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                                                                       Exhibit 5



                              ATLAS PEARLMAN, P.A.
                     350 East Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 1700
                         Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301



                                  June 12, 2001


Visual Data Corporation
1291 S.W. 29th Avenue
Pompano Beach, Florida 33069

         RE:  REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4; VISUAL DATA CORPORATION (THE
              "COMPANY")

Gentlemen:

         This opinion is submitted pursuant to the applicable rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the registration by the
Company of 1,183,614 shares of the Company's common stock, $.0001 par value
("Common Stock").

         In connection therewith, we have examined and relied upon original,
certified, conformed, photostat or other copies of (i) the Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company; (ii) resolutions of the Board of
Directors of the Company authorizing the offering and the issuance of the Common
Stock, and related matters; (iii) the Registration Statement and the exhibits
thereto; and (iv) such other matters of law as we have deemed necessary for the
expression of the opinion herein contained. In all such examinations, we have
assumed the genuineness of all signatures on original documents, and the
conformity to originals or certified documents of all copies submitted to us as
conformed, photostat or other copies. In passing upon certain corporate records
and documents of the Company, we have necessarily assumed the correctness and
completeness of the statements made or included therein by the Company, and we
express no opinion thereon. As to the various questions of fact material to this
opinion, we have relied, to the extent we deemed reasonably appropriate, upon
representations or certificates of officers or directors of the Company and upon
documents, records and instruments furnished to us by the Company, without
independently checking or verifying the accuracy of such documents, records and
instruments.


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Visual Data Corporation
June 12, 2001
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         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Common Stock
has been duly and validly authorized and when issued and paid for will be fully
paid and non-assessable. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an
exhibit to the Registration Statement and to use our name under the caption
"Legal Matters" in the prospectus comprising part of the Registration Statement.
In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in with the
category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.


                                                   Sincerely,



                                                   ATLAS PEARLMAN, P.A.