{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/63.2-1603.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/63.2-1603.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/63.2-1603.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/63.2-1603.html"}],"law_id":61453,"edition_id":1,"section_id":61453,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1603","catch_line":"Protection of adults; definitions","history":"1977, c. 547, \u00a7 63.1-55.2; 1978, c. 749; 2002, c. 747; 2004, cc. 749, 1011; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 207, 208.","full_text":"As used in this article:\n\t\t“Act of violence, force, or threat” means the same as that term is defined in \u00a7 19.2-152.7:1.\n\t\t“Adult” means any person 60 years of age or older, or any person 18 years of age or older who is incapacitated and who resides in the Commonwealth; provided, however, “adult” may include qualifying nonresidents who are temporarily in the Commonwealth and who are in need of temporary or emergency protective services.\n\t\t“Emergency” means (i) that an adult is living in conditions that present a clear and substantial risk of death or immediate and serious physical harm to himself or others or (ii) that an adult has been, within a reasonable period of time, subjected to an act of violence, force, or threat or been subjected to financial exploitation.\n\t\t“Financial exploitation” means the illegal, unauthorized, improper, or fraudulent use of the funds, property, benefits, resources, or other assets of an adult for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage, including a caregiver or person serving in a fiduciary capacity, or that deprives the adult of his rightful use of or access to such funds, property, benefits, resources, or other assets. “Financial exploitation” includes (i) an intentional breach of a fiduciary obligation to an adult to his detriment or an intentional failure to use the financial resources of an adult in a manner that results in neglect of such adult; (ii) the acquisition, possession, or control of an adult’s financial resources or property through the use of undue influence, coercion, or duress; and (iii) forcing or coercing an adult to pay for goods or services against his will for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage if the adult did not agree, or was tricked, misled, or defrauded into agreeing, to pay for such goods or services.\n\t\t“Financial institution staff” means any employee, agent, qualified individual, or representative of a bank, trust company, savings institution, loan association, consumer finance company, credit union, investment company, investment advisor, securities firm, accounting firm, or insurance company.\n\t\t“Incapacitated person” means any adult who is impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age or other causes to the extent that the adult lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate or carry out responsible decisions concerning his or her well-being.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":224481,"text":"As used in this article:\n\t\t“Act of violence, force, or threat” means the same as that term is defined in \u00a7 19.2-152.7:1.\n\t\t“Adult” means any person 60 years of age or older, or any person 18 years of age or older who is incapacitated and who resides in the Commonwealth; provided, however, “adult” may include qualifying nonresidents who are temporarily in the Commonwealth and who are in need of temporary or emergency protective services.\n\t\t“Emergency” means (i) that an adult is living in conditions that present a clear and substantial risk of death or immediate and serious physical harm to himself or others or (ii) that an adult has been, within a reasonable period of time, subjected to an act of violence, force, or threat or been subjected to financial exploitation.\n\t\t“Financial exploitation” means the illegal, unauthorized, improper, or fraudulent use of the funds, property, benefits, resources, or other assets of an adult for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage, including a caregiver or person serving in a fiduciary capacity, or that deprives the adult of his rightful use of or access to such funds, property, benefits, resources, or other assets. “Financial exploitation” includes (i) an intentional breach of a fiduciary obligation to an adult to his detriment or an intentional failure to use the financial resources of an adult in a manner that results in neglect of such adult; (ii) the acquisition, possession, or control of an adult’s financial resources or property through the use of undue influence, coercion, or duress; and (iii) forcing or coercing an adult to pay for goods or services against his will for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage if the adult did not agree, or was tricked, misled, or defrauded into agreeing, to pay for such goods or services.\n\t\t“Financial institution staff” means any employee, agent, qualified individual, or representative of a bank, trust company, savings institution, loan association, consumer finance company, credit union, investment company, investment advisor, securities firm, accounting firm, or insurance company.\n\t\t“Incapacitated person” means any adult who is impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age or other causes to the extent that the adult lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate or carry out responsible decisions concerning his or her well-being.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15884,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adult Protective Services","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14920,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:01:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:01:12","permalink":{"id":271909,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15884,"identifier":"2","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2","url":"\/63.2\/III\/16\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14920,"edition_id":1,"name":"Adult Services","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13897,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:47","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:47","permalink":{"id":271885,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14920,"identifier":"16","token":"63.2\/III\/16","url":"\/63.2\/III\/16\/","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":61453,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1603","catch_line":"Protection of adults; definitions","url":"\/63.2-1603\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1603","metadata":false},{"id":72575,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1604","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1604\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1604","metadata":false},{"id":84089,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1605","catch_line":"Protective services for adults by local departments","url":"\/63.2-1605\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1605","metadata":false},{"id":62445,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1606","catch_line":"Protection of aged or incapacitated adults; mandated and voluntary reporting","url":"\/63.2-1606\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1606","metadata":false},{"id":83192,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1606.1","catch_line":"Photographs, X-rays and medical imaging of incapacitated persons; use as evidence","url":"\/63.2-1606.1\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1606.1","metadata":false},{"id":71782,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1607","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1607\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1607","metadata":false},{"id":77550,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1608","catch_line":"Involuntary adult protective services","url":"\/63.2-1608\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1608","metadata":false},{"id":64804,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1609","catch_line":"Emergency order for adult protective services","url":"\/63.2-1609\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1609","metadata":false},{"id":77528,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1610","catch_line":"Voluntary adult protective services","url":"\/63.2-1610\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1610","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":72575,"structure_id":15884,"section_number":"63.2-1604","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/63.2-1604\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1604","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1603\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1977. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 547 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 1977 \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 1978, chapter 749; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>; in 2004, chapters 749<\/a> and 1011<\/a>; in 2012, chapters 476<\/a> and 507<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":79732,"section_number":"15.2-1627.5","catch_line":"Coordination of multidisciplinary response to child sexual abuse and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1627.5\/"},{"id":79544,"section_number":"2.2-3705.7","catch_line":"Exclusions to application of chapter; records of specific public bodies and certain other limited exclusions","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3705.7\/"},{"id":72789,"section_number":"2.2-3711","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Closed meetings authorized for certain limited purposes","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3711\/"},{"id":70129,"section_number":"32.1-125.5","catch_line":"Confidentiality of complainant's identity","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-125.5\/"},{"id":79290,"section_number":"32.1-138.5","catch_line":"Confidentiality of complainant's identity","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-138.5\/"},{"id":79117,"section_number":"32.1-162.15:1.14","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Confidentiality of complainant's identity","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-162.15_1.14\/"},{"id":55699,"section_number":"32.1-162.15:1.16","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Retaliation against reports of child or adult abuse or neglect","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-162.15_1.16\/"},{"id":60514,"section_number":"59.1-518.01","catch_line":"Communication with state agencies","order_by":null,"url":"\/59.1-518.01\/"},{"id":87476,"section_number":"6.2-103.2","catch_line":"Reporting financial exploitation of elderly or vulnerable adults","order_by":null,"url":"\/6.2-103.2\/"},{"id":72379,"section_number":"63.2-100","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-100\/"},{"id":56182,"section_number":"63.2-1729","catch_line":"Confidentiality of complainant's identity","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1729\/"},{"id":85086,"section_number":"63.2-1731","catch_line":"Retaliation against reports of child or adult abuse or neglect","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1731\/"},{"id":58544,"section_number":"64.2-2020","catch_line":"Annual reports by guardians","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-2020\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":81395,"section_number":"19.2-152.7:1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-152.7_1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":271911,"object_type":"law","relational_id":61453,"identifier":"63.2-1603","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1603","url":"\/63.2-1603\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1603\/","token":"63.2\/III\/16\/2\/63.2-1603","dublin_core":{"Title":"Protection of adults; definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1603","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article:\n\t\t“Act of violence, force, or threat<\/span>” means the same as that term is defined in \u00a7 19.2-152.7:1<\/a>.\n\t\t“Adult<\/span>” means any person 60 years of age or older, or any person 18 years of age or older who is incapacitated and who resides in the Commonwealth; provided, however, “adult<\/span>” may include qualifying nonresidents who are temporarily in the Commonwealth and who are in need of temporary or emergency<\/span> protective services.\n\t\t“Emergency<\/span>” means (i) that an adult<\/span> is living in conditions that present a clear and substantial risk of death or immediate and serious physical harm to himself or others or (ii) that an adult<\/span> has been, within a reasonable period of time, subjected to an act of violence, force, or threat<\/span> or been subjected to financial exploitation<\/span>.\n\t\t“Financial exploitation<\/span>” means the illegal, unauthorized, improper, or fraudulent use of the funds, property, benefits, resources, or other assets<\/span> of an adult<\/span> for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage, including a caregiver or person serving in a fiduciary capacity, or that deprives the adult<\/span> of his rightful use of or access to such funds, property, benefits, resources, or other assets<\/span>. “Financial exploitation<\/span>” includes (i) an intentional breach of a fiduciary obligation to an adult<\/span> to his detriment or an intentional failure to use the financial resources of an adult<\/span> in a manner that results in neglect of such adult<\/span>; (ii) the acquisition, possession<\/span>, or control of an adult<\/span>’s financial resources or property through the use of undue influence, coercion, or duress; and (iii) forcing or coercing an adult<\/span> to pay for goods or services against his will for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage if the adult<\/span> did not agree, or was tricked, misled, or defrauded into agreeing, to pay for such goods or services.\n\t\t“Financial institution staff<\/span>” means any employee, agent, qualified individual<\/span>, or representative of a bank, trust company, savings institution, loan association, consumer finance company, credit union, investment company, investment advisor, securities firm, accounting firm, or insurance company.\n\t\t“Incapacitated person<\/span>” means any adult<\/span> who is impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age or other causes to the extent that the adult<\/span> lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate or carry out responsible decisions concerning his or her well-being.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROTECTION OF ADULTS; DEFINITIONS (\u00a7 63.2-1603)\n\nAs used in this article:\n\t\t“Act of violence, force, or threat” means the same as that term is\ndefined in \u00a7 19.2-152.7:1.\n\t\t“Adult” means any person 60 years of age or older, or any person\n18 years of age or older who is incapacitated and who resides in the\nCommonwealth; provided, however, “adult” may include qualifying\nnonresidents who are temporarily in the Commonwealth and who are in need of\ntemporary or emergency protective services.\n\t\t“Emergency” means (i) that an adult is living in conditions that\npresent a clear and substantial risk of death or immediate and serious physical\nharm to himself or others or (ii) that an adult has been, within a reasonable\nperiod of time, subjected to an act of violence, force, or threat or been\nsubjected to financial exploitation.\n\t\t“Financial exploitation” means the illegal, unauthorized,\nimproper, or fraudulent use of the funds, property, benefits, resources, or\nother assets of an adult for another’s profit, benefit, or advantage,\nincluding a caregiver or person serving in a fiduciary capacity, or that\ndeprives the adult of his rightful use of or access to such funds, property,\nbenefits, resources, or other assets. “Financial exploitation”\nincludes (i) an intentional breach of a fiduciary obligation to an adult to his\ndetriment or an intentional failure to use the financial resources of an adult\nin a manner that results in neglect of such adult; (ii) the acquisition,\npossession, or control of an adult’s financial resources or property\nthrough the use of undue influence, coercion, or duress; and (iii) forcing or\ncoercing an adult to pay for goods or services against his will for\nanother’s profit, benefit, or advantage if the adult did not agree, or was\ntricked, misled, or defrauded into agreeing, to pay for such goods or services.\n\t\t“Financial institution staff” means any employee, agent, qualified\nindividual, or representative of a bank, trust company, savings institution,\nloan association, consumer finance company, credit union, investment company,\ninvestment advisor, securities firm, accounting firm, or insurance company.\n\t\t“Incapacitated person” means any adult who is impaired by reason\nof mental illness, intellectual disability, physical illness or disability,\nadvanced age or other causes to the extent that the adult lacks sufficient\nunderstanding or capacity to make, communicate or carry out responsible\ndecisions concerning his or her well-being.\n\nHISTORY: 1977, c. 547, \u00a7 63.1-55.2; 1978, c. 749; 2002, c. 747; 2004, cc. 749,\n1011; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 207, 208.","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}}