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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82865</law_id><section_number>19.2-392.6</section_number><catch_line>(Effective July 1, 2026) Automatic sealing of offenses resulting in conviction</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-392.7</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="23.2">Sealing of Criminal History Record Information and Court Records</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> If a person was convicted of a violation of any of the following sections with an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> date on or after January 1, 1986, such <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, including any records relating to such <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, shall be ordered to be automatically <span class="dictionary">sealed</span> in the manner set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Process for automatic sealing of offenses resulting in a conviction or deferred disposition" href="/19.2-392.7/">19.2-392.7</a>, subject to the provisions of subsections B and C: a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Petit larceny defined; how punished" href="/18.2-96/">18.2-96</a> or <a class="law" title="Concealing or taking possession of merchandise; altering price tags; transferring goods from one container to another; counseling, etc., another in performance of such acts" href="/18.2-103/">18.2-103</a>; &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Trespass after having been forbidden to do so; penalties" href="/18.2-119/">18.2-119</a>, <a class="law" title="Instigating, etc., such trespass by others; preventing service to persons not forbidden to trespass" href="/18.2-120/">18.2-120</a>, or <a class="law" title="Trespass on posted property" href="/18.2-134/">18.2-134</a>; a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Penalties for sale, gift, distribution or possession with intent to sell, give or distribute marijuana" href="/18.2-248.1/">18.2-248.1</a>; or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Disorderly conduct in public places" href="/18.2-415/">18.2-415</a>. <a id="paragraph-297026" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-392.6/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Subject to the provisions of subsection C, any <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> listed under subsection A shall be ordered to be automatically <span class="dictionary">sealed</span> if seven years have passed since the date of the <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> and the person convicted of such <span class="dictionary">offense</span> has not been convicted of violating any <span class="dictionary">law</span> of the Commonwealth that requires a report to the Central Criminal Records Exchange under subsection A of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Reports to be made by local law-enforcement officers, conservators of the peace, clerks of court, Secretary of the Commonwealth and Corrections officials to State Police; material submitted by other agencies" href="/19.2-390/">19.2-390</a> or any other state, the District of Columbia, or the United States or any territory thereof, excluding traffic infractions under Title 46.2, during that time period. <a id="paragraph-297027" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-392.6/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> No <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> listed under subsection A shall be automatically <span class="dictionary">sealed</span> if, on the date of the <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, the person was convicted of another <span class="dictionary">offense</span> that is not eligible for automatic sealing under subsection A.
			This section shall not be construed as prohibiting a person from seeking sealing in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> pursuant to the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Sealing of offenses resulting in a deferred and dismissed disposition or conviction by petition" href="/19.2-392.12/">19.2-392.12</a> or <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Sealing of charges and convictions related to automatic sealing; petition" href="/19.2-392.12_1/">19.2-392.12:1</a>. <a id="paragraph-297028" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-392.6/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 524, 542; 2023, cc. 554, 555; 2025, cc. 634, 671.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
