{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-174.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-174.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-174.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-174.html"}],"law_id":64566,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64566,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-174","catch_line":"Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalty","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-311; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2013, cc. 410, 431, 638.","full_text":"Any person who falsely assumes or exercises the functions, powers, duties, and privileges incident to the office of sheriff, police officer, marshal, or other peace officer, or any local, city, county, state, or federal law-enforcement officer, or who falsely assumes or pretends to be any such officer, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 6 felony.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":234982,"text":"Any person who falsely assumes or exercises the functions, powers, duties, and privileges incident to the office of sheriff, police officer, marshal, or other peace officer, or any local, city, county, state, or federal law-enforcement officer, or who falsely assumes or pretends to be any such officer, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 6 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13359,"edition_id":1,"name":"Impersonation","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13358,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","permalink":{"id":166011,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13359,"identifier":"2","token":"18.2\/6\/2","url":"\/18.2\/6\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13358,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Involving Fraud","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","permalink":{"id":165933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13358,"identifier":"6","token":"18.2\/6","url":"\/18.2\/6\/","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":64566,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-174","catch_line":"Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-174\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-174","metadata":false},{"id":73861,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-174.1","catch_line":"Impersonating certain public safety personnel; penalty","url":"\/18.2-174.1\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-174.1","metadata":false},{"id":55057,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-175","catch_line":"Unlawful wearing of officer's uniform or insignia; unlawful use of vehicle with word \"police\" shown thereon","url":"\/18.2-175\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-175","metadata":false},{"id":78977,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-176","catch_line":"Unauthorized wearing or displaying on motor vehicles of any button, insignia or emblem of certain associations or societies or of Southern Cross of Honor","url":"\/18.2-176\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-176","metadata":false},{"id":83555,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-177","catch_line":"Illegal use of insignia","url":"\/18.2-177\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-177","metadata":false},{"id":54336,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-177.1","catch_line":"False representation of military status; penalty","url":"\/18.2-177.1\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-177.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":73861,"structure_id":13359,"section_number":"18.2-174.1","catch_line":"Impersonating certain public safety personnel; penalty","url":"\/18.2-174.1\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-174.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-174\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 2013, chapters 410<\/a>, 431<\/a>, and 638<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":166013,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64566,"identifier":"18.2-174","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-174","url":"\/18.2-174\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-174\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-174","dublin_core":{"Title":"Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-174","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person who falsely assumes or exercises the functions, powers, duties, and privileges<\/span> incident to the office of sheriff, police officer, marshal, or other peace officer<\/span>, or any local, city, county, state, or federal law<\/span>-enforcement officer, or who falsely assumes or pretends to be any such officer, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. A second or subsequent offense<\/span> is punishable as a Class 6 felony<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nIMPERSONATING LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICER; PENALTY (\u00a7 18.2-174)\n\nAny person who falsely assumes or exercises the functions, powers, duties, and\nprivileges incident to the office of sheriff, police officer, marshal, or other\npeace officer, or any local, city, county, state, or federal law-enforcement\nofficer, or who falsely assumes or pretends to be any such officer, is guilty of\na Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 6\nfelony.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-311; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2013, cc. 410,\n431, 638.","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}}