# Virginia SB230: Police and court records; expungement of records, delayed effective date.

Virginia SB230, Police and court records; expungement of records, delayed effective date., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Scott A. Surovell (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-14 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1127)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB230-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB230
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Police and court records; expungement of records, delayed effective date.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-11
- Last action: 2026-05-14, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1127)
- Sponsor: Scott A. Surovell (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 13 (323 yes, 88 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

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.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Easier, fee-free requests to clear charges: benefit, medium. Beginning December 1, 2026, people arrested, charged, summonsed, or indicted for an infraction, crime, or civil offense can seek expungement if not ultimately convicted. For charges dismissed through deferred disposition, all parties must agree that the person remains eligible for expungement. Thos…
- New path to clear juvenile records: benefit, medium. Beginning December 1, 2026, you can ask to destroy records from a juvenile delinquency or traffic case. You must not have been ultimately found delinquent or convicted. You cannot qualify if you agreed to facts sufficient to find guilt, or the court found such facts while delaying the outcome. You…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Scott A. Surovell (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Governor's recommendation Nos. 2 and 4 passed by (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-22 | House | Governor's amendments nos. 1 and 3 agreed to | pass | 72 | 25 |   |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation Nos. 1 and 3 | pass | 24 | 15 |   |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 26 | 14 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Passed House with substitute | pass | 84 | 15 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute | pass | 20 | 2 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 9 | 1 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 27 | 12 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Courts of Justice Substitute rejected | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 35 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 11 | 4 |   |

## Actions (52)

- 2026-05-14: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1127) (Governor)
- 2026-05-14: Approved by Governor-Chapter 1127 (Effective 12/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-22: Governor's amendments nos. 1 and 3 agreed to (72-Y 25-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-04-22: Governor's recommendation Nos. 2 and 4 passed by (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation Nos. 1 and 3 (24-Y 15-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Reenrolled bill text (SB230ER2) (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Reenrolled (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-04-22: Communicated to Governor (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-04-22: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-04-22: Governor's recommendation adopted (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Governor's recommendation received by Senate (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB230) (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB230ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-06: House substitute agreed to by Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Fiscal Impact Review From JLARC (3/4/2026 8:17 pm) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Passed House with substitute (84-Y 15-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-03-04: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-03: Read second time (House)
- 2026-03-02: Committee substitute printed 26108869D-H1 (House)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (20-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-02-27: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2026-02-27: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-24: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal (House)
- 2026-02-24: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2026-02-24: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-24: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 12-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Courts of Justice Substitute rejected (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Committee substitute printed 26107505D-S2 (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB230) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Committee substitute printed 26106700D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-11: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2026-01-11: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104575D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-05-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225752.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225751.PDF)
- Reenrolled, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221405.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221404.PDF)
- Gov Recommendation, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219709.HTML)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1202650.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1202649.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189596.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189595.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186935.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186601.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186934.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186600.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149085.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149084.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132582.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132581.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127624.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127623.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-28: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100174.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100173.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084156.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084155.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225752.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225751.PDF)
- [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221405.HTML)
- [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221404.PDF)
- [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219709.HTML)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1202650.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1202649.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189596.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189595.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186935.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186601.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186934.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186600.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149085.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149084.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132582.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132581.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127624.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127623.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100174.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100173.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084156.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084155.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB230-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).