{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/52-20.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/52-20.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/52-20.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/52-20.html"}],"law_id":79940,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79940,"structure_id":16767,"section_number":"52-20","catch_line":"Arrests without warrants in certain cases","history":"1942, p. 481; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 4827a; 1950, p. 888; 2022, c. 49.","full_text":"A\n\nFor the purposes of this section, “electronic communication” means the use of technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities to transmit or receive information.B\n\nMembers of the State Police force of the Commonwealth, provided such officers are in uniform or displaying a badge of office, may, at the scene of any motor vehicle accident or in the apprehension of any person charged with the theft of any motor vehicle on any of the highways of the Commonwealth, upon reasonable grounds to believe, based upon personal investigation, including information obtained from eyewitnesses, that a crime has been committed by any person then and there present apprehend such person without a warrant of arrest. Such officers may arrest without a warrant persons duly charged with crime in another jurisdiction upon receipt of an electronic communication containing the name or a reasonably accurate description of such person wanted and the crime alleged.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":286308,"text":"For the purposes of this section, “electronic communication” means the use of technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities to transmit or receive information.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":286309,"text":"Members of the State Police force of the Commonwealth, provided such officers are in uniform or displaying a badge of office, may, at the scene of any motor vehicle accident or in the apprehension of any person charged with the theft of any motor vehicle on any of the highways of the Commonwealth, upon reasonable grounds to believe, based upon personal investigation, including information obtained from eyewitnesses, that a crime has been committed by any person then and there present apprehend such person without a warrant of arrest. Such officers may arrest without a warrant persons duly charged with crime in another jurisdiction upon receipt of an electronic communication containing the name or a reasonably accurate description of such person wanted and the crime alleged.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16767,"edition_id":1,"name":"Arrests by State Police","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12841,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:40:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:40:26","permalink":{"id":237355,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16767,"identifier":"4","token":"52\/4","url":"\/52\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12841,"edition_id":1,"name":"Police (State)","identifier":"52","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:56","permalink":{"id":237127,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12841,"identifier":"52","token":"52","url":"\/52\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":79940,"structure_id":16767,"section_number":"52-20","catch_line":"Arrests without warrants in certain cases","url":"\/52-20\/","token":"52\/4\/52-20","metadata":false},{"id":78138,"structure_id":16767,"section_number":"52-21","catch_line":"Procedure after arrest without warrant","url":"\/52-21\/","token":"52\/4\/52-21","metadata":false},{"id":82427,"structure_id":16767,"section_number":"52-22","catch_line":"Arrests for violations of ordinances","url":"\/52-22\/","token":"52\/4\/52-22","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":78138,"structure_id":16767,"section_number":"52-21","catch_line":"Procedure after arrest without warrant","url":"\/52-21\/","token":"52\/4\/52-21","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/52-20\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\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 2022, chapter 49<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":82427,"section_number":"52-22","catch_line":"Arrests for violations of ordinances","order_by":null,"url":"\/52-22\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":237357,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79940,"identifier":"52-20","token":"52\/4\/52-20","url":"\/52-20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/52-20\/","token":"52\/4\/52-20","dublin_core":{"Title":"Arrests without warrants in certain cases","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 52-20","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> For the purposes of this section, “electronic communication<\/span>” means the use of technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities to transmit or receive information. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Members of the State Police force of the Commonwealth, provided such officers are in uniform or displaying a badge of office, may, at the scene of any motor vehicle accident or in the apprehension of any person charged with the theft of any motor vehicle on any of the highways of the Commonwealth, upon reasonable grounds to believe, based upon personal investigation, including information obtained from eyewitnesses, that a crime<\/span> has been committed by any person then and there present apprehend such person without a warrant of arrest<\/span>. Such officers may arrest without a warrant persons duly charged with crime<\/span> in another jurisdiction<\/span> upon receipt of an electronic communication<\/span> containing the name or a reasonably accurate description of such person wanted and the crime<\/span> alleged. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANTS IN CERTAIN CASES (\u00a7 52-20)\n\nA. For the purposes of this section, “electronic communication”\nmeans the use of technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless,\noptical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities to transmit or receive\ninformation.\n\nB. Members of the State Police force of the Commonwealth, provided such officers\nare in uniform or displaying a badge of office, may, at the scene of any motor\nvehicle accident or in the apprehension of any person charged with the theft of\nany motor vehicle on any of the highways of the Commonwealth, upon reasonable\ngrounds to believe, based upon personal investigation, including information\nobtained from eyewitnesses, that a crime has been committed by any person then\nand there present apprehend such person without a warrant of arrest. Such\nofficers may arrest without a warrant persons duly charged with crime in another\njurisdiction upon receipt of an electronic communication containing the name or\na reasonably accurate description of such person wanted and the crime alleged.\n\nHISTORY: 1942, p. 481; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 4827a; 1950, p. 888; 2022, c. 49.","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}}