Chap. 161.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 6, as amended, of Chapter 342
of the Acts of Assembly of 1932, approved March 26, 1932, short title of which
is “The Motor Vehicle Code of Virginia”, the section relating to certain powers
and duties of the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles and the
Superintendent of State Police, respectively.

Approved March 8, 1944

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section six, as amended, of chapter three hundred forty-two
of the Acts of Assembly of nineteen hundred thirty-two, approved March
twenty-six, nineteen hundred thirty-two, short title of which is “The
Motor Vehicle Code of Virginia’, be amended and re-enacted, as fol-
lows:

Section 6. Powers and duties of Commissioner and Superintendent
of State Police, their assistants and police officers of Division of Motor
Vehicles and of Department of State Police to enforce criminal laws;
fees—(a) The Superintendent of State Police, his several assistants,
and police officers appointed by him are vested with the powers of a
sheriff for the purpose of enforcing all the criminal laws of this State,
and it shall be the duty of the Superintendent, his several assistants and
police officers appointed by him to use their best efforts to enforce same.
The Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles, his several
assistants, and police officers appointed by him are vested with the powers
of a sheriff for the purpose of enforcing the laws of this State which the
Commissioner is required to enforce.

Nothing in this act shall be construed as relieving any sheriff or
sergeant, commissioner of the revenue, police officer, or any other of-
ficial now or hereafter invested with police powers and duties, State or
local, from the duty of aiding and assisting in the enforcement of such
laws within the scope of their respective authority and duty.

All police officers appointed by the Superintendent or Commissioner
are vested with the authority and power to administer oaths and take
acknowledgments and affidavits incidental to the administration and
enforcement of this act and all other laws relating to the operation of
motor vehicles, applications for operators’ and chauffeurs’ licenses and
the collection and refunding of taxes levied on gasoline, for which serv-
ices they shall receive no compensation.

(b) No justice of the peace, trial justice, police justice, civil and
police justice, or other court, in this State, shall in any case, in which
a fine is assessed for the violation of any law of this State, or any sub-
division thereof, assess, as a part of the cost of the case any fee for ar-
rest, or as a witness, for the benefit of any police officer of the Depart-
ment of State Police or of the Division; nor shall any such police officer
receive any such fee. Any such police officer who accepts or receives
any such fee shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by
a fine of not more than one hundred dollars, and in addition the Super-
intendent or Commissioner, respectively, may remove him therefor. But
such officers are not prohibited from accepting or receiving rewards.