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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81522</law_id><section_number>59.1-517</section_number><catch_line>Enforcement; civil penalties</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> The <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>, an attorney for the Commonwealth, or the attorney for any locality may cause an action to be brought in the name of the Commonwealth or of the locality, as applicable, to enjoin any violation of this chapter by any <span class="dictionary">responsible person</span> and to recover from any <span class="dictionary">responsible person</span> <span class="dictionary">damages</span> for aggrieved persons 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-292020" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-517/#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, also assess against any <span class="dictionary">responsible person</span> a civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> of not more than $5,000 for each such violation. <a id="paragraph-292021" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-517/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In any action brought under this section, the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>, the attorney for the Commonwealth, or the attorney for the locality may recover reasonable expenses incurred by the state or local agency in investigating and preparing the case, and attorney fees. <a id="paragraph-292022" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-517/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Any civil penalties assessed under subsection B in an action brought in the name of the Commonwealth shall be paid into the Literary Fund. Any civil penalties assessed under subsection B in an action brought in the name of a locality shall be paid into the general fund of the locality. <a id="paragraph-292023" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-517/#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>
