Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-347 — Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place; "bawdy place" defined; penalty
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 3: Commercial Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, Etc, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-347
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.
It is unlawful for any person to keep any bawdy place, or to reside in or at or visit for immoral purposes any such bawdy place. Each day such bawdy place is kept, resided in, or visited shall constitute a separate offense. In a prosecution under this section, the general reputation of the bawdy place may be proved. A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
As used in this Code, "bawdy place" means any place within or outside any building or structure that is used or is to be used for lewdness, assignation, or prostitution.
Official sources
Questions this section answers
Is keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-347.
Which Virginia statute covers keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place?
Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-347 (Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place; "bawdy place" defined; penalty).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.