{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2989.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2989.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2989.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2989.html"}],"law_id":75997,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75997,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2989","catch_line":"Willful destruction, concealment, etc., of declaration or revocation; penalties","history":"1983, c. 532, \u00a7 54-325.8:9; 1988, c. 765; 1992, cc. 412, 748, 772; 1998, cc. 803, 854; 1999, c. 814; 2009, cc. 211, 268.","full_text":"A\n\nAny person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another without the declarant’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the person authorized to consent for the patient; (ii) falsifies or forges the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another; or (iii) falsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If such action causes life-prolonging procedures to be utilized in contravention of the previously expressed intent of the patient or a Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order, the person committing such action shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.B\n\nAny person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another without the declarant’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the person authorized to consent for the patient, (ii) falsifies or forges the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another, (iii) falsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another, or (iv) conceals or withholds personal knowledge of the revocation of an advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order, with the intent to cause a withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging procedures, contrary to the wishes of the declarant or a patient, and thereby, because of such act, directly causes life-prolonging procedures to be withheld or withdrawn and death to be hastened, shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":272814,"text":"Any person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another without the declarant’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the person authorized to consent for the patient; (ii) falsifies or forges the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another; or (iii) falsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If such action causes life-prolonging procedures to be utilized in contravention of the previously expressed intent of the patient or a Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order, the person committing such action shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":272815,"text":"Any person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another without the declarant’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the person authorized to consent for the patient, (ii) falsifies or forges the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another, (iii) falsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another, or (iv) conceals or withholds personal knowledge of the revocation of an advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order, with the intent to cause a withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging procedures, contrary to the wishes of the declarant or a patient, and thereby, because of such act, directly causes life-prolonging procedures to be withheld or withdrawn and death to be hastened, shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14683,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health Care Decisions Act","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12759,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:19","permalink":{"id":242579,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14683,"identifier":"8","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12759,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medicine and Other Healing Arts","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12759,"identifier":"29","token":"54.1\/III\/29","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":77307,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2981","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/54.1-2981\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2981","metadata":false},{"id":56308,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2982","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/54.1-2982\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2982","metadata":false},{"id":57295,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2983","catch_line":"Procedure for making advance directive; notice to physician","url":"\/54.1-2983\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2983","metadata":false},{"id":61815,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2983.1","catch_line":"Participation in health care research","url":"\/54.1-2983.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2983.1","metadata":false},{"id":67924,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2983.2","catch_line":"Capacity; required determinations","url":"\/54.1-2983.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2983.2","metadata":false},{"id":56394,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2983.3","catch_line":"Exclusions and limitations of advance directives","url":"\/54.1-2983.3\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2983.3","metadata":false},{"id":62832,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2984","catch_line":"Suggested form of written advance directives","url":"\/54.1-2984\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2984","metadata":false},{"id":58882,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2985","catch_line":"Revocation of an advance directive","url":"\/54.1-2985\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2985","metadata":false},{"id":61746,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2985.1","catch_line":"Injunction; court-ordered health care","url":"\/54.1-2985.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2985.1","metadata":false},{"id":65220,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2986","catch_line":"Procedure in absence of an advance directive; procedure for advance directive without agent; no presumption; persons who may authorize health care for patients incapable of informed decisions","url":"\/54.1-2986\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2986","metadata":false},{"id":79852,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2986.1","catch_line":"Duties and authority of agent or person identified in \u00a7 54.1-2986","url":"\/54.1-2986.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2986.1","metadata":false},{"id":73438,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2986.2","catch_line":"Health care decisions in the event of patient protest","url":"\/54.1-2986.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2986.2","metadata":false},{"id":70254,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2987","catch_line":"Transfer of patient by physician who refuses to comply with advance directive or health care decision","url":"\/54.1-2987\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2987","metadata":false},{"id":61456,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2987.1","catch_line":"Durable Do Not Resuscitate Orders","url":"\/54.1-2987.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2987.1","metadata":false},{"id":78436,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2988","catch_line":"Immunity from liability; burden of proof; presumption","url":"\/54.1-2988\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2988","metadata":false},{"id":76186,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2988.1","catch_line":"Assistance with completing and executing advance directives","url":"\/54.1-2988.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2988.1","metadata":false},{"id":75997,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2989","catch_line":"Willful destruction, concealment, etc., of declaration or revocation; penalties","url":"\/54.1-2989\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989","metadata":false},{"id":63401,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2989.1","catch_line":"Failure to deliver advance directive","url":"\/54.1-2989.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989.1","metadata":false},{"id":83098,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2990","catch_line":"Medically unnecessary health care not required; procedure when physician refuses to comply with an advance directive or a designated person's health care decision; mercy killing or euthanasia prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2990\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2990","metadata":false},{"id":78993,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2991","catch_line":"Effect of declaration; suicide; insurance; declarations executed prior to effective date","url":"\/54.1-2991\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2991","metadata":false},{"id":74741,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2992","catch_line":"Preservation of existing rights","url":"\/54.1-2992\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2992","metadata":false},{"id":58521,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2993","catch_line":"Reciprocity","url":"\/54.1-2993\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2993","metadata":false},{"id":76420,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2993.1","catch_line":"Qualified advance directive facilitators; requirements for training programs","url":"\/54.1-2993.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2993.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":76186,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2988.1","catch_line":"Assistance with completing and executing advance directives","url":"\/54.1-2988.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2988.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":63401,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2989.1","catch_line":"Failure to deliver advance directive","url":"\/54.1-2989.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2989\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1983. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 532 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 1983 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 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 1988, chapter 765; in 1992, chapters 412, 748, and 772; in 1998, chapters 803<\/a> and 854<\/a>; in 1999, chapter 814<\/a>; in 2009, chapters 211<\/a> and 268<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":56308,"section_number":"54.1-2982","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2982\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":242645,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75997,"identifier":"54.1-2989","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989","url":"\/54.1-2989\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2989\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989","dublin_core":{"Title":"Willful destruction, concealment, etc., of declaration or revocation; penalties","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2989","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Any person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages<\/span> the advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span> of another without the declarant<\/span>’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the person authorized to consent for the patient; (ii) falsifies or forges the advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span> of another; or (iii) falsifies or forges a revocation<\/span> of the advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span> of another shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. If such action causes life-prolonging procedures<\/span> to be utilized in contravention of the previously expressed intent<\/span> of the patient or a Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span>, the person committing such action shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Any person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or damages<\/span> the advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span> of another without the declarant<\/span>’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the person authorized to consent for the patient, (ii) falsifies or forges the advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span> of another, (iii) falsifies or forges a revocation<\/span> of the advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span> of another, or (iv) conceals or withholds personal knowledge of the revocation<\/span> of an advance directive<\/span> or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order<\/span>, with the intent<\/span> to cause a withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging procedures<\/span>, contrary to the wishes of the declarant<\/span> or a patient, and thereby, because of such act, directly causes life-prolonging procedures<\/span> to be withheld or withdrawn and death to be hastened, shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWILLFUL DESTRUCTION, CONCEALMENT, ETC., OF DECLARATION OR REVOCATION; PENALTIES\n(\u00a7 54.1-2989)\n\nA. Any person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or\ndamages the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another\nwithout the declarant’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the\nperson authorized to consent for the patient; (ii) falsifies or forges the\nadvance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another; or (iii)\nfalsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive or Durable Do Not\nResuscitate Order of another shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If such\naction causes life-prolonging procedures to be utilized in contravention of the\npreviously expressed intent of the patient or a Durable Do Not Resuscitate\nOrder, the person committing such action shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.\n\nB. Any person who willfully (i) conceals, cancels, defaces, obliterates, or\ndamages the advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another\nwithout the declarant’s or patient’s consent or the consent of the\nperson authorized to consent for the patient, (ii) falsifies or forges the\nadvance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order of another, (iii)\nfalsifies or forges a revocation of the advance directive or Durable Do Not\nResuscitate Order of another, or (iv) conceals or withholds personal knowledge\nof the revocation of an advance directive or Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order,\nwith the intent to cause a withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging\nprocedures, contrary to the wishes of the declarant or a patient, and thereby,\nbecause of such act, directly causes life-prolonging procedures to be withheld\nor withdrawn and death to be hastened, shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.\n\nHISTORY: 1983, c. 532, \u00a7 54-325.8:9; 1988, c. 765; 1992, cc. 412, 748, 772;\n1998, cc. 803, 854; 1999, c. 814; 2009, cc. 211, 268.","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}}