A court may authorize the use of electronic or photographic means for the preservation of the record or parts thereof.
Rule 7A:6.Preservation of the Record.
Part Seven A: General District Courts – In General · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceRule 7A:6 permits a General District Court to preserve its record, or parts of it, using electronic or photographic means rather than relying only on paper originals.
Full Text of Rule 7A:6
Plain-English Summary
Rule 7A:6 is a short authorization: a court may use electronic or photographic means to preserve the record of a case, or any part of that record. Rather than requiring every document to survive only as a paper original, the rule lets a court capture and retain the record through imaging or electronic storage.
The rule does not specify which technology a court must use or require preservation of the entire record by these means — it authorizes the practice and leaves the choice of method, and how much of the record to preserve that way, to the court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a General District Court keep its records electronically instead of on paper?
Yes. Rule 7A:6 authorizes a court to use electronic or photographic means to preserve the record, or parts of the record, of a case.
Does Rule 7A:6 require the entire case record to be preserved electronically?
No. The rule permits preservation of the record or parts thereof by electronic or photographic means, leaving the scope and method to the court.
Does Rule 7A:6 name a specific technology a court must use?
No. It authorizes electronic or photographic preservation generally, without specifying particular equipment or software the court must adopt.
Is this rule about preserving transcripts, or the case record more broadly?
It reaches the record generally. Rule 7A:6 speaks of preserving “the record or parts thereof,” which is broader than the transcript provisions addressed separately in Rule 7A:4.
Who decides whether to use electronic preservation instead of paper originals?
The court. Rule 7A:6 gives the court authority to make that choice; it does not require any particular preservation method.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia, published by the
Supreme Court of Virginia. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: virginia GDC electronic record preservationphotographic preservation court record virginiarule 7A:6 preservation of the recordvirginia general district court digital recordselectronic case record virginia court