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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84564</law_id><section_number>19.2-59</section_number><catch_line>Search without warrant prohibited; when search without warrant lawful</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>46.2-103</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>No officer of the <span class="dictionary">law</span> or any other person shall search any place, thing or person, except by virtue of and under a warrant issued by a proper officer. Any officer or other person searching any place, thing or person otherwise than by virtue of and under a <span class="dictionary">search warrant</span>, shall be guilty of malfeasance in office. Any officer or person violating the provisions of this section shall be liable to any person aggrieved thereby in both compensatory and punitive <span class="dictionary">damages</span>. Any officer found guilty of a second <span class="dictionary">offense</span> under this section shall, upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> thereof, immediately forfeit his office, and such <span class="dictionary">finding</span> shall be deemed to create a vacancy in such office to be filled according to <span class="dictionary">law</span>.
		Provided, however, that any officer empowered to enforce the game <span class="dictionary">laws</span> or marine fisheries <span class="dictionary">laws</span> as set forth in Title 28.2 may without a <span class="dictionary">search warrant</span> enter for the purpose of enforcing such <span class="dictionary">laws</span>, any freight yard or room, passenger depot, baggage room or warehouse, storage room or warehouse, train, baggage car, passenger car, express car, Pullman car or freight car of any common carrier, or any boat, automobile or other vehicle; but nothing in this proviso contained shall be construed to permit a search of any occupied berth or compartment on any passenger car or boat or any baggage, bag, trunk, box or other closed container without a <span class="dictionary">search warrant</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-88; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 1976, c. 293; 1978, c. 721; 1997, c. 147.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
