{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/42.1-91.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/42.1-91.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/42.1-91.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/42.1-91.1.html"}],"law_id":363642,"edition_id":2,"section_id":363642,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-91.1","catch_line":"Availability of public records created prior to January 1, 1901","history":"2020, c. 773.","full_text":"Notwithstanding any provisions of a previously executed contract with any department, agency, or institution of the Commonwealth or political subdivision, any individual or private entity lawfully in possession of public records created prior to January 1, 1901, or images of such records may display or publish such records in any format, including in an electronic database or on the Internet, without paying a fee to or requesting permission from the original custodian of such records.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1354861,"text":"Notwithstanding any provisions of a previously executed contract with any department, agency, or institution of the Commonwealth or political subdivision, any individual or private entity lawfully in possession of public records created prior to January 1, 1901, or images of such records may display or publish such records in any format, including in an electronic database or on the Internet, without paying a fee to or requesting permission from the original custodian of such records.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51886,"edition_id":2,"name":"Virginia Public Records Act","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":7,"parent_id":51873,"metadata":{"child_laws":21,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:50:39","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:27","permalink":{"id":1448155,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51886,"identifier":"7","token":"42.1\/7","url":"\/42.1\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51873,"edition_id":2,"name":"Libraries","identifier":"42.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":93,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":105,"child_structures":14},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:50:30","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:26","permalink":{"id":1447817,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51873,"identifier":"42.1","token":"42.1","url":"\/42.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":363622,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-76","catch_line":"Legislative intent; title of chapter","url":"\/42.1-76\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76","metadata":false},{"id":363621,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-76.1","catch_line":"Notice of Chapter","url":"\/42.1-76.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-76.1","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":363623,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-77","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/42.1-77\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-77","metadata":false},{"id":363624,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-78","catch_line":"Confidentiality safeguarded","url":"\/42.1-78\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-78","metadata":false},{"id":363626,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-79","catch_line":"Records management function vested in The Library of Virginia","url":"\/42.1-79\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-79","metadata":false},{"id":363625,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-79.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-79.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-79.1","metadata":false},{"id":363628,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-80","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-80\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-80","metadata":false},{"id":363629,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-82","catch_line":"Duties and powers of Library Board","url":"\/42.1-82\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-82","metadata":false},{"id":363630,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-83","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-83\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-83","metadata":false},{"id":363631,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-84","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-84\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-84","metadata":false},{"id":363632,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-85","catch_line":"Records Management Program; agencies to cooperate; agencies to designate records officer","url":"\/42.1-85\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-85","metadata":false},{"id":363635,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-86","catch_line":"Essential public records; security recovery copies; disaster plans","url":"\/42.1-86\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-86","metadata":false},{"id":363633,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-86.01","catch_line":"Records may be retained in electronic medium","url":"\/42.1-86.01\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-86.01","metadata":false},{"id":363634,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-86.1","catch_line":"Disposition of public records","url":"\/42.1-86.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-86.1","metadata":false},{"id":363636,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-87","catch_line":"Archival public records","url":"\/42.1-87\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-87","metadata":false},{"id":363637,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-88","catch_line":"Custodians to deliver all records at expiration of term; penalty for noncompliance","url":"\/42.1-88\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-88","metadata":false},{"id":363638,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-89","catch_line":"Petition and court order for return of public records not in authorized possession","url":"\/42.1-89\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-89","metadata":false},{"id":363641,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-90","catch_line":"Seizure of public records not in authorized possession","url":"\/42.1-90\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-90","metadata":false},{"id":363640,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-90.1","catch_line":"Auditing","url":"\/42.1-90.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-90.1","metadata":false},{"id":363643,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-91","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-91\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91","metadata":false},{"id":363642,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-91.1","catch_line":"Availability of public records created prior to January 1, 1901","url":"\/42.1-91.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":363643,"structure_id":51886,"section_number":"42.1-91","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/42.1-91\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/42.1-91.1\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 2020. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0773\">773<\/a> 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.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1448237,"object_type":"law","relational_id":363642,"identifier":"42.1-91.1","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91.1","url":"\/42.1-91.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/42.1-91.1\/","token":"42.1\/7\/42.1-91.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Availability of public records created prior to January 1, 1901","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 42.1-91.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Notwithstanding any provisions of a previously executed <span class=\"dictionary\">contract<\/span> with any department, <span class=\"dictionary\">agency<\/span>, or institution of the Commonwealth or political subdivision, any individual or private entity lawfully in <span class=\"dictionary\">possession<\/span> of <span class=\"dictionary\">public records<\/span> created prior to January 1, 1901, or images of such records may display or publish such records in any format, including in an electronic database or on the Internet, without paying a fee to or requesting permission from the original <span class=\"dictionary\">custodian<\/span> of such records.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nAVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC RECORDS CREATED PRIOR TO JANUARY 1, 1901 (\u00a7 42.1-91.1)\n\nNotwithstanding any provisions of a previously executed contract with any\ndepartment, agency, or institution of the Commonwealth or political subdivision,\nany individual or private entity lawfully in possession of public records\ncreated prior to January 1, 1901, or images of such records may display or\npublish such records in any format, including in an electronic database or on\nthe Internet, without paying a fee to or requesting permission from the original\ncustodian of such records.\n\nHISTORY: 2020, c. 773.","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"}}