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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66357</law_id><section_number>16.1-306</section_number><catch_line>Expungement of court records</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-307</reference><reference>16.1-69.55</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="11">Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="12">Confidentiality and Expungement</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Retention of case records; limitations on enforcement of judgments; extensions" href="/16.1-69.55/">16.1-69.55</a>, the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court shall, on January 2 of each year or on a date designated by <span class="dictionary">the court</span>, destroy its files, papers and records, including electronic records, connected with any proceeding concerning a juvenile in such court, if such juvenile has attained the age of 19 years and five years have elapsed since the date of the last <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> in any case of the juvenile which is subject to this section. However, if the juvenile was found guilty of an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> for which the clerk is required by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Courts to forward abstracts of records or furnish abstract data of conviction by electronic means in certain cases; records in office of Department; inspection; clerk's fee for reports" href="/46.2-383/">46.2-383</a> to furnish an abstract to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Motor Vehicles, the records shall be destroyed when the juvenile has attained the age of 29. If the juvenile was found guilty of a <span class="dictionary">delinquent act</span> which would be a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> if committed by an <span class="dictionary">adult</span>, the records shall be retained. <a id="paragraph-240897" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-306/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> However, in all files in which <span class="dictionary">the court</span> records concerning a juvenile contain a <span class="dictionary">finding</span> of guilty of any <span class="dictionary">offense</span> ancillary to (i) a <span class="dictionary">delinquent act</span> that would be a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> if committed by an <span class="dictionary">adult</span> or (ii) any <span class="dictionary">offense</span> for which the clerk is required by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Courts to forward abstracts of records or furnish abstract data of conviction by electronic means in certain cases; records in office of Department; inspection; clerk's fee for reports" href="/46.2-383/">46.2-383</a> to furnish an abstract to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Motor Vehicles, the records of any such ancillary <span class="dictionary">offense</span> shall also be retained for the time specified for the <span class="dictionary">felony</span> or the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> reported to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Motor Vehicles as specified in subsection A, and all such records shall be available for inspection as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Confidentiality of court records" href="/16.1-305/">16.1-305</a>. <a id="paragraph-240898" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-306/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> A person who has been the subject of a delinquency or traffic proceeding and (i) has been found innocent thereof or (ii) such proceeding was otherwise dismissed, may file a <span class="dictionary">motion</span> requesting the destruction of all records pertaining to such charge. Notice of such <span class="dictionary">motion</span> shall be given to the attorney for the Commonwealth. Unless good cause is shown why such records should not be destroyed, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> shall grant the <span class="dictionary">motion</span>, and shall send copies of the <span class="dictionary">order</span> to all officers or agencies that are repositories of such records, and all such officers and agencies shall comply with the <span class="dictionary">order</span>. <a id="paragraph-240899" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-306/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Each person shall be notified of his rights under subsections A and C of this section at the time of his dispositional <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. <a id="paragraph-240900" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-306/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Upon destruction of the records of a proceeding as provided in subsections A, B, and C, the violation of <span class="dictionary">law</span> shall be treated as if it never occurred. All index references shall be deleted and <span class="dictionary">the court</span> and <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers and agencies shall reply and the person may reply to any inquiry that no record exists with respect to such person. <a id="paragraph-240901" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-306/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> All <span class="dictionary">docket</span> sheets shall be destroyed in the sixth year after the last <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> date recorded on the <span class="dictionary">docket</span> sheet. <a id="paragraph-240902" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-306/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 16.1-193; 1956, c. 555; 1977, c. 559; 1979, cc. 736, 737; 1989, c. 183; 1990, c. 258; 1993, cc. 468, 589, 926; 1994, cc. 859, 949; 1996, c. 463; 2008, c. 519; 2014, c. 271.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
