":false},{"id":58901,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-91","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-91\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91","metadata":false},{"id":78061,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-91.1","catch_line":"Availability of public records created prior to January 1, 1901","url":"\/42.1-91.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":61180,"structure_id":12940,"section_number":"42.1-76.1","catch_line":"Notice of Chapter","url":"\/42.1-76.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/42.1-76\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1976. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 746 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 1976 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":[{"id":80006,"section_number":"15.2-1242","catch_line":"Minutes of meetings and proceedings","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1242\/"},{"id":72536,"section_number":"15.2-1243","catch_line":"Governing body to receive, audit and approve claims; warrants","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1243\/"},{"id":58419,"section_number":"15.2-1614","catch_line":"Destruction of receipts","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1614\/"},{"id":81439,"section_number":"15.2-2241","catch_line":"Mandatory provisions of a subdivision ordinance","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2241\/"},{"id":80330,"section_number":"15.2-5102.1","catch_line":"(For contingent expiration date, see Acts 2009, c. 742, cl. 3) Hampton Roads area refuse collection and disposal system authority","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-5102.1\/"},{"id":80213,"section_number":"17.1-208","catch_line":"Records, etc., open to inspection; copies; exception","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-208\/"},{"id":81508,"section_number":"17.1-211","catch_line":"Maintenance and disposition of certain receipt books, cancelled checks and statements","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-211\/"},{"id":77409,"section_number":"17.1-236","catch_line":"Recordation of plats and maps","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-236\/"},{"id":55816,"section_number":"2.2-3704","catch_line":"Public records to be open to inspection; 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fees","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3172.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":221155,"object_type":"law","relational_id":74854,"identifier":"42.1-76","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76","url":"\/42.1-76\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/42.1-76\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76","dublin_core":{"Title":"Legislative intent; title of chapter","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 42.1-76","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The General Assembly intends by this chapter to establish a single body of <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span> applicable to all public officers and employees on the subject of <span class=\"dictionary\">public records<\/span> management and <span class=\"dictionary\">preservation<\/span> and to ensure that the procedures used to manage and preserve <span class=\"dictionary\">public records<\/span> will be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThis chapter may be cited as the Virginia <span class=\"dictionary\">Public Records<\/span> Act.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLEGISLATIVE INTENT; TITLE OF CHAPTER (\u00a7 42.1-76)\n\nThe General Assembly intends by this chapter to establish a single body of law\napplicable to all public officers and employees on the subject of public records\nmanagement and preservation and to ensure that the procedures used to manage and\npreserve public records will be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThis chapter may be cited as the Virginia Public Records Act.\n\nHISTORY: 1976, c. 746.","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}}