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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62110</law_id><section_number>19.2-73</section_number><catch_line>Issuance of summons instead of warrant in certain cases</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-69.24</reference><reference>18.2-456</reference><reference>19.2-128</reference><reference>19.2-390</reference><reference>19.2-392</reference><reference>19.2-82</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="7">Arrest</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In any <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> case or in any class of <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> cases, or in any case involving complaints made by any state or local governmental official or employee having responsibility for the enforcement of any <span class="dictionary">statute</span>, <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or administrative regulation, the <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span> or other issuing authority having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> may <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a <span class="dictionary">summons</span> instead of a warrant when there is reason to believe that the person charged will appear in the <span class="dictionary">courts</span> having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> over the <span class="dictionary">trial</span> of the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> charged. <a id="paragraph-226628" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-73/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If any person under suspicion for driving while intoxicated has been taken to a medical facility for treatment or evaluation of his medical condition, the officer at the medical facility may <span class="dictionary">issue</span>, on the premises of the medical facility, a <span class="dictionary">summons</span> for a violation of &#xA7; <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>, or <a class="law" title="Driving a commercial motor vehicle while intoxicated, etc" href="/46.2-341.24/">46.2-341.24</a> and for refusal of tests in violation of subsection A or B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Refusal of tests; penalties; procedures" href="/18.2-268.3/">18.2-268.3</a> or subsection A of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Refusal of tests; issuance of out-of-service orders; disqualification" href="/46.2-341.26_3/">46.2-341.26:3</a>, in lieu of securing a warrant and without having to <span class="dictionary">detain</span> that person, provided that the officer has <span class="dictionary">probable cause</span> to place him under <span class="dictionary">arrest</span>. The issuance of such <span class="dictionary">summons</span> shall be deemed an <span class="dictionary">arrest</span> for purposes of Article 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Driving motor vehicle, engine, etc., while intoxicated, etc" href="/18.2-266/">18.2-266</a> et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2. <a id="paragraph-226629" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-73/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any person on whom such <span class="dictionary">summons</span> is served shall appear on the date set forth in same, and if such person fails to appear in such <span class="dictionary">court</span> at such time and on such date then he shall be treated in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Penalties for failure to appear" href="/19.2-128/">19.2-128</a>, regardless of the <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of, and in addition to, the charge upon which he was originally arrested. <a id="paragraph-226630" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-73/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-146; 1972, c. 461; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 500; 1981, c. 382; 2005, c. 425; 2010, c. 840; 2017, c. 623.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
