{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1508.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1508.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1508.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1508.html"}],"law_id":78112,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78112,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1508","catch_line":"Valid report or complaint","history":"1975, c. 341, \u00a7 63.1-248.2; 1981, c. 123; 1986, c. 308; 1990, c. 760; 1995, c. 520; 2000, c. 500; 2002, c. 747; 2019, cc. 381, 687; 2022, c. 366.","full_text":"A\n\nA valid report or complaint means the local department has evaluated the information and allegations of the report or complaint and determined that the local department shall conduct an investigation, family assessment, or human trafficking assessment because the following elements are present:1\n\nThe alleged victim child or children are under 18 years of age at the time of the complaint or report;2\n\nThe alleged abuser is the alleged victim child’s parent or other caretaker or, for purposes of abuse or neglect described in subdivision 4 of the definition of “abused or neglected child” in § 63.2-100, an intimate partner of such parent or caretaker;3\n\nThe local department receiving the complaint or report has jurisdiction; and4\n\nThe circumstances described allege suspected child abuse or neglect.B\n\nA valid report or complaint regarding a child who has been identified as a victim of sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking as defined in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C § 7102 et seq.) and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-22) may be established regardless of who the alleged abuser is or whether the alleged abuser has been identified.C\n\nNothing in this section shall relieve any person specified in § 63.2-1509 from making a report required by that section, regardless of the identity of the person suspected to have caused such abuse or neglect.D\n\nIf the local department receiving the complaint or report does not have jurisdiction, and the local department that has jurisdiction to investigate such complaint or report is located in the Commonwealth, the local department that received the report or complaint shall forward the complaint or report to the appropriate local department.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":280030,"text":"A valid report or complaint means the local department has evaluated the information and allegations of the report or complaint and determined that the local department shall conduct an investigation, family assessment, or human trafficking assessment because the following elements are present:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":280031,"text":"The alleged victim child or children are under 18 years of age at the time of the complaint or report;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":280032,"text":"The alleged abuser is the alleged victim child’s parent or other caretaker or, for purposes of abuse or neglect described in subdivision 4 of the definition of “abused or neglected child” in § 63.2-100, an intimate partner of such parent or caretaker;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"A3"},"3":{"id":280033,"text":"The local department receiving the complaint or report has jurisdiction; and","type":"section","prefixes":["A","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"A3","prefix_anchor":"A3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"A4"},"4":{"id":280034,"text":"The circumstances described allege suspected child abuse or neglect.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"A4","prefix_anchor":"A4","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A3","next_prefix":"B"},"5":{"id":280035,"text":"A valid report or complaint regarding a child who has been identified as a victim of sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking as defined in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C § 7102 et seq.) and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-22) may be established regardless of who the alleged abuser is or whether the alleged abuser has been identified.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A4","next_prefix":"C"},"6":{"id":280036,"text":"Nothing in this section shall relieve any person specified in § 63.2-1509 from making a report required by that section, regardless of the identity of the person suspected to have caused such abuse or neglect.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"7":{"id":280037,"text":"If the local department receiving the complaint or report does not have jurisdiction, and the local department that has jurisdiction to investigate such complaint or report is located in the Commonwealth, the local department that received the report or complaint shall forward the complaint or report to the appropriate local department.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13945,"edition_id":1,"name":"Complaints","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13898,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:23","permalink":{"id":271749,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13945,"identifier":"2","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2","url":"\/63.2\/III\/15\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13898,"edition_id":1,"name":"Child Abuse and Neglect","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13897,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","permalink":{"id":271709,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13898,"identifier":"15","token":"63.2\/III\/15","url":"\/63.2\/III\/15\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13897,"edition_id":1,"name":"Social Services Programs","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12789,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:14","permalink":{"id":271331,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13897,"identifier":"III","token":"63.2\/III","url":"\/63.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12789,"edition_id":1,"name":"Welfare (Social Services)","identifier":"63.2","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":270661,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12789,"identifier":"63.2","token":"63.2","url":"\/63.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":78112,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1508","catch_line":"Valid report or complaint","url":"\/63.2-1508\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1508","metadata":false},{"id":86098,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1509","catch_line":"Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalty for failure to report","url":"\/63.2-1509\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1509","metadata":false},{"id":66188,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1510","catch_line":"Complaints by others of certain injuries to children","url":"\/63.2-1510\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1510","metadata":false},{"id":66780,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1511","catch_line":"Complaints of abuse and neglect against school personnel; interagency agreement","url":"\/63.2-1511\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1511","metadata":false},{"id":58834,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1512","catch_line":"Immunity of person making report, etc., from liability","url":"\/63.2-1512\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1512","metadata":false},{"id":55002,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1513","catch_line":"Knowingly making false reports; penalties","url":"\/63.2-1513\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1513","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":86098,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1509","catch_line":"Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalty for failure to report","url":"\/63.2-1509\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1509","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1508\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1975. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 341 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 1975 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 8 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 1981, chapter 123; in 1986, chapter 308; in 1990, chapter 760; in 1995, chapter 520<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 500<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>; in 2019, chapters 381<\/a> and 687<\/a>; in 2022, chapter 366<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":59659,"section_number":"63.2-1530","catch_line":"Virginia Child Protection Accountability System","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1530\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":72379,"section_number":"63.2-100","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-100\/"},{"id":86098,"section_number":"63.2-1509","catch_line":"Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalty for failure to report","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1509\/"}],"permalink":{"id":271751,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78112,"identifier":"63.2-1508","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1508","url":"\/63.2-1508\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1508\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1508","dublin_core":{"Title":"Valid report or complaint","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1508","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A valid report or complaint means the local department<\/span> has evaluated the information and allegations<\/span> of the report or complaint and determined that the local department<\/span> shall conduct an investigation, family assessment, or human trafficking assessment because the following elements are present: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The alleged victim child<\/span> or children are under 18 years of age at the time of the complaint or report; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The alleged abuser is the alleged victim child’s parent or other caretaker or, for purposes of abuse or neglect described in subdivision 4 of the definition of “abused or neglected child<\/span>” in § 63.2-100<\/a>, an intimate partner of such parent or caretaker; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The local department<\/span> receiving the complaint or report has jurisdiction<\/span>; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The circumstances described allege suspected child abuse or neglect. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A valid report or complaint regarding a child who has been identified as a victim of sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking as defined in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C § 7102 et seq.) and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-22) may be established regardless of who the alleged abuser is or whether the alleged abuser has been identified. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall relieve any person specified in § 63.2-1509<\/a> from making a report required by that section, regardless of the identity of the person suspected to have caused such abuse or neglect. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> If the local department<\/span> receiving the complaint or report does not have jurisdiction<\/span>, and the local department<\/span> that has jurisdiction<\/span> to investigate such complaint or report is located in the Commonwealth, the local department<\/span> that received the report or complaint shall forward the complaint or report to the appropriate local department<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nVALID REPORT OR COMPLAINT (\u00a7 63.2-1508)\n\nA. A valid report or complaint means the local department has evaluated the\ninformation and allegations of the report or complaint and determined that the\nlocal department shall conduct an investigation, family assessment, or human\ntrafficking assessment because the following elements are present:\n\n 1. The alleged victim child or children are under 18 years of age at the time\n of the complaint or report;\n\n 2. The alleged abuser is the alleged victim child’s parent or other\n caretaker or, for purposes of abuse or neglect described in subdivision 4 of\n the definition of “abused or neglected child” in § 63.2-100,\n an intimate partner of such parent or caretaker;\n\n 3. The local department receiving the complaint or report has jurisdiction;\n and\n\n 4. The circumstances described allege suspected child abuse or neglect.\n\nB. A valid report or complaint regarding a child who has been identified as a\nvictim of sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking as defined in the\nfederal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C § 7102 et\nseq.) and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (P.L.\n114-22) may be established regardless of who the alleged abuser is or whether\nthe alleged abuser has been identified.\n\nC. Nothing in this section shall relieve any person specified in §\n63.2-1509 from making a report required by that section, regardless of the\nidentity of the person suspected to have caused such abuse or neglect.\n\nD. If the local department receiving the complaint or report does not have\njurisdiction, and the local department that has jurisdiction to investigate such\ncomplaint or report is located in the Commonwealth, the local department that\nreceived the report or complaint shall forward the complaint or report to the\nappropriate local department.\n\nHISTORY: 1975, c. 341, \u00a7 63.1-248.2; 1981, c. 123; 1986, c. 308; 1990, c. 760;\n1995, c. 520; 2000, c. 500; 2002, c. 747; 2019, cc. 381, 687; 2022, c. 366.","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}}