WatchGov

Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 230

Police and court records; expungement of records, delayed effective date.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Expungement of police and court records. Permits the expungement of police and court records relating to an initial charge when a person is arrested, charged, summonsed, or indicted for the commission of an infraction, a crime, or a civil offense and such person is not ultimately convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine the facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date. The bill also permits that a petition may request expungement of the police and court records for multiple charges arising out of separate transactions or occurrences. The bill also provides that if a person was the subject of a delinquency or traffic proceeding and was not ultimately adjudicated delinquent or convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date, such matter is eligible for expungement. Lastly, the bill (i) allows certain deferred dispositions to be eligible for expungement; (ii) requires the attorney for the Commonwealth, if he files an objection to the petition for expungement, to include the factual basis for such objection; (iii) provides that the unavailability of certain information shall not be a basis for refusing expungement; (iv) requires the court, if it finds potential manifest injustice to the petitioner, to order expungement; (v) provides that the existence of a prior conviction alone shall not be a sufficient basis to deny an expungement; (vi) allows any person whose petition for relief is the subject of an appeal to proceed under a pseudonym pursuant to relevant law; and (vii) allows specifically identified emergency or preliminary protective orders to be expunged. The bill has a delayed effective date of December 1, 2026.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 6, 2026
Senate		Concur House Substitute RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 4, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 2, 2026
House		Reported from Courts of Justice with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 27, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 17, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 13, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 12, 2026
Senate		Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 4, 2026
Senate		Reported from Courts of Justice with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

Actions