{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1510.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1510.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1510.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1510.html"}],"law_id":66188,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66188,"structure_id":13945,"section_number":"63.2-1510","catch_line":"Complaints by others of certain injuries to children","history":"1975, c. 341, \u00a7 63.1-248.4; 1976, c. 348; 1994, c. 840; 2000, c. 500; 2002, c. 747.","full_text":"Any person who suspects that a child is an abused or neglected child may make a complaint concerning such child, except as hereinafter provided, to the local department of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred or to the Department’s toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline. If an employee of the local department is suspected of abusing or neglecting a child, the complaint shall be made to the court of the county or city where the abuse or neglect was discovered. Upon receipt of such a report by the court, the judge shall assign the report to a local department that is not the employer of the suspected employee for investigation or family assessment; or, if the judge believes that no local department in a reasonable geographic distance can be impartial in responding to the reported case, the judge shall assign the report to the court service unit of his court for evaluation. The judge may consult with the Department in selecting a local department to respond to the report or complaint. Such a complaint may be oral or in writing and shall disclose all information which is the basis for the suspicion of abuse or neglect of the child.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":240431,"text":"Any person who suspects that a child is an abused or neglected child may make a complaint concerning such child, except as hereinafter provided, to the local department of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred or to the Department’s toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline. If an employee of the local department is suspected of abusing or neglecting a child, the complaint shall be made to the court of the county or city where the abuse or neglect was discovered. Upon receipt of such a report by the court, the judge shall assign the report to a local department that is not the employer of the suspected employee for investigation or family assessment; or, if the judge believes that no local department in a reasonable geographic distance can be impartial in responding to the reported case, the judge shall assign the report to the court service unit of his court for evaluation. The judge may consult with the Department in selecting a local department to respond to the report or complaint. Such a complaint may be oral or in writing and shall disclose all information which is the basis for the suspicion of abuse or neglect of the child.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"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}],"previous_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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1510\/","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 4 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 1976, chapter 348; in 1994, chapter 840<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 500<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":58834,"section_number":"63.2-1512","catch_line":"Immunity of person making report, etc., from liability","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1512\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":271759,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66188,"identifier":"63.2-1510","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1510","url":"\/63.2-1510\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1510\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1510","dublin_core":{"Title":"Complaints by others of certain injuries to children","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1510","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person who suspects that a child is an abused or neglected child<\/span> may make a complaint concerning such child, except as hereinafter provided, to the local department<\/span> of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred or to the Department’s toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline. If an employee of the local department<\/span> is suspected of abusing or neglecting a child, the complaint shall be made to the court<\/span> of the county or city where the abuse or neglect was discovered. Upon receipt of such a report by the court<\/span>, the judge<\/span> shall assign the report to a local department<\/span> that is not the employer of the suspected employee for investigation or family assessment; or, if the judge<\/span> believes that no local department<\/span> in a reasonable geographic distance can be impartial in responding to the reported case, the judge<\/span> shall assign the report to the court<\/span> service unit of his court<\/span> for evaluation. The judge<\/span> may consult with the Department in selecting a local department<\/span> to respond to the report or complaint. Such a complaint may be oral or in writing and shall disclose all information which is the basis for the suspicion of abuse or neglect of the child.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCOMPLAINTS BY OTHERS OF CERTAIN INJURIES TO CHILDREN (\u00a7 63.2-1510)\n\nAny person who suspects that a child is an abused or neglected child may make a\ncomplaint concerning such child, except as hereinafter provided, to the local\ndepartment of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse\nor neglect is believed to have occurred or to the Department’s toll-free\nchild abuse and neglect hotline. If an employee of the local department is\nsuspected of abusing or neglecting a child, the complaint shall be made to the\ncourt of the county or city where the abuse or neglect was discovered. Upon\nreceipt of such a report by the court, the judge shall assign the report to a\nlocal department that is not the employer of the suspected employee for\ninvestigation or family assessment; or, if the judge believes that no local\ndepartment in a reasonable geographic distance can be impartial in responding to\nthe reported case, the judge shall assign the report to the court service unit\nof his court for evaluation. The judge may consult with the Department in\nselecting a local department to respond to the report or complaint. Such a\ncomplaint may be oral or in writing and shall disclose all information which is\nthe basis for the suspicion of abuse or neglect of the child.\n\nHISTORY: 1975, c. 341, \u00a7 63.1-248.4; 1976, c. 348; 1994, c. 840; 2000, c. 500;\n2002, c. 747.","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}}