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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68842</law_id><section_number>19.2-52</section_number><catch_line>When search warrant may issue</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1723.2</reference><reference>19.2-44</reference><reference>19.2-45</reference><reference>19.2-70.3</reference><reference>23.1-815</reference><reference>23.1-815.1</reference><reference>29.1-567</reference><reference>29.1-576</reference><reference>3.2-706</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="5">Search Warrants</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Except as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Warrant issued for search of attorney's office" href="/19.2-56.1/">19.2-56.1</a>, <span class="dictionary">search warrants</span>, based upon complaint on <span class="dictionary">oath</span> supported by an <span class="dictionary">affidavit</span> as required in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Affidavit preliminary to issuance of search warrant; general search warrant prohibited; effect of failure to file affidavit" href="/19.2-54/">19.2-54</a>, may be issued by any <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span> or other person having authority to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> criminal warrants, if he be satisfied from such complaint and <span class="dictionary">affidavit</span> that there is reasonable and <span class="dictionary">probable cause</span> for the issuance of such <span class="dictionary">search warrant</span>.
		An application for a <span class="dictionary">search warrant</span> to withdraw blood from a person suspected of violating &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Driving motor vehicle, engine, etc., while intoxicated, etc" href="/18.2-266/">18.2-266</a>, <a class="law" title="Persons under age 21 driving after illegally consuming alcohol; penalty" href="/18.2-266.1/">18.2-266.1</a>, <a class="law" title="Driving after forfeiture of license" href="/18.2-272/">18.2-272</a>, <a class="law" title="Operating boat or manipulating water skis, etc., in reckless manner or while intoxicated, etc" href="/29.1-738/">29.1-738</a>, <a class="law" title="Persons under age twenty-one operating watercraft after illegally consuming alcohol; penalty" href="/29.1-738.02/">29.1-738.02</a>, or <a class="law" title="Driving a commercial motor vehicle while intoxicated, etc" href="/46.2-341.24/">46.2-341.24</a> shall be given priority over any pending matters not involving an imminent risk to another&#x2019;s health or safety before such <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, or other person having authority to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> criminal warrants.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-83; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 1986, c. 636; 2017, cc. 623, 673.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
