<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70476</law_id><section_number>19.2-66</section_number><catch_line>When Attorney General or Chief Deputy Attorney General may apply for order authorizing interception of communications</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-67</reference><reference>19.2-68</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="6">Interception of Wire, Electronic or Oral Communications</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> or Chief Deputy <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>, if the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> so designates in writing, in any case where the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> is authorized by <span class="dictionary">law</span> to <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> or pursuant to a request in his official capacity of an attorney for the Commonwealth in any city or county, may apply to a <span class="dictionary">judge of competent jurisdiction</span> for an <span class="dictionary">order</span> authorizing the interception of wire, electronic or <span class="dictionary">oral communications</span> by the Department of State Police, when such interception may reasonably be expected to provide <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the commission of a felonious <span class="dictionary">offense</span> of extortion, bribery, kidnapping, <span class="dictionary">murder</span>, any <span class="dictionary">felony</span> violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance prohibited; penalties" href="/18.2-248/">18.2-248</a> or <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>, any <span class="dictionary">felony</span> violation of Chapter 29 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Control of racing with pari-mutuel wagering" href="/59.1-364/">59.1-364</a> et seq.) of Title 59.1, any <span class="dictionary">felony</span> violation of Article 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="&quot;Mob&quot; defined" href="/18.2-38/">18.2-38</a> et seq.), Article 2.1 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/18.2-46.1/">18.2-46.1</a> et seq.), Article 2.2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/18.2-46.4/">18.2-46.4</a> et seq.), Article 5 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Robbery; penalties" href="/18.2-58/">18.2-58</a> et seq.), Article 6 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Extortion of money, property or pecuniary benefit" href="/18.2-59/">18.2-59</a> et seq.) or any felonies that are not Class 6 felonies in Article 7 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rape" href="/18.2-61/">18.2-61</a> et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2, or any conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing <span class="dictionary">offenses</span>. The <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> or Chief Deputy <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> may apply for authorization for the observation or <span class="dictionary">monitoring</span> of the interception by a police department of a county or city, by a sheriff&#x2019;s office, or by <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers of the United States. Such application shall be made, and such <span class="dictionary">order</span> may be granted, in conformity with the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Application for and issuance of order authorizing interception; contents of order; recording and retention of intercepted communications, applications and orders; notice to parties; introduction in evidence of information obtained" href="/19.2-68/">19.2-68</a>. <a id="paragraph-254337" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-66/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The application for an <span class="dictionary">order</span> under subsection B of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Application for and issuance of order authorizing interception; contents of order; recording and retention of intercepted communications, applications and orders; notice to parties; introduction in evidence of information obtained" href="/19.2-68/">19.2-68</a> shall be made as follows: <a id="paragraph-254338" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-66/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> In the case of an application for a wire or electronic interception, a <span class="dictionary">judge of competent jurisdiction</span> shall have the authority to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> an <span class="dictionary">order</span> under subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Application for and issuance of order authorizing interception; contents of order; recording and retention of intercepted communications, applications and orders; notice to parties; introduction in evidence of information obtained" href="/19.2-68/">19.2-68</a> if there is <span class="dictionary">probable cause</span> to believe that an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was committed, is being committed, or will be committed or the <span class="dictionary">person</span> or <span class="dictionary">persons</span> whose communications are to be intercepted live, work, subscribe to a wire or <span class="dictionary">electronic communication system</span>, maintain an address or a post office box, or are making the communication within the territorial jurisdiction of the <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-254339" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-66/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> In the case of an application for an oral <span class="dictionary">intercept</span>, a <span class="dictionary">judge of competent jurisdiction</span> shall have the authority to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> an <span class="dictionary">order</span> under subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Application for and issuance of order authorizing interception; contents of order; recording and retention of intercepted communications, applications and orders; notice to parties; introduction in evidence of information obtained" href="/19.2-68/">19.2-68</a> if there is <span class="dictionary">probable cause</span> to believe that an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was committed, is being committed, or will be committed or the physical location of the <span class="dictionary">oral communication</span> to be intercepted is within the territorial jurisdiction of the <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-254340" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-66/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> For the purposes of an <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered pursuant to subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Application for and issuance of order authorizing interception; contents of order; recording and retention of intercepted communications, applications and orders; notice to parties; introduction in evidence of information obtained" href="/19.2-68/">19.2-68</a> for the interception of a wire or electronic communication, such communication shall be deemed to be intercepted in the jurisdiction where the <span class="dictionary">order</span> is entered, regardless of the physical location or the method by which the communication is captured or routed to the <span class="dictionary">monitoring</span> location. <a id="paragraph-254341" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-66/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-89.6; 1973, c. 442; 1975, c. 495; 1976, c. 271; 1979, c. 602; 1982, cc. 40, 274; 1988, cc. 855, 889; 2002, cc. 588, 623; 2004, c. 122; 2005, c. 934; 2011, cc. 403, 414; 2013, cc. 448, 664.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
