Virginia legal term
Confidential informant in Virginia Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Virginia legislative session
In Virginia criminal law, “Confidential informant” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Virginia criminal code.
What does “Confidential informant” mean in Virginia criminal law?
"Confidential informant" means any person, other than an employee of a law-enforcement agency, who engages in, or provides information about, criminal activity for the purpose of assisting a law-enforcement agency in investigating the criminal activity of another, in exchange for a benefit, the promise of a benefit, or the hope or expectation thereof. (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-64.2)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.