State law guide · Virginia
Unwanted calls and texts in Virginia: what the rules say
Virginia's Telephone Privacy Protection Act covers defined commercial solicitations by call and, for specified wireless numbers, by text. It restricts solicitations to numbers on the federal Do Not Call Registry and requires certain text opt-out requests, such as STOP or UNSUBSCRIBE, to be honored for at least ten years.
Where the rules draw a line
The Act has exceptions and detailed definitions, so not every call or text is covered. A separate Virginia chapter addresses some commercial calls using devices that deliver prerecorded or synthesized voice messages. These sections do not set a general calling-hour rule for texts.
What this can mean for a consumer
A natural person aggrieved by a violation of the Telephone Privacy Protection Act may seek an injunction and statutory damages: $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second, and $5,000 for each later violation. A court may increase damages for a willful first or second violation, and may award fees and costs.
Keep the details
Save the full text thread, call log, voicemails, dates and times, the company or product named, and any reply asking the sender to stop. Those details can help show what happened; they do not establish by themselves that a law was violated.
Official Virginia sources
- Va. Code § 59.1-514, unwanted telephone solicitations
- Va. Code § 59.1-515, individual action for damages
- Virginia Code Chapter 44.1, automatic dialing-announcing devices
This page is general information, not legal advice. State and federal rules have different definitions, exceptions, and deadlines. Whether a rule applies depends on the facts and current law.