Virginia legal term
Owner in Virginia Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Virginia legislative session
In Virginia criminal law, “Owner” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Virginia criminal code.
What does “Owner” mean in Virginia criminal law?
"Owner" means a person who holds the legal title to a vehicle; however, if a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for its conditional sale or lease with the right of purchase on performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee or if a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be the owner for the purpose of this title. (Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-100)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
- Breaking, injuring, defacing, destroying, or preventing the operation of vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel
- Certain premises deemed common nuisance
- Defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc
- Entering property of another for purpose of damaging it, etc
- Identification of certain personalty
- Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc
- Injuring, etc., any property, monument, etc
- Tampering with or unlawful use of cable television service
- Trespass with an unmanned aircraft system
- Unauthorized use of animal, aircraft, vehicle or boat
- Unlawful use of payment card scanning devices and re-encoders
- Using vehicles to promote prostitution or unlawful sexual intercourse
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.