---
type: "Bill"
title: "Search warrant for a tracking device; delivery of affidavit."
description: "Provides that an affidavit for a search warrant authorizing use of a tracking device may be delivered by a judicial officer's designee or agent. Current law requires the affidavit to be delivered by the judicial officer. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill is identical to"
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2018"
identifier: "SB 475"
citation: "Virginia SB 475 (2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Criminal Procedure", "Oaths", "Affirmations and Bonds"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bryce E. Reeves"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 18
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2018-01-09"
last_action: "2018-03-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0e4956dc-3d8f-447d-9f0a-56e865fc20f6"
source_url: "http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+sum+SB475"
source_hash: "5e0d3099be0db5010acd9d2657c74579b20d7ba943ec6d3f6eaca4eaee72eec4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 475 (2018) — Search warrant for a tracking device; delivery of affidavit.

Provides that an affidavit for a search warrant authorizing use of a tracking device may be delivered by a judicial officer's designee or agent. Current law requires the affidavit to be delivered by the judicial officer. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill is identical to

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB475ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ful+SB475ER)
2. **Senate: Committee substitute printed 18106402D-S1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ful+SB475S1)
3. **Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18101514D** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ful+SB475)

## Votes

- Reported from Courts of Justice — **17–0** (pass) · legislature
- Constitutional reading dispensed — **38–0** (pass) · legislature
- Passed House BLOCK VOTE — **100–0** (pass) · legislature
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute — **15–0** (pass) · legislature
- Read third time and passed Senate — **40–0** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Bryce E. Reeves — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-09** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18101514D `introduction`
- **2018-01-09** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-02-05** Reading of substitute waived
- **2018-02-05** Committee substitute agreed to 18106402D-S1
- **2018-02-05** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB475S1
- **2018-02-08** Placed on Calendar
- **2018-02-08** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2018-02-08** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-16** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2018-02-19** Passed House BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2018-02-21** Enrolled
- **2018-02-21** Signed by Speaker
- **2018-02-23** Signed by President
- **2018-02-26** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on February 26, 2018
- **2018-02-26** Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 5, 2018
- **2018-03-02** Approved by Governor-Chapter 84 (effective 7/1/18) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0e4956dc-3d8f-447d-9f0a-56e865fc20f6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).