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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>63619</law_id><section_number>15.2-1412</section_number><catch_line>Reproductions of records and documents and legal status thereof; destruction of originals</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>58.1-3112</reference><reference>58.1-3129</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="14">Governing Bodies of Localities</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may provide for the photographing or microphotographing, or the recording by any other process which accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium for reproducing the original of all or any part of the papers, records, documents or other <span class="dictionary">material</span> kept by or in the charge of any department, agency or institution of such <span class="dictionary">locality</span> in accordance with such standards and retention <span class="dictionary">schedules</span> as may be issued in pursuance of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Duties and powers of Library Board" href="/42.1-82/">42.1-82</a>.
		A reproduction thereof if substantially the same size as the original, when satisfactorily identified, is as <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding whether the original is in existence or not, and an enlargement or facsimile of such reproduction is likewise <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> if the original reproduction is in existence and available for inspection under direction of the <span class="dictionary">court</span>. The introduction of a reproduced record, enlargement or facsimile, does not preclude admission of the original.
		Whenever photographs or microphotographs have been made and put in conveniently accessible files, and provision has been made for preserving, examining and using the same, the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may notify the Librarian of Virginia that it intends to destroy the records and papers so photographed or microphotographed, or any part thereof. If within sixty days the Librarian of Virginia has not notified the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> that such records or papers should be retained, the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may destroy them. A <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may also, in its discretion, consult with the <span class="dictionary">locality</span>&#x2019;s librarian with reference to the advisability of destroying any such records, papers, documents or other <span class="dictionary">material</span> because of any historical significance or value.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 15-5.1; 1952, c. 289; 1958, c. 9; 1962, c. 623, &#xA7; 15.1-8; 1966, c. 303; 1970, c. 225; 1979, c. 155; 1983, c. 419; 1997, c. 587; 1998, c. 427; 2012, c. 802.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
