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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58592</law_id><section_number>19.2-123</section_number><catch_line>Release of accused on secured or unsecured bond or promise to appear; conditions of release</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-152.4:3</reference><reference>19.2-390</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="9">Bail and Recognizances</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Bail</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">person</span> arrested for a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> who has previously been convicted of a <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, or who is presently on <span class="dictionary">bond</span> for an unrelated <span class="dictionary">arrest</span> in any <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>, or who is on <span class="dictionary">probation</span> or <span class="dictionary">parole</span>, may be released only upon a secure <span class="dictionary">bond</span>. This provision may be waived with the approval of the judicial officer and with the concurrence of the attorney for the Commonwealth or the attorney for the county, city or town. Subject to the foregoing, when a <span class="dictionary">person</span> is arrested for either a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> or a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>, any judicial officer may impose any one or any combination of the following conditions of release: <a id="paragraph-214745" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Place the <span class="dictionary">person</span> in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> and supervision of a designated <span class="dictionary">person</span>, organization or <span class="dictionary">pretrial services</span> agency which, for the purposes of this section, shall not include a <span class="dictionary">court</span> services unit established pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Department to develop court services; court services units; appointment and removal of employees; salaries" href="/16.1-233/">16.1-233</a>; <a id="paragraph-214746" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Place restrictions on the travel, association or place of abode of the <span class="dictionary">person</span> during the period of release and restrict contacts with household members for a specified period of time;
				2a. Require the execution of an unsecured <span class="dictionary">bond</span>; <a id="paragraph-214747" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Require the execution of a secure <span class="dictionary">bond</span> which at the option of the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> shall be satisfied with sufficient solvent sureties, or the deposit of cash in lieu thereof. Only the actual value of any interest in real estate or personal property owned by the proposed <span class="dictionary">surety</span> shall be considered in determining solvency and solvency shall be found if the value of the proposed <span class="dictionary">surety</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">equity</span> in the real estate or personal property equals or exceeds the amount of the <span class="dictionary">bond</span>;
				3a. Require that the <span class="dictionary">person</span> do any or all of the following: (i) maintain employment or, if unemployed, actively seek employment; (ii) maintain or commence an educational program; (iii) avoid all contact with an alleged victim of the <span class="dictionary">crime</span> and with any potential <span class="dictionary">witness</span> who may testify concerning the <span class="dictionary">offense</span>; (iv) comply with a specified curfew; (v) refrain from possessing a firearm, destructive device, or other dangerous weapon; (vi) refrain from excessive use of alcohol, or use of any illegal drug or any controlled substance not prescribed by a health care provider; and (vii) submit to testing for drugs and alcohol until the final <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of his case;
				3b. Place a prohibition on a <span class="dictionary">person</span> who holds an elected constitutional office and who is <span class="dictionary">accused</span> of a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> arising from the performance of his duties from physically returning to his constitutional office;
				3c. Require the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> to accompany the arresting officer to the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>&#x2019;s fingerprinting facility and submit to having his photograph and fingerprints taken prior to release; or <a id="paragraph-214748" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Impose any other condition deemed reasonably necessary to assure <span class="dictionary">appearance</span> as required, and to assure his good behavior pending <span class="dictionary">trial</span>, including a condition requiring that the <span class="dictionary">person</span> return to <span class="dictionary">custody</span> after specified hours or be placed on home electronic incarceration pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Assignment to a home/electronic incarceration program; payment to defray costs; escape; penalty" href="/53.1-131.2/">53.1-131.2</a> or, when the <span class="dictionary">person</span> is required to execute a secured <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, be subject to monitoring by a GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking device, or other similar device. The <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> may be ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to pay the cost of the device.
				Upon satisfaction of the terms of <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span>, the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> shall be released forthwith.
				In addition, where the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> is an individual receiving services in a state training center for individuals with intellectual disability, the judicial officer may place the individual in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the director of the training center, if the director agrees to accept <span class="dictionary">custody</span>. The director is hereby authorized to take <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the individual and to maintain him at the training center prior to a <span class="dictionary">trial</span> or <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> under such circumstances as will reasonably assure the <span class="dictionary">appearance</span> of the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> for the <span class="dictionary">trial</span> or <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. <a id="paragraph-214749" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#A4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> In any <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> served by a <span class="dictionary">pretrial services</span> agency which offers a drug or alcohol screening or testing program approved for the purposes of this subsection by the chief general district court <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, any such <span class="dictionary">person</span> charged with a <span class="dictionary">crime</span> may be requested by such agency to give voluntarily a urine sample, submit to a drug or alcohol screening, or take a breath test for presence of alcohol. A sample may be analyzed for the presence of phencyclidine (PCP), barbiturates, cocaine, opiates or such other drugs as the agency may deem appropriate prior to any <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> to establish <span class="dictionary">bail</span>. The judicial officer and agency shall inform the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> or juvenile being screened or tested that test results shall be used by a judicial officer only at a <span class="dictionary">bail</span> <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> and only to determine appropriate conditions of release or to reconsider the conditions of <span class="dictionary">bail</span> at a subsequent <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. All screening or test results, and any pretrial investigation report containing the screening or test results, shall be confidential with access thereto limited to judicial officers, the attorney for the Commonwealth, defense <span class="dictionary">counsel</span>, other pretrial service agencies, any criminal justice agency as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/9.1-101/">9.1-101</a> and, in cases where a juvenile is screened or tested, the parents or legal guardian or custodian of such juvenile. However, in no event shall the judicial officer have access to any screening or test result prior to making a <span class="dictionary">bail</span> release determination or to determining the amount of <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, if any. Following this determination, the judicial officer shall consider the screening or test results and the screening or testing agency&#x2019;s report and accompanying recommendations, if any, in setting appropriate conditions of release. In no event shall a decision regarding a release determination be subject to reversal on the sole basis of such screening or test results. Any <span class="dictionary">accused</span> or juvenile whose urine sample has tested positive for such drugs and who is admitted to <span class="dictionary">bail</span> may, as a condition of release, be ordered to refrain from use of alcohol or illegal drugs and may be required to be tested on a periodic basis until final <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of his case to ensure his compliance with the <span class="dictionary">order</span>. <span class="dictionary">Sanctions</span> for a violation of any condition of release, which violations shall include subsequent positive drug or alcohol test results or failure to report as ordered for testing, may be imposed in the discretion of the judicial officer and may include imposition of more stringent conditions of release, <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span> proceedings, or <span class="dictionary">revocation</span> of release. Any report of a violation of any pretrial condition of release provided to the court shall be sent by the <span class="dictionary">pretrial services</span> agency to the attorney for the Commonwealth and the <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> of record for the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> or juvenile, or directly to the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> or juvenile if such <span class="dictionary">person</span> is not represented by <span class="dictionary">counsel</span>. Any test given under the provisions of this subsection which yields a positive drug or alcohol test result shall be reconfirmed by a second test if the <span class="dictionary">person</span> tested denies or contests the initial drug or alcohol test positive result. The results of any drug or alcohol test conducted pursuant to this subsection shall not be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> in any judicial proceeding other than for the imposition of <span class="dictionary">sanctions</span> for a violation of a condition of release. <a id="paragraph-214750" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> [Repealed.] <a id="paragraph-214751" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an officer taking a juvenile into <span class="dictionary">custody</span> from releasing that juvenile pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Duties of person taking child into custody" href="/16.1-247/">16.1-247</a>. If any condition of release imposed under the provisions of this section is violated, a judicial officer may <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a <span class="dictionary">capias</span> or <span class="dictionary">order</span> to show cause why the <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span> should not be revoked. <a id="paragraph-214752" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a court from imposing a <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span> or <span class="dictionary">bond</span> designed to secure a spousal or child support obligation pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Failure to comply with support obligation; payroll deduction; commitment" href="/16.1-278.16/">16.1-278.16</a>, Chapter 5 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Desertion or nonsupport of wife, husband or children in necessitous circumstances" href="/20-61/">20-61</a> et seq.) of Title 20, or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Recognizance for compliance with order or decree" href="/20-114/">20-114</a> in addition to any <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span> or <span class="dictionary">bond</span> imposed pursuant to this chapter. <a id="paragraph-214753" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-123/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-109.2; 1973, c. 485; 1975, c. 495; 1978, cc. 500, 755; 1979, c. 518; 1981, c. 528; 1984, c. 707; 1989, c. 369; 1991, cc. 483, 512, 581, 585; 1992, c. 576; 1993, c. 636; 1999, cc. 829, 846; 2000, cc. 885, 1020, 1041; 2001, c. 201; 2006, c. 296; 2008, cc. 129, 884; 2011, cc. 799, 837; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2013, c. 614; 2014, c. 466; 2024, c. 74.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
