Rule 4:7.Use of Depositions in Court Proceedings.

Part Four: Pretrial Procedures, Dispositions and Production at Trial · Last amended 2025 · Last verified July 16, 2026

In one sentenceRule 4:7 sets when a deposition may be used at trial or a hearing — for impeachment, against a party who had notice, for any purpose if the deponent is a party or organizational designee, or as a substitute for an unavailable witness — along with the objections and irregularities that can affect its use.

Full Text of Rule 4:7

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) Use of Depositions. — At the trial or upon the hearing of a motion or an interlocutory proceeding, any part or all of a deposition, so far as admissible under the rules of evidence applied as though the witness were then present and testifying, may be used against any party who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition or who had reasonable notice thereof, in accordance with any of the following provisions:

(1) Any deposition taken in a civil action may be used for any purpose in supporting or opposing an equitable claim; provided, however, that such a deposition may be used on an issue heard by an advisory jury empaneled pursuant to Code § 8.01-336(E) or a hearing ore tenus only as provided by subdivision (a)(4) of this Rule.

(2) Any deposition may be used by any party for the purpose of contradicting or impeaching the testimony of deponent as a witness.

(3) The deposition of a party or of anyone who at the time of taking the deposition was an officer, director, or managing agent, or a person designated under Rule 4:5(b)(6) or 4:6(a) to testify on behalf of a public or private corporation, partnership or association or governmental agency which is a party may be used by an adverse party for any purpose.

(4) The deposition of a witness, whether or not a party, may be used by any party for any purpose in any action upon a claim arising at law, issue heard by an advisory jury empaneled pursuant to Code § 8.01-336(E), or hearing ore tenus upon an equitable claim if the court finds: (A) that the witness is dead; or (B) that the witness is at a greater distance than 100 miles from the place of trial or hearing, or is out of this Commonwealth, unless it appears that the absence of the witness was procured by the party offering the deposition; or (C) that the witness is unable to attend or testify because of age, illness, infirmity, or imprisonment; or (D) that the party offering the deposition has been unable to procure the attendance of the witness by subpoena; or (E) that the witness is a judge, or is a superintendent of a hospital for the insane more than 30 miles from the place of trial, or is a physician, surgeon, dentist, chiropractor, or registered nurse who, in the regular course of his profession, treated or examined any party to the proceeding, or is in any public office or service the duties of which prevent his attending court provided, however, that if the deponent is subject to the jurisdiction of the court, the court may, upon a showing of good cause or sua sponte, order him to attend and to testify ore tenus; or (F) upon application and notice, that such exceptional circumstances exist as to make it desirable, in the interest of justice and with due regard to the importance of presenting the testimony of witnesses orally in open court, to allow the deposition to be used.

(5) If only part of a deposition is offered in evidence by a party, an adverse party may require him to introduce any other part which ought in fairness to be considered with the part introduced, and any party may introduce any other parts.

(6) No deposition may be read in any action against a person under a disability unless it be taken in the presence of the guardian ad litem appointed or attorney serving pursuant to § 8.01-9, or upon questions agreed on by the guardian or attorney before the taking.

(7) In any action, the fact that a deposition has not been offered in evidence prior to an interlocutory decree or order does not prevent its thereafter being so offered except as to matters ruled upon in such interlocutory decree or order; provided, however, that such deposition may be read as to matters ruled upon in such an interlocutory decree or order if the principles applicable to after-discovered evidence would permit its introduction.

Substitution of parties does not affect the right to use depositions previously taken; and when there are pending in the same court several actions or suits between the same parties, depending upon the same facts, or involving the same matter of controversy, in whole or in part, a deposition taken in one of such actions or suits, upon notice to the same party or parties, may be read in all, so far as it is applicable and relevant to the issue; and, when an action in any court of the United States or of this or any other state has been dismissed and another action involving the same subject matter is afterward brought between the same parties or their representatives or successors in interest, all depositions lawfully taken in the one action may be used in the other as if originally taken therefor.

(b) Form of Presentation; Objections to Admissibility. — A party may offer deposition testimony pursuant to this Rule in stenographic or nonstenographic form. Except as otherwise directed by the court, if all or part of a deposition is offered, the offering party must provide the court with a transcript of the portions so offered in either form or in electronic or digitally imaged form. Except as provided in Rule 1:18 and subject to the provisions of subdivision (d)(3) of this Rule, objection may be made at the trial or hearing to receiving in evidence any deposition or part thereof for any reason which would require the exclusion of the evidence if the witness were then present and testifying.

(c) Effect of Taking or Using Depositions. — A party does not make a person his own witness for any purpose by taking his deposition. The introduction in evidence of the deposition or any part thereof for any purpose other than that of contradicting or impeaching the deponent makes the deponent the witness of the party introducing the deposition, but this does not apply to the use by an adverse party of a deposition under subdivision (a)(3) of this Rule. At the trial or hearing any party may rebut any relevant evidence contained in a deposition whether introduced by him or by any other party.

(d) Effect of Errors and Irregularities in Depositions. —

(1) As to Notice. – All errors and irregularities in the notice for taking a deposition are waived unless written objection is promptly served upon the party giving the notice.

(2) As to Disqualification of Officer. – Objection to taking a deposition because of disqualification of the officer before whom it is to be taken is waived unless made before the taking of the deposition begins or as soon thereafter as the disqualification becomes known or could be discovered with reasonable diligence.

(3) As to Taking of Deposition. –

(A) Objections to the competency of a witness or to the competency, relevancy, or materiality of testimony are not waived by failure to make them before or during the taking of the deposition, unless the ground of the objection is one which might have been obviated or removed if presented at that time.

(B) Errors and irregularities occurring at the oral examination in the manner of taking the deposition, in the form of the questions or answers, in the oath or affirmation, or in the conduct of parties, and errors of any kind which might be obviated, removed, or cured if promptly presented, are waived unless seasonable objection thereto is made at the taking of the deposition.

(C) Objections to the form of written questions submitted under Rule 4:6 are waived unless served in writing upon the party propounding them within the time allowed for serving the succeeding cross or other questions and within 5 days after service of the last questions authorized.

(4) As to Completion and Return of Deposition. – Errors and irregularities in the manner in which the testimony is transcribed or the deposition is prepared, signed, certified, sealed, endorsed, transmitted, filed or otherwise dealt with by the officer under Rules 4:5 and 4:6 are waived unless a motion to suppress the deposition or some part thereof is made with reasonable promptness after such defect is, or with due diligence might have been, ascertained.

(e) Limitation on Use of Depositions. — No motion for summary judgment or to strike the evidence may be sustained when based in whole or in part upon any depositions under Rule 4:5, unless such use of depositions is permitted by § 8.01-420.

(f) Record. — Depositions become a part of the record only to the extent that they are offered in evidence.

End

Plain-English Summary

Rule 4:7 controls when a deposition, once taken, can be used in court. The baseline: it may be used against anyone who was present, represented, or had reasonable notice of it, to the same extent the testimony would be admissible if the witness were on the stand. Any deposition may be used to impeach the deponent. The deposition of a party — or of an officer, director, or designated witness testifying on an organization’s behalf — may be used by an adverse party for any purpose. And a deposition can stand in for live testimony entirely if the court finds the witness unavailable: dead, more than 100 miles from the courthouse or out of state, unable to attend because of age, illness, or imprisonment, beyond the reach of a subpoena, in specified categories such as a treating physician or sitting judge, or where exceptional circumstances make it just to use the deposition instead.

Fairness rules round out the use provisions. If one party offers only part of a deposition, an adverse party may require that related parts come in too. A deposition may not be read against a person under a disability unless a guardian ad litem was present or agreed to the questions in advance. A deposition not offered before an interlocutory ruling remains usable afterward, except on matters the ruling already decided, subject to the standards for after-discovered evidence. Substituting parties does not cut off the right to use depositions already taken, and a deposition from one case can carry over to a related or refiled action involving the same parties and subject matter.

A party may present deposition testimony in written or recorded form, but must give the court a transcript of the portions offered. Taking someone’s deposition does not make that person the deposing party’s own witness; introducing the deposition for a purpose beyond impeachment does make the deponent that party’s witness, except when an adverse party uses a party’s or designee’s deposition under Rule 4:7(a)(3). Any party may rebut relevant deposition evidence regardless of who introduced it.

Errors in how a deposition was noticed, taken, or handled afterward are generally waived unless raised promptly — objections to the notice must come before the deposition, objections to the officer’s qualifications as soon as the disqualification is discovered, and objections to the form of written questions under Rule 4:6 within the time set for later questions. Objections to a witness’s competency or to relevance survive without a timely objection unless the problem could have been fixed at the time. No motion for summary judgment or to strike the evidence may rest on a Rule 4:5 deposition unless Code § 8.01-420 allows it, and a deposition becomes part of the case record only once it is offered in evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can a deposition be used at trial in Virginia?

To impeach the deponent, against a party who had notice of it, for any purpose if it is a party’s or organizational designee’s deposition, or as a substitute for an unavailable witness (Rule 4:7(a)).

What makes a witness “unavailable” so a deposition can replace live testimony?

Death, being more than 100 miles from the courthouse or out of state, inability to attend because of age, illness, or imprisonment, inability to procure attendance by subpoena, certain professional categories like a treating physician or sitting judge, or exceptional circumstances justifying use of the deposition (Rule 4:7(a)(4)).

Does deposing someone make them your witness at trial?

No. Rule 4:7(c) states that taking a deposition does not make the deponent your own witness; only introducing the deposition for a purpose beyond impeachment has that effect, with an exception for an adverse party’s use of a party’s deposition.

Can a deposition alone support a motion for summary judgment in Virginia?

Not when it comes to Rule 4:5 depositions — Rule 4:7(e) bars summary judgment or a motion to strike based in whole or part on such depositions unless Code § 8.01-420 permits it.

What happens if you do not object to a defect in a deposition right away?

Many objections are waived if not raised promptly — to the notice before the deposition begins, to the officer’s disqualification as soon as it is discovered, and to written-question form within the time for later questions (Rule 4:7(d)).

Amendment History

Last amended by Order dated June 18, 2025; effective August 17, 2025.

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

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