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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66684</law_id><section_number>9.1-126</section_number><catch_line>Application and construction of article</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>2.2-3802</reference><reference>9.1-101</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="9.1">Commonwealth Public Safety</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Department of Criminal Justice Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Criminal Justice Information System</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> This article shall apply to original or copied <span class="dictionary">criminal history record information</span>, maintained by a <span class="dictionary">criminal justice agency</span> of (i) the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions and (ii) the United States or another state or its political subdivisions which exchange such information with an agency covered in clause (i), but only to the extent of that exchange. <a id="paragraph-241870" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-126/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The provisions of this article shall not apply to original or copied (i) records of entry, such as <span class="dictionary">police</span> blotters, maintained by a <span class="dictionary">criminal justice agency</span> on a chronological basis and permitted to be made public, if such records are not indexed or accessible by name, (ii) <span class="dictionary">court</span> records of public criminal proceedings, including <span class="dictionary">opinions</span> and published compilations thereof, (iii) records of traffic <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> disseminated to or maintained by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of regulating the issuance, suspension, <span class="dictionary">revocation</span>, or renewal of drivers&#x2019; or other operators&#x2019; licenses, (iv) statistical or analytical records or reports in which individuals are not identified and from which their identities cannot be ascertained, (v) announcements of executive clemency, <span class="dictionary">pardons</span>, or removals of political disabilities, (vi) posters, announcements, or lists for identifying or apprehending fugitives or wanted persons, (vii) criminal justice intelligence information, or (viii) criminal justice investigative information. Except as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certain records to be kept by sheriffs and chiefs of police" href="/15.2-1722/">15.2-1722</a>, <a class="law" title="(Effective until July 1, 2026) Fingerprints and photographs of juveniles" href="/16.1-299/">16.1-299</a>, and <a class="law" title="Reports to be made by local law-enforcement officers, conservators of the peace, clerks of court, Secretary of the Commonwealth and Corrections officials to State Police; material submitted by other agencies" href="/19.2-390/">19.2-390</a>, nothing contained in this article shall be construed as requiring any <span class="dictionary">criminal justice agency</span> to collect, maintain, or update <span class="dictionary">criminal history record information</span>, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/9.1-101/">9.1-101</a>, when such information is already available and readily accessible from another <span class="dictionary">criminal justice agency</span>. <a id="paragraph-241871" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-126/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Nothing contained in this article shall be construed as prohibiting a <span class="dictionary">criminal justice agency</span> from disclosing to the public factual information concerning the status of an investigation, the apprehension, <span class="dictionary">arrest</span>, release, or <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> of an individual, the adjudication of charges, or the correctional status of an individual, which is related to the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> for which the individual is currently within the criminal justice system. <a id="paragraph-241872" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-126/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1981, c. 632, &#xA7; 9-184; 2001, c. 844; 2007, c. 389.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
