Skip to main content
US Criminal Defense.org
Menu

Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-897 — Duty of certain persons accompanying driver to report accidents involving damage only to unattended property

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 11: Accidents, Code of Virginia.

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-897

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. § 46.2-897Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
If the driver fails to stop and make a reasonable search for the owner or custodian of an unattended vehicle or property or to leave a note for such owner or custodian as required by § 46.2-896 , every person sixteen years of age or older in the vehicle with the driver at the time of the accident who has knowledge of the accident shall have a duty to ensure that a report is made within twenty-four hours from the time of the accident to the State Police or, if the accident occurs in a city or town, to the local law-enforcement agency. The report shall include his name, address, and such other facts within his knowledge as are required by § 46.2-896 to be reported by the driver.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897 a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897 ranges from a class 4 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-900.

Accident resulting in injury or death: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-900) · Accident resulting only in property damage: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-900) · Property damage to unattended vehicle/property under $250: class 4 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-900)

What are the penalties for penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897 in Virginia?

Penalties for penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897 in Virginia depend on how it is classified — from a class 4 misdemeanor up to a class 6 felony — with the ranges set by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-10 and Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-11; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which Virginia statute covers penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897?

Penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897 is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-900 (Penalty for violation of §§ 46.2-895 through 46.2-897).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.