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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58995</law_id><section_number>46.2-938</section_number><catch_line>Issuance of warrant upon failure to comply with summons; penalties; suspension of licenses for failure to appear</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-258.1</reference><reference>46.2-936</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Regulation of Traffic</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="17">Legal Procedures and Requirements</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Upon the failure of any person to comply with the terms of a <span class="dictionary">summons</span> or notice as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Arrest for misdemeanor; release on summons; right to demand hearing immediately or within 24 hours; issuance of warrant on request of officer for violations of &#xA7;&#xA7; 46.2-301 and 46.2-302; violations" href="/46.2-936/">46.2-936</a>, such person shall be guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> and the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may <span class="dictionary">order</span> a warrant for his <span class="dictionary">arrest</span>. The warrant shall be returnable to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> and shall be accompanied by a report by the arresting officer which shall clearly identify the person arrested, specifying the section of the Code of Virginia or <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> violated, the location of the <span class="dictionary">offense</span>, a description of the <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> and its registration or license number.
		If the warrant is returned to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> with the notation &#x201C;not found&#x201D; or the person named in the warrant does not appear on the return date thereof, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall forward a certificate of the <span class="dictionary">fact</span> of nonservice or nonappearance, with a copy of the report specified in the foregoing provisions of this section, to the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of <span class="dictionary">Motor Vehicles</span>, who shall forthwith <span class="dictionary">suspend</span> the <span class="dictionary">driver</span>&#x2019;s license of such person. The <span class="dictionary">order</span> of <span class="dictionary">suspension</span> shall specify the reason for the <span class="dictionary">suspension</span>. Such <span class="dictionary">suspension</span> shall continue until such time as the <span class="dictionary">court</span> has notified the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> has appeared before the <span class="dictionary">court</span> under the terms of the <span class="dictionary">summons</span> or notice and the warrant.</p></section></text><history>1974, c. 372, &#xA7; 46.1-178.1; 1975, c. 201; 1981, c. 382; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
