{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/63.2-1513.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/63.2-1513.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/63.2-1513.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/63.2-1513.html"}],"law_id":375378,"edition_id":2,"section_id":375378,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1513","catch_line":"Knowingly making false reports; penalties","history":"1996, cc. 813, 836, \u00a7 63.1-248.5:1.01; 1999, c. 828; 2002, c. 747.","full_text":"A\n\nAny person fourteen years of age or older who makes or causes to be made a report of child abuse or neglect pursuant to this chapter that he knows to be false shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any person fourteen years of age or older who has been previously convicted under this subsection and who is subsequently convicted under this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.\n\nB\n\nThe child-protective services records regarding the person who was alleged to have committed abuse or neglect that result from a report for which a conviction is obtained under this section shall be purged immediately by any custodian of such records upon presentation to the custodian of a certified copy of such conviction. After purging the records, the custodian shall notify the person in writing that such records have been purged.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1401363,"text":"Any person fourteen years of age or older who makes or causes to be made a report of child abuse or neglect pursuant to this chapter that he knows to be false shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any person fourteen years of age or older who has been previously convicted under this subsection and who is subsequently convicted under this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1401364,"text":"The child-protective services records regarding the person who was alleged to have committed abuse or neglect that result from a report for which a conviction is obtained under this section shall be purged immediately by any custodian of such records upon presentation to the custodian of a certified copy of such conviction. After purging the records, the custodian shall notify the person in writing that such records have been purged.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":53370,"edition_id":2,"name":"Complaints","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":2,"parent_id":53368,"metadata":{"child_laws":6,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:15:39","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:37:00","permalink":{"id":1498751,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53370,"identifier":"2","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2","url":"\/63.2\/III\/15\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53368,"edition_id":2,"name":"Child Abuse and Neglect","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":6,"parent_id":53353,"metadata":{"child_laws":40,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:15:38","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:59","permalink":{"id":1498711,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53368,"identifier":"15","token":"63.2\/III\/15","url":"\/63.2\/III\/15\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53353,"edition_id":2,"name":"Social Services Programs","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":53350,"metadata":{"child_laws":188,"child_structures":29},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:15:26","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:57","permalink":{"id":1498333,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53353,"identifier":"III","token":"63.2\/III","url":"\/63.2\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53350,"edition_id":2,"name":"Welfare (Social Services)","identifier":"63.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":135,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":493,"child_structures":73},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:15:26","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:55","permalink":{"id":1497663,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53350,"identifier":"63.2","token":"63.2","url":"\/63.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":375373,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1508","catch_line":"Valid report or complaint","url":"\/63.2-1508\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1508","metadata":false},{"id":375374,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1509","catch_line":"Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalty for failure to report","url":"\/63.2-1509\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1509","metadata":false},{"id":375375,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1510","catch_line":"Complaints by others of certain injuries to children","url":"\/63.2-1510\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1510","metadata":false},{"id":375376,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1511","catch_line":"Complaints of abuse and neglect against school personnel; interagency agreement","url":"\/63.2-1511\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1511","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. Rebecca Benedict-Miller v. Virginia Department of Social .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"0323211","citation":null,"date":"2021-11-23","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/5300129\/rebecca-benedict-miller-v-virginia-department-of-social-services\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Mulvey v. Jones","case_number":"3346022","citation":"587 S.E.2d 728","date":"2003-10-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1064089\/mulvey-v-jones\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. ELDER, J., .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Tori Turner v. Massie MHP, LLC","case_number":"1508233","citation":null,"date":"2024-08-06","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/10032272\/tori-turner-v-massie-mhp-llc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":375377,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1512","catch_line":"Immunity of person making report, etc., from liability","url":"\/63.2-1512\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1512","metadata":false},{"id":375378,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1513","catch_line":"Knowingly making false reports; penalties","url":"\/63.2-1513\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1513","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Norfolk Department of Human Services v. Joshua Goldberg","case_number":"1382231","citation":null,"date":"2024-08-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/10046085\/norfolk-department-of-human-services-v-joshua-goldberg\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"}}}}],"previous_section":{"id":375377,"structure_id":53370,"section_number":"63.2-1512","catch_line":"Immunity of person making report, etc., from liability","url":"\/63.2-1512\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1512","metadata":false},"metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Norfolk Department of Human Services v. Joshua Goldberg","case_number":"1382231","citation":null,"date":"2024-08-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/10046085\/norfolk-department-of-human-services-v-joshua-goldberg\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"}}},"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/63.2-1513\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1996. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 813<\/a> and 836<\/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. It has been modified 2 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1999, chapter 828<\/a>; in 2002, chapter 747<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1498773,"object_type":"law","relational_id":375378,"identifier":"63.2-1513","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1513","url":"\/63.2-1513\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/63.2-1513\/","token":"63.2\/III\/15\/2\/63.2-1513","dublin_core":{"Title":"Knowingly making false reports; penalties","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 63.2-1513","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Any person fourteen years of age or older who makes or causes to be made a report of child<\/span> abuse or neglect pursuant to this chapter that he knows to be false shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. Any person fourteen years of age or older who has been previously convicted under this subsection and who is subsequently convicted under this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The child<\/span>-protective services<\/span> records regarding the person who was alleged to have committed abuse or neglect that result from a report for which a conviction<\/span> is obtained under this section shall be purged immediately by any custodian of such records upon presentation to the custodian of a certified copy of such conviction<\/span>. After purging the records, the custodian shall notify the person in writing that such records have been purged. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nKNOWINGLY MAKING FALSE REPORTS; PENALTIES (\u00a7 63.2-1513)\n\nA. Any person fourteen years of age or older who makes or causes to be made a\nreport of child abuse or neglect pursuant to this chapter that he knows to be\nfalse shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any person fourteen years of age\nor older who has been previously convicted under this subsection and who is\nsubsequently convicted under this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 6\nfelony.\n\nB. The child-protective services records regarding the person who was alleged to\nhave committed abuse or neglect that result from a report for which a conviction\nis obtained under this section shall be purged immediately by any custodian of\nsuch records upon presentation to the custodian of a certified copy of such\nconviction. After purging the records, the custodian shall notify the person in\nwriting that such records have been purged.\n\nHISTORY: 1996, cc. 813, 836, \u00a7 63.1-248.5:1.01; 1999, c. 828; 2002, c. 747.","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"}}