{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-127.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-127.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-127.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-127.html"}],"law_id":78721,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78721,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-127","catch_line":"Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-244; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1982, c. 561; 1983, c. 579; 1990, c. 510; 2004, c. 203; 2020, c. 485.","full_text":"A\n\nAny person who willfully or maliciously commits any of the following acts is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor:1\n\nDestroys, 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\n\nDestroys, 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; or3\n\nObstructs proper ingress to and egress from any church or any cemetery or lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association.B\n\nAny person who maliciously places any dead animal within any church or on church property is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.C\n\nAny 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\n\nThis 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, &#8220;church&#8221; shall mean any place of worship, and &#8220;church property&#8221; shall mean any educational building or community center owned or rented by a church.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":282063,"text":"Any person who willfully or maliciously commits any of the following acts is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":282064,"text":"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;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":282065,"text":"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","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"A3"},"3":{"id":282066,"text":"Obstructs proper ingress to and egress from any church or any cemetery or lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"A3","prefix_anchor":"A3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"B"},"4":{"id":282067,"text":"Any person who maliciously places any dead animal within any church or on church property is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A3","next_prefix":"C"},"5":{"id":282068,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"6":{"id":282069,"text":"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, &#8220;church&#8221; shall mean any place of worship, and &#8220;church property&#8221; shall mean any educational building or community center owned or rented by a church.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15771,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trespass to Realty","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13243,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:59:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:59:19","permalink":{"id":165549,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15771,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13243,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against Property","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":165299,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13243,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":76989,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-119","catch_line":"Trespass after having been forbidden to do so; penalties","url":"\/18.2-119\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-119","metadata":false},{"id":74410,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-119.1","catch_line":"Validity of signs forbidding trespass; penalty","url":"\/18.2-119.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-119.1","metadata":false},{"id":82145,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-120","catch_line":"Instigating, etc., such trespass by others; preventing service to persons not forbidden to trespass","url":"\/18.2-120\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-120","metadata":false},{"id":68767,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-121","catch_line":"Entering property of another for purpose of damaging it, etc.; penalties","url":"\/18.2-121\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-121","metadata":false},{"id":80533,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-121.1","catch_line":"Permitting certain animals to run at large","url":"\/18.2-121.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-121.1","metadata":false},{"id":70083,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-121.2","catch_line":"Trespass by spotlight on agricultural land","url":"\/18.2-121.2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-121.2","metadata":false},{"id":78050,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-121.3","catch_line":"Trespass with an unmanned aircraft system; penalty","url":"\/18.2-121.3\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-121.3","metadata":false},{"id":78921,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-122","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-122\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-122","metadata":false},{"id":85017,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-123","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-123\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-123","metadata":false},{"id":73272,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-124","catch_line":"Jurisdiction over offenses committed in Capitol Square","url":"\/18.2-124\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-124","metadata":false},{"id":86603,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-125","catch_line":"Trespass at night upon any cemetery","url":"\/18.2-125\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-125","metadata":false},{"id":75180,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-126","catch_line":"Violation of sepulture; defilement of a dead human body; penalties","url":"\/18.2-126\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-126","metadata":false},{"id":78721,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-127","catch_line":"Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty","url":"\/18.2-127\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-127","metadata":false},{"id":85982,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-128","catch_line":"Trespass upon church or school property","url":"\/18.2-128\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-128","metadata":false},{"id":63739,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-129","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-129\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-129","metadata":false},{"id":62388,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-130","catch_line":"Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure","url":"\/18.2-130\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-130","metadata":false},{"id":70019,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-130.1","catch_line":"Peeping or spying into dwelling or occupied building by electronic device or unmanned aircraft system; penalty","url":"\/18.2-130.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-130.1","metadata":false},{"id":68049,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-131","catch_line":"Trespass upon licensed shooting preserve","url":"\/18.2-131\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-131","metadata":false},{"id":65729,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-132","catch_line":"Trespass by hunters and fishers","url":"\/18.2-132\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-132","metadata":false},{"id":74846,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-132.1","catch_line":"Trespass by hunters using dogs; penalty","url":"\/18.2-132.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-132.1","metadata":false},{"id":80288,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-133","catch_line":"Refusal of person on land, etc., of another to identify himself","url":"\/18.2-133\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-133","metadata":false},{"id":74280,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-134","catch_line":"Trespass on posted property","url":"\/18.2-134\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-134","metadata":false},{"id":75088,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-134.1","catch_line":"Method of posting lands","url":"\/18.2-134.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-134.1","metadata":false},{"id":68048,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-135","catch_line":"Destruction of posted signs; posting land of another","url":"\/18.2-135\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-135","metadata":false},{"id":60709,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-136","catch_line":"Right of certain hunters to go on lands of another; carrying firearms or bows and arrows prohibited","url":"\/18.2-136\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-136","metadata":false},{"id":67481,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-136.1","catch_line":"Enforcement of \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-131 through 18.2-135","url":"\/18.2-136.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-136.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":75180,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-126","catch_line":"Violation of sepulture; defilement of a dead human body; penalties","url":"\/18.2-126\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-126","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":85982,"structure_id":15771,"section_number":"18.2-128","catch_line":"Trespass upon church or school property","url":"\/18.2-128\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-128","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-127\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 7 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1982, chapter 561; in 1983, chapter 579; in 1990, chapter 510; in 2004, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?041+ful+CHAP0203\">203<\/a>; in 2020, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0485\">485<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62824,"section_number":"16.1-278.8","catch_line":"Delinquent juveniles","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-278.8\/"},{"id":86583,"section_number":"18.2-46.1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-46.1\/"},{"id":62707,"section_number":"18.2-77","catch_line":"Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-77\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":165599,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78721,"identifier":"18.2-127","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-127","url":"\/18.2-127\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-127\/","token":"18.2\/5\/5\/18.2-127","dublin_core":{"Title":"Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-127","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> Any person who willfully or maliciously commits any of the following acts is guilty of a Class 1 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>: <a id=\"paragraph-282063\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#A\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A1\" class=\"indent-1\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">1.<\/span> Destroys, removes, cuts, breaks, or injures any tree, shrub, or plant on any <span class=\"dictionary\">church property<\/span> or within any cemetery or lot of any memorial or monumental association; <a id=\"paragraph-282064\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#A1\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A2\" class=\"indent-1\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">2.<\/span> Destroys, mutilates, injures, or removes and carries away any flowers, wreaths, vases, or other ornaments placed within any church or on <span class=\"dictionary\">church property<\/span>, or placed upon or around any grave, tomb, monument, or lot in any cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial; or <a id=\"paragraph-282065\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#A2\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A3\" class=\"indent-1\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">3.<\/span> Obstructs proper ingress to and egress from any church or any cemetery or lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association. <a id=\"paragraph-282066\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#A3\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">B.<\/span> Any person who maliciously places any dead animal within any church or on <span class=\"dictionary\">church property<\/span> is guilty of a Class 1 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-282067\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"C\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">C.<\/span> Any person who willfully or maliciously destroys, mutilates, defaces, injures, or removes any <span class=\"dictionary\">object<\/span> or structure permanently attached or affixed within any church or on <span class=\"dictionary\">church property<\/span>, 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 <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span>. A person convicted under this section who is required to pay <span class=\"dictionary\">restitution<\/span> by the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall be required to pay <span class=\"dictionary\">restitution<\/span> 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. <a id=\"paragraph-282068\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#C\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"D\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">D.<\/span> 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 <span class=\"dictionary\">church property<\/span> 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, &#8220;church&#8221; shall mean any place of worship, and &#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">church property<\/span>&#8221; shall mean any educational building or community center owned or rented by a church. <a id=\"paragraph-282069\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-127\/#D\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINJURIES TO CHURCHES, CHURCH PROPERTY, CEMETERIES, BURIAL GROUNDS, ETC.; PENALTY\n(\u00a7 18.2-127)\n\nA. Any person who willfully or maliciously commits any of the following acts is\nguilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor:\n\n   1. Destroys, removes, cuts, breaks, or injures any tree, shrub, or plant on\n   any church property or within any cemetery or lot of any memorial or\n   monumental association;\n\n   2. Destroys, mutilates, injures, or removes and carries away any flowers,\n   wreaths, vases, or other ornaments placed within any church or on church\n   property, or placed upon or around any grave, tomb, monument, or lot in any\n   cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial; or\n\n   3. Obstructs proper ingress to and egress from any church or any cemetery or\n   lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association.\n\nB. Any person who maliciously places any dead animal within any church or on\nchurch property is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nC. Any person who willfully or maliciously destroys, mutilates, defaces,\ninjures, or removes any object or structure permanently attached or affixed\nwithin any church or on church property, any tomb, monument, gravestone, or\nother structure placed within any cemetery, graveyard, or place of burial, or\nwithin any lot belonging to any memorial or monumental association, or any\nfence, railing, or other work for the protection or ornament of any tomb,\nmonument, gravestone, or other structure aforesaid, or of any cemetery lot\nwithin any cemetery is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A person convicted under this\nsection who is required to pay restitution by the court shall be required to pay\nrestitution to the church, if the property damaged is property of the church, or\nto the owner of a cemetery, if the property damaged is located within such\ncemetery regardless of whether the property damaged is owned by the cemetery or\nby another person.\n\nD. This section shall not apply to any work which is done by the authorities of\na church or congregation in the maintenance or improvement of any church\nproperty or any burial ground or cemetery belonging to it and under its\nmanagement or control and which does not injure or result in the removal of a\ntomb, monument, gravestone, grave marker or vault. For purposes of this section,\n&#8220;church&#8221; shall mean any place of worship, and &#8220;church\nproperty&#8221; shall mean any educational building or community center owned or\nrented by a church.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-244; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1982, c. 561;\n1983, c. 579; 1990, c. 510; 2004, c. 203; 2020, c. 485.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}