                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

INTERNET PUBLICATION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC OFFICIALS (§
18.2-186.4:1)

A. The Commonwealth shall not publish on the Internet the personal information
of any public official if a court has, pursuant to subsection B, ordered that
the official&#8217;s personal information is prohibited from publication and the
official has made a demand in writing to the Commonwealth, accompanied by the
order of the court, that the Commonwealth not publish such information.

B. Any public official may petition a circuit court for an order prohibiting the
publication on the Internet, by the Commonwealth, of the official&#8217;s
personal information. The petition shall set forth the specific reasons that the
official seeks the order. The court shall issue such an order only if it finds
that (i) there exists a threat to the official or a person who resides with him
that would result from publication of the information or (ii) the official has
demonstrated a reasonable fear of a risk to his safety or the safety of someone
who resides with him that would result from publication of the information on
the Internet.

C. If the Commonwealth publishes the public official&#8217;s personal
information on the Internet prior to receipt of a written demand by the official
under subsection A or E, it shall remove the information from publication on the
Internet within 48 hours of receipt of the written demand.

D. A written demand made by any public official pursuant to this section shall
be effective for four years as follows:

   1. For a law-enforcement officer, if the officer remains continuously employed
   as a law-enforcement officer throughout the four-year period;

   2. For an attorney for the Commonwealth, if such public official continuously
   serves throughout the four-year period; and

   3. For a retired or former law-enforcement officer, if such public official
   was retired or ended his service as a law-enforcement officer within four
   years of filing the petition.

E. The Commonwealth shall not publish on the Internet the personal information
of any active or retired federal or Virginia justice, judge, or magistrate who
has made a demand in writing to the Commonwealth that the Commonwealth not
publish such information. A written demand made pursuant to this subsection
shall be effective until such demand is rescinded in writing by such judge,
justice, or magistrate.

F. For purposes of this section:
			&#8220;Commonwealth&#8221; means any agency or political subdivision of the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
			&#8220;Law-enforcement officer&#8221; means the same as that term is defined
in &#xA7; 9.1-101, 5 U.S.C. &#xA7; 8331(20), excluding officers whose duties
relate to detention as defined in 5 U.S.C. &#xA7; 8331(20), and any other
federal officer or agent who is credentialed with the authority to enforce
federal law.
			&#8220;Personal information&#8221; means home address, home telephone
numbers, personal cell phone numbers, or personal email address.
			&#8220;Publication&#8221; and &#8220;publishes&#8221; means intentionally
communicating personal information to, or otherwise making personal information
available to, and accessible by, the general public through the Internet or
other online service.
			&#8220;Public official&#8221; means any law-enforcement officer, retired or
former law-enforcement officer, or attorney for the Commonwealth.
			&#8220;Retired or former law-enforcement officer&#8221; means any person who
was employed as a law-enforcement officer as that term is defined in &#xA7;
9.1-101; has retired from law enforcement or has ended his service as a
law-enforcement officer; and is in good standing with no pending investigations
or disciplinary actions.

G. No provision of this section shall apply to lists of registered voters and
persons who voted, voter registration records, or lists of absentee voters
prepared or provided under Title 24.2.

HISTORY: 2010, c. 767; 2012, c. 143; 2014, c. 170; 2023, cc. 801, 802; 2025, cc.
207, 215.