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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76798</law_id><section_number>18.2-431</section_number><catch_line>Duty of telephone companies; notices in directories</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="9">Crimes Against Peace and Order</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Unlawful Use of Telephones</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> It shall be the duty, on pain of <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span>, of each telephone company in this Commonwealth to furnish immediately in response to a <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> issued by a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court such information as it, its officers and employees may possess which, in the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> of the court, may aid in the apprehension of persons suspected of violating the provisions of this article or the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Threats to bomb, damage, or discharge a firearm within or at buildings or means of transportation; false information as to danger to such buildings, etc.; punishment; venue" href="/18.2-83/">18.2-83</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Calling or summoning emergency medical services vehicle or firefighting apparatus without just cause; maliciously activating fire alarms; venue" href="/18.2-212/">18.2-212</a>. <a id="paragraph-275751" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-431/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Every telephone directory distributed to the public which lists the calling numbers of telephones or of any telephone exchange located in this Commonwealth shall contain a notice which explains the <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> made punishable under this article, such notice to be printed in type which conforms with and is comparable to other type on the same page, and to be placed in a prominent place in such directory. Any violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 4 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-275752" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-431/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 18.1-238, 18.1-371; 1960, c. 358; 1964, c. 577; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1982, c. 502.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
