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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127 — Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 5: Trespass to Realty, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127

Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
A. Any person who willfully or maliciously commits any of the following acts is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor: 1. Destroys, removes, cuts, breaks, or injures any tree, shrub, or plant on any church property or within any cemetery or lot of any memorial or monumental association; 2. Destroys, mutilates, injures, or removes and carries away any flowers, wreaths, vases, or other ornaments placed within any church or on church property, or placed upon or around any grave, tomb, monument, or lot in any cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial; or 3. Obstructs proper ingress to and egress from any church or any cemetery or lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association. B. Any person who maliciously places any dead animal within any church or on church property is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. C. Any person who willfully or maliciously destroys, mutilates, defaces, injures, or removes any object or structure permanently attached or affixed within any church or on church property, any tomb, monument, gravestone, or other structure placed within any cemetery, graveyard, or place of burial, or within any lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association, or any fence, railing, or other work for the protection or ornament of any tomb, monument, gravestone, or other structure aforesaid, or of any cemetery lot within any cemetery is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A person convicted under this section who is required to pay restitution by the court shall be required to pay restitution to the church, if the property damaged is property of the church, or to the owner of a cemetery, if the property damaged is located within such cemetery regardless of whether the property damaged is owned by the cemetery or by another person. D. This section shall not apply to any work which is done by the authorities of a church or congregation in the maintenance or improvement of any church property or any burial ground or cemetery belonging to it and under its management or control and which does not injure or result in the removal of a tomb, monument, gravestone, grave marker or vault. For purposes of this section, "church" shall mean any place of worship, and "church property" shall mean any educational building or community center owned or rented by a church.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127.

Injury to church property, cemetery trees/plants, ornaments, or obstruction of access: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127A) · Placing dead animal in church or church property: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127B) · Destruction of structures, monuments, or fixtures in church or cemetery: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127C)

Which Virginia statute covers injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc?

Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-127 (Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.