{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/9.1-500.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/9.1-500.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/9.1-500.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/9.1-500.html"}],"law_id":70463,"edition_id":1,"section_id":70463,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-500","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1978, c. 19, \u00a7 2.1-116.1; 1979, c. 592; 1983, c. 357; 1995, c. 730; 2001, c. 844; 2007, cc. 87, 364; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2019, c. 489; 2020, c. 958.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agency” means the Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or the Department of Motor Vehicles; or the political subdivision or the campus police department of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth employing the law-enforcement officer.\n\t\t“Law-enforcement officer” means any person, other than a Chief of Police or the Superintendent of the Department of State Police, who, in his official capacity, is (i) authorized by law to make arrests and (ii) a nonprobationary officer of one of the following agencies:\n\t\ta. The Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Department of Conservation and Recreation;\n\t\tb. The police department, bureau or force of any political subdivision or the campus police department of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth where such department, bureau or force has three or more law-enforcement officers; or\n\t\tc. Any conservation police officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this chapter, “law-enforcement officer” shall not include the sheriff’s department of any city or county.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":254296,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agency” means the Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or the Department of Motor Vehicles; or the political subdivision or the campus police department of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth employing the law-enforcement officer.\n\t\t“Law-enforcement officer” means any person, other than a Chief of Police or the Superintendent of the Department of State Police, who, in his official capacity, is (i) authorized by law to make arrests and (ii) a nonprobationary officer of one of the following agencies:\n\t\ta. The Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Department of Conservation and Recreation;\n\t\tb. The police department, bureau or force of any political subdivision or the campus police department of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth where such department, bureau or force has three or more law-enforcement officers; or\n\t\tc. Any conservation police officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this chapter, “law-enforcement officer” shall not include the sheriff’s department of any city or county.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15150,"edition_id":1,"name":"Law-Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12896,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:32","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:32","permalink":{"id":285381,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15150,"identifier":"5","token":"9.1\/5","url":"\/9.1\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12896,"edition_id":1,"name":"Commonwealth Public Safety","identifier":"9.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","permalink":{"id":284487,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12896,"identifier":"9.1","token":"9.1","url":"\/9.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":70463,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-500","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/9.1-500\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-500","metadata":false},{"id":82248,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-501","catch_line":"Conduct of investigation","url":"\/9.1-501\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-501","metadata":false},{"id":77705,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-502","catch_line":"Notice of charges; response; election to proceed under grievance procedure of local governing body","url":"\/9.1-502\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-502","metadata":false},{"id":81606,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-503","catch_line":"Personal assets of officers","url":"\/9.1-503\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-503","metadata":false},{"id":80771,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-504","catch_line":"Hearing; hearing panel recommendations","url":"\/9.1-504\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-504","metadata":false},{"id":57710,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-505","catch_line":"Immediate suspension","url":"\/9.1-505\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-505","metadata":false},{"id":76871,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-506","catch_line":"Informal counseling not prohibited","url":"\/9.1-506\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-506","metadata":false},{"id":69045,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-507","catch_line":"Chapter accords minimum rights; exception","url":"\/9.1-507\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-507","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":82248,"structure_id":15150,"section_number":"9.1-501","catch_line":"Conduct of investigation","url":"\/9.1-501\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-501","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/9.1-500\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1978. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 19 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 1978 \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 1979, chapter 592; in 1983, chapter 357; in 1995, chapter 730<\/a>; in 2001, chapter 844<\/a>; in 2007, chapters 87<\/a> and 364<\/a>; in 2015, chapters 38<\/a> and 730<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 489<\/a>; in 2020, chapter 958<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":77432,"section_number":"15.2-1507","catch_line":"Provision of grievance procedure; training programs","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1507\/"},{"id":67529,"section_number":"15.2-723","catch_line":"Grievances by police officers","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-723\/"},{"id":64889,"section_number":"2.2-3002","catch_line":"Exemptions from chapter","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3002\/"},{"id":68320,"section_number":"30-34.2:1","catch_line":"Powers, duties and functions of Capitol Police","order_by":null,"url":"\/30-34.2_1\/"},{"id":82115,"section_number":"40.1-51.4:4","catch_line":"Prohibition of use of polygraphs in certain employment situations","order_by":null,"url":"\/40.1-51.4_4\/"},{"id":67435,"section_number":"44-123.3","catch_line":"Fort Pickett Police; powers; duties; functions","order_by":null,"url":"\/44-123.3\/"},{"id":60660,"section_number":"9.1-300","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-300\/"},{"id":70227,"section_number":"9.1-601","catch_line":"Law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-601\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":73488,"section_number":"9.1-101","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-101\/"}],"permalink":{"id":285383,"object_type":"law","relational_id":70463,"identifier":"9.1-500","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-500","url":"\/9.1-500\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/9.1-500\/","token":"9.1\/5\/9.1-500","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 9.1-500","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agency<\/span>” means the Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or the Department of Motor Vehicles; or the political subdivision or the campus police department of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth employing the law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span>.\n\t\t“Law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span>” means any person, other than a Chief of Police or the Superintendent of the Department of State Police, who, in his official capacity, is (i) authorized by law<\/span> to make arrests<\/span> and (ii) a nonprobationary officer of one of the following agencies:\n\t\ta. The Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Department of Conservation and Recreation;\n\t\tb. The police department, bureau or force of any political subdivision or the campus police department of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth where such department, bureau or force has three or more law<\/span>-enforcement officers<\/span>; or\n\t\tc. Any conservation police officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101<\/a>.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this chapter, “law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span>” shall not include the sheriff’s department of any city or county.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 9.1-500)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agency” means the Department of State Police, the Division of\nCapitol Police, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port\nAuthority, the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage\nControl Authority, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or the\nDepartment of Motor Vehicles; or the political subdivision or the campus police\ndepartment of any public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth\nemploying the law-enforcement officer.\n\t\t“Law-enforcement officer” means any person, other than a Chief of\nPolice or the Superintendent of the Department of State Police, who, in his\nofficial capacity, is (i) authorized by law to make arrests and (ii) a\nnonprobationary officer of one of the following agencies:\n\t\ta. The Department of State Police, the Division of Capitol Police, the\nVirginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority, the\nDepartment of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control\nAuthority, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Department of Conservation\nand Recreation;\n\t\tb. The police department, bureau or force of any political subdivision or the\ncampus police department of any public institution of higher education of the\nCommonwealth where such department, bureau or force has three or more\nlaw-enforcement officers; or\n\t\tc. Any conservation police officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101.\n\t\tFor the purposes of this chapter, “law-enforcement officer” shall\nnot include the sheriff’s department of any city or county.\n\nHISTORY: 1978, c. 19, \u00a7 2.1-116.1; 1979, c. 592; 1983, c. 357; 1995, c. 730;\n2001, c. 844; 2007, cc. 87, 364; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2019, c. 489; 2020, c. 958.","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}}