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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138 — Damaging public buildings, etc.; penalty

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 6: Damage to Realty and Personalty Thereon, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138

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. § 18.2-138Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
Any person who willfully and maliciously (i) breaks any window or door of the Capitol, any courthouse, house of public worship, institution of higher education, school house, city or town hall, or other public building or library, (ii) damages or defaces the Capitol or any other public building or any statuary in the Capitol, on the Capitol Square, or in or on any other public buildings or public grounds, or (iii) destroys any property in any of such buildings shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony if damage to the property is $1,000 or more or a Class 1 misdemeanor if the damage is less than $1,000. Any person who willfully and unlawfully damages or defaces any book, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, map, picture, manuscript, or other property located in any library, reading room, museum, or other educational institution shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony if damage to the property is $1,000 or more or a Class 1 misdemeanor if the damage is less than $1,000.

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Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is damaging public buildings, etc a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: damaging public buildings, etc ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138.

Damaging public buildings, etc. — damage $1,000 or more: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138) · Damaging public buildings, etc. — damage less than $1,000: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138) · Damaging library/educational institution property — damage $1,000 or more: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138) · Damaging library/educational institution property — damage less than $1,000: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138)

Which Virginia statute covers damaging public buildings, etc?

Damaging public buildings, etc is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-138 (Damaging public buildings, etc.; penalty).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.