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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-165 — Unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 8: Offenses Relating to Railroads and Other Utilities, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-165

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. § 18.2-165Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
Any person who shall willfully or maliciously break, injure or otherwise destroy or damage any of the posts, wires, towers or other materials or fixtures employed in the construction or use of any line of a television coaxial cable, or a microwave radio system, or willfully or maliciously interfere with such structure so erected, or in any way attempt to lead from its uses or make use of the electrical signal or any portion thereof properly belonging to or in use or in readiness to be made use of for the purpose of using said electrical signal from any television coaxial cable company or microwave system or owner of such property, shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

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Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

Unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment is a class 3 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-165.

Which Virginia statute covers unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment?

Unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-165 (Unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.