SECTION 8.01-449. How judgments are docketed  

A. The judgment docket required by § 8.01-446 may be kept in a well-bound book, or any other media permitted by § 8.01-446 . The date and time of docketing shall be recorded with each judgment docketed. The clerk of the circuit court of any county using card files on July 1, 1975, may continue to use the card file system. The docketing may be done by copying the wording of the judgment order verbatim or by abstracting the information therefrom into a book or into fixed fields of an electronic data storage system. Where a procedural microphotographic system is used, the docketing may be done by recording and storing a retrievable image of the judgment order, judgment abstract, or other source document such as a certificate of assignment or release. Where an electronic imaging system is used, the document image shall be stored in a data format which permits recall of the image. Any judgment docketed pursuant to this subsection shall contain the information required by subsection B.

B. Where a well-bound book is used for the judgment docket there shall be stated in separate columns (i) the date and amount of the judgment, (ii) the time from which it bears interest, (iii) the costs, (iv) the full names of all the parties thereto, including the address, date of birth and the last four digits of the social security number, if known, of each party against whom judgment is rendered, (v) the alternative value of any specific property recovered by it, (vi) the date and the time of docketing it, (vii) the amount and date of any credits thereon, (viii) the court by which it was rendered and the case number, and (ix) when paid off or discharged in whole or in part, the time of payment or discharge and by whom made when there is more than one defendant. And in case of a judgment or decree by confession, the clerk shall also enter in such docket the time of day at which the same was confessed, or at which the same was received in his office to be entered of record. There shall also be shown on such book the name of the plaintiff's attorney, if any.

C. Error or omission in the entry of the address or addresses or the social security number or numbers of each party against whom judgment is rendered shall in no way affect the validity, finality or priority of the judgment docketed.

D. Beginning July 1, 2012, any judgment made available to subscribers via secure remote access pursuant to § 8.01-446 shall contain only the last four digits of the social security number of any party. However, the information otherwise required in the judgment docket pursuant to this section shall be provided.

E. The attorney or party who prepares or submits the judgment for recordation has the responsibility for ensuring that only the last four digits of the social security number are included in the judgment prior to the instrument's being submitted for recordation. The clerk has the authority to reject any judgment that does not comply with the provisions of this section.

Code 1950, § 8-377; 1973, c. 544; 1977, c. 617; 1982, c. 405; 1985, c. 171; 1988, c. 420; 1996, c. 8.01-446 ; 1997, c. 8.01-446 ; 2007, cc. 8.01-446 , 8.01-446 ; 2008, cc. 8.01-446 , 8.01-446 ; 2010, c. 8.01-446 .