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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77039</law_id><section_number>59.1-515</section_number><catch_line>Individual action for damages</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>59.1-514</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="59.1">Trade and Commerce</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="44">Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any natural person who is aggrieved by a violation of this chapter shall be entitled to initiate an action against any <span class="dictionary">responsible person</span> to enjoin such violation and to recover from any <span class="dictionary">responsible person</span> <span class="dictionary">damages</span> in the amount of $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second violation, and $5,000 for each subsequent violation. <a id="paragraph-276435" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-515/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">court</span> finds a willful violation, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, in its discretion, increase the amount of any <span class="dictionary">damages</span> awarded for a first or second violation under subsection A to an amount not exceeding $5,000. <a id="paragraph-276436" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-515/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Notwithstanding any other provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span> to the contrary, in addition to any <span class="dictionary">damages</span> awarded, such person may be awarded under subsection A or B reasonable attorney fees and <span class="dictionary">court</span> costs. <a id="paragraph-276437" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-515/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> An action for <span class="dictionary">damages</span>, attorney fees, and costs brought under this section may be filed in an appropriate general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> or small claims <span class="dictionary">court</span> against any <span class="dictionary">responsible person</span> so long as the amount claimed does not exceed the jurisdictional limits set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Civil jurisdiction of general district courts; amending amount of claim" href="/16.1-77/">16.1-77</a> or <a class="law" title="Jurisdiction" href="/16.1-122.2/">16.1-122.2</a>, as applicable. Any action brought under this section that includes a request for an <span class="dictionary">injunction</span> shall be filed in an appropriate <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-276438" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-515/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2001, cc. 528, 553; 2019, cc. 256, 264; 2020, cc. 263, 607.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
