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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>87357</law_id><section_number>19.2-10.2</section_number><catch_line>Administrative subpoena issued for record from provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-70.3</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service that is transacting or has transacted any business in the Commonwealth shall disclose a record or other information pertaining to a subscriber to or customer of such service, excluding the contents of electronic communications as required by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Obtaining records concerning electronic communication service or remote computing service" href="/19.2-70.3/">19.2-70.3</a>, to an attorney for the Commonwealth or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> pursuant to an administrative <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> issued under this section. <a id="paragraph-312830" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> In <span class="dictionary">order</span> to obtain such records or other information, the attorney for the Commonwealth or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> shall certify on the face of the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> that there is reason to believe that the records or other information being sought are relevant to a legitimate <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement investigation concerning violations of &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Abduction and kidnapping defined; forced labor; punishment" href="/18.2-47/">18.2-47</a>, <a class="law" title="Abduction with intent to extort money or for immoral purpose" href="/18.2-48/">18.2-48</a>, <a class="law" title="Threatening, attempting, or assisting in such abduction; penalty" href="/18.2-49/">18.2-49</a>, <a class="law" title="Prostitution; commercial sexual conduct; penalties" href="/18.2-346/">18.2-346</a>, <a class="law" title="Prostitution; solicitation; commercial exploitation of a minor; penalties" href="/18.2-346.01/">18.2-346.01</a>, <a class="law" title="Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place; &quot;bawdy place&quot; defined; penalty" href="/18.2-347/">18.2-347</a>, <a class="law" title="Aiding prostitution or illicit sexual intercourse, etc.; penalty" href="/18.2-348/">18.2-348</a>, <a class="law" title="Promoting travel for prostitution; penalty" href="/18.2-348.1/">18.2-348.1</a>, <a class="law" title="Using vehicles to promote prostitution or unlawful sexual intercourse; penalty" href="/18.2-349/">18.2-349</a>, <a class="law" title="Taking, detaining, etc., person for prostitution, etc., or consenting thereto; human trafficking" href="/18.2-355/">18.2-355</a>, <a class="law" title="Receiving money for procuring person; penalties" href="/18.2-356/">18.2-356</a>, <a class="law" title="Receiving money from earnings of male or female prostitute; penalties" href="/18.2-357/">18.2-357</a>, <a class="law" title="Production, publication, sale, financing, etc., of child pornography; presumption as to age" href="/18.2-374.1/">18.2-374.1</a>, and <a class="law" title="Possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation, and facilitation of child pornography; penalty" href="/18.2-374.1_1/">18.2-374.1:1</a>, former &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Repealed" href="/18.2-374.1_2/">18.2-374.1:2</a>, and &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children; penalties" href="/18.2-374.3/">18.2-374.3</a>. <a id="paragraph-312831" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Upon written certification by the attorney for the Commonwealth or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> that there is a reason to believe that the victim is under the age of 18 and that notification or disclosure of the existence of the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> will endanger the life or physical safety of an individual, or lead to flight from <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span>, the destruction of or tampering with <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>, the intimidation of potential witnesses, or otherwise seriously jeopardize an investigation, the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> shall include a provision ordering the service provider not to notify or disclose the existence of the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> to another person, other than an attorney to obtain legal advice, for a period of 30 days after the date on which the service provider responds to the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span>. <a id="paragraph-312832" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> On a <span class="dictionary">motion</span> made promptly by the electronic communication service or remote computing service provider, a <span class="dictionary">court</span> of competent <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> may <span class="dictionary">quash</span> or modify the administrative <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> if the records or other information requested are unusually voluminous in nature or if compliance with the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> would otherwise cause an undue burden on the service provider. <a id="paragraph-312833" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> All records or other information received by an attorney for the Commonwealth or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> pursuant to an administrative <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> issued under this section shall be used only for a reasonable length of time not to exceed 30 days and only for a legitimate <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement purpose. Upon completion of the investigation, the records or other information held by the attorney for the Commonwealth or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> shall be destroyed if no <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> is initiated. The existence of such a <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> shall be disclosed upon <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of an <span class="dictionary">accused</span>. <a id="paragraph-312834" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> No <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> shall lie in any <span class="dictionary">court</span> against an electronic communication service or remote computing service provider, its officers, employees, agents, or other specified persons for providing information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with the terms of an administrative <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> issued under this section. <a id="paragraph-312835" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Records or other information pertaining to a subscriber to or customer of such service means name, address, local and long distance telephone connection records, or records of session times and durations, length of service, including start date, and types of service utilized, telephone or instrument number or other subscriber number or identity, including any temporarily assigned network address, and means and source of payment for such service. <a id="paragraph-312836" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Nothing in this section shall require the disclosure of information in violation of any federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-312837" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-10.2/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2007, cc. 802, 814; 2014, c. 166; 2015, cc. 544, 625; 2019, c. 458; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 188.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
