{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/13.1-567.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/13.1-567.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/13.1-567.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/13.1-567.html"}],"law_id":346707,"edition_id":2,"section_id":346707,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-567","catch_line":"Investigations; confidentiality of information and documents","history":"1972, c. 561; 1979, c. 379.","full_text":"The Commission may make such investigations within or outside of this Commonwealth as it deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated the provisions of this chapter or any order or injunction of the Commission, and any franchisor found guilty of such a violation may be required to pay the actual costs of the investigation including the time of the investigator. The Commission shall have power to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to require the attendance of any person and the production of any papers for the purposes of such investigation. No person shall be excused from testifying on the ground that his testimony would tend to incriminate him, but if, after asserting his claim to the privilege, he is required to testify, he shall not be prosecuted or penalized on account of any transactions concerning which he does testify.\n\nInformation or documents obtained or prepared by any member, subordinate or employee of the Commission in the course of any examination or investigation conducted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed confidential and shall not be disclosed to the public; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to prohibit or limit (i) the publication of the findings, decisions, orders, judgments or opinions of the Commission; (ii) the use of any such information or documents in proceedings by or before the Commission or a hearing examiner appointed by the Commission; (iii) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any quasi-governmental entity substantially associated with the retail franchising business approved by rule of the Commission; or, (iv) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any governmental entity approved by rule of the Commission, or to any attorney for the Commonwealth, or to the Attorney General of Virginia.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1292828,"text":"The Commission may make such investigations within or outside of this Commonwealth as it deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated the provisions of this chapter or any order or injunction of the Commission, and any franchisor found guilty of such a violation may be required to pay the actual costs of the investigation including the time of the investigator. The Commission shall have power to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to require the attendance of any person and the production of any papers for the purposes of such investigation. No person shall be excused from testifying on the ground that his testimony would tend to incriminate him, but if, after asserting his claim to the privilege, he is required to testify, he shall not be prosecuted or penalized on account of any transactions concerning which he does testify.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1292829,"text":"Information or documents obtained or prepared by any member, subordinate or employee of the Commission in the course of any examination or investigation conducted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed confidential and shall not be disclosed to the public; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to prohibit or limit (i) the publication of the findings, decisions, orders, judgments or opinions of the Commission; (ii) the use of any such information or documents in proceedings by or before the Commission or a hearing examiner appointed by the Commission; (iii) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any quasi-governmental entity substantially associated with the retail franchising business approved by rule of the Commission; or, (iv) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any governmental entity approved by rule of the Commission, or to any attorney for the Commonwealth, or to the Attorney General of Virginia.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":49779,"edition_id":2,"name":"Retail Franchising Act","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":11,"parent_id":49726,"metadata":{"child_laws":20,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:14:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:08","permalink":{"id":1377083,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49779,"identifier":"8","token":"13.1\/8","url":"\/13.1\/8\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49726,"edition_id":2,"name":"Corporations","identifier":"13.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":44,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":894,"child_structures":104},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:14:01","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:29:04","permalink":{"id":1374495,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49726,"identifier":"13.1","token":"13.1","url":"\/13.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":346696,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-557","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/13.1-557\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-557","metadata":false},{"id":346697,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-558","catch_line":"Policy of the Commonwealth","url":"\/13.1-558\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-558","metadata":false},{"id":346698,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-559","catch_line":"Definitions; applicability of chapter","url":"\/13.1-559\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-559","metadata":false},{"id":346699,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-560","catch_line":"Registration required","url":"\/13.1-560\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-560","metadata":false},{"id":346701,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-561","catch_line":"Procedure for registration; bond; renewal; fee","url":"\/13.1-561\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-561","metadata":false},{"id":346700,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-561.1","catch_line":"Fees to cover expense of regulation","url":"\/13.1-561.1\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-561.1","metadata":false},{"id":346702,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-562","catch_line":"Revocation of or refusal to renew registration","url":"\/13.1-562\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-562","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":346703,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-563","catch_line":"Unlawful offers","url":"\/13.1-563\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-563","metadata":false},{"id":346704,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-564","catch_line":"Unlawful cancellation of franchise; undue influence","url":"\/13.1-564\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-564","metadata":false},{"id":346705,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-565","catch_line":"Voidable franchises","url":"\/13.1-565\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-565","metadata":false},{"id":346706,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-566","catch_line":"Service of process on nonresident franchisor","url":"\/13.1-566\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-566","metadata":false},{"id":346707,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-567","catch_line":"Investigations; confidentiality of information and documents","url":"\/13.1-567\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-567","metadata":false},{"id":346708,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-568","catch_line":"Injunctions","url":"\/13.1-568\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-568","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":346710,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-569","catch_line":"Crimes","url":"\/13.1-569\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-569","metadata":false},{"id":346709,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-569.1","catch_line":"Commission may transmit record or complaint to locality where violation occurred","url":"\/13.1-569.1\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-569.1","metadata":false},{"id":346711,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-570","catch_line":"Violations punishable by Commission","url":"\/13.1-570\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-570","metadata":false},{"id":346712,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-571","catch_line":"Civil remedies","url":"\/13.1-571\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-571","metadata":false},{"id":346713,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-572","catch_line":"Rules and forms","url":"\/13.1-572\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-572","metadata":false},{"id":346714,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-573","catch_line":"Certain records of Commission available to public; admissibility of copies; destruction","url":"\/13.1-573\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-573","metadata":false},{"id":346715,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-574","catch_line":"Effective date","url":"\/13.1-574\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-574","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":346706,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-566","catch_line":"Service of process on nonresident franchisor","url":"\/13.1-566\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-566","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":346708,"structure_id":49779,"section_number":"13.1-568","catch_line":"Injunctions","url":"\/13.1-568\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-568","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/13.1-567\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1972. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 561 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1972 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1979, chapter 379.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1377129,"object_type":"law","relational_id":346707,"identifier":"13.1-567","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-567","url":"\/13.1-567\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/13.1-567\/","token":"13.1\/8\/13.1-567","dublin_core":{"Title":"Investigations; confidentiality of information and documents","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 13.1-567","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Commission may make such investigations within or outside of this Commonwealth as it deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated the provisions of this chapter or any order<\/span> or injunction<\/span> of the Commission, and any franchisor found guilty of such a violation may be required to pay the actual costs of the investigation including the time of the investigator. The Commission shall have power to issue<\/span> subpoenas<\/span> and subpoenas<\/span> duces tecum to require the attendance of any person and the production of any papers for the purposes of such investigation. No person shall be excused from testifying on the ground that his testimony<\/span> would tend to incriminate<\/span> him, but if, after asserting his claim to the privilege<\/span>, he is required to testify, he shall not be prosecuted or penalized on account of any transactions concerning which he does testify.<\/p>

Information or documents obtained or prepared by any member, subordinate or employee of the Commission in the course of any examination or investigation conducted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed confidential and shall not be disclosed to the public; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to prohibit or limit (i) the publication of the findings<\/span>, decisions, orders<\/span>, judgments<\/span> or opinions<\/span> of the Commission; (ii) the use of any such information or documents in proceedings by or before the Commission or a hearing<\/span> examiner appointed by the Commission; (iii) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any quasi-governmental entity substantially associated with the retail franchising business approved by rule of the Commission; or, (iv) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any governmental entity approved by rule of the Commission, or to any attorney for the Commonwealth, or to the Attorney General<\/span> of Virginia.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINVESTIGATIONS; CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS (\u00a7 13.1-567)\n\nThe Commission may make such investigations within or outside of this\nCommonwealth as it deems necessary to determine whether any person has violated\nthe provisions of this chapter or any order or injunction of the Commission, and\nany franchisor found guilty of such a violation may be required to pay the\nactual costs of the investigation including the time of the investigator. The\nCommission shall have power to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to\nrequire the attendance of any person and the production of any papers for the\npurposes of such investigation. No person shall be excused from testifying on\nthe ground that his testimony would tend to incriminate him, but if, after\nasserting his claim to the privilege, he is required to testify, he shall not be\nprosecuted or penalized on account of any transactions concerning which he does\ntestify.\n\nInformation or documents obtained or prepared by any member, subordinate or\nemployee of the Commission in the course of any examination or investigation\nconducted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed\nconfidential and shall not be disclosed to the public; provided, however, that\nnothing contained herein shall be interpreted to prohibit or limit (i) the\npublication of the findings, decisions, orders, judgments or opinions of the\nCommission; (ii) the use of any such information or documents in proceedings by\nor before the Commission or a hearing examiner appointed by the Commission;\n(iii) the disclosure of any such information or documents to any\nquasi-governmental entity substantially associated with the retail franchising\nbusiness approved by rule of the Commission; or, (iv) the disclosure of any such\ninformation or documents to any governmental entity approved by rule of the\nCommission, or to any attorney for the Commonwealth, or to the Attorney General\nof Virginia.\n\nHISTORY: 1972, c. 561; 1979, c. 379.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}