{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-175.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-175.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-175.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-175.html"}],"law_id":55057,"edition_id":1,"section_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","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-312; 1960, c. 358; 1966, c. 420; 1968, c. 675; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1979, c. 704; 1991, c. 424.","full_text":"No person, not such an officer as is referred to in \u00a7 19.2-78, shall wear any such uniform as is designated pursuant to the provisions of such section or wear an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth or the insignia of any such officer’s uniform, nor shall any person not such an officer, or not authorized by such officer, or not authorized by the military police of the armed forces or of the National Guard, or not authorized by the military police of other governmental agencies, use or cause to be used on the public roads or highways of this Commonwealth, any motor vehicle bearing markings with the word “police” shown thereon. However, the prohibition against wearing an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth shall not apply to any certified firefighter or to any certified or licensed emergency medical personnel. Any violation of this section shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":201928,"text":"No person, not such an officer as is referred to in \u00a7 19.2-78, shall wear any such uniform as is designated pursuant to the provisions of such section or wear an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth or the insignia of any such officer’s uniform, nor shall any person not such an officer, or not authorized by such officer, or not authorized by the military police of the armed forces or of the National Guard, or not authorized by the military police of other governmental agencies, use or cause to be used on the public roads or highways of this Commonwealth, any motor vehicle bearing markings with the word “police” shown thereon. However, the prohibition against wearing an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth shall not apply to any certified firefighter or to any certified or licensed emergency medical personnel. Any violation of this section shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor.","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}],"previous_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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-175\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 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 1966, chapter 420; in 1968, chapter 675; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1979, chapter 704; in 1991, chapter 424.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":85927,"section_number":"19.2-78","catch_line":"Uniform of officer making arrest","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-78\/"}],"permalink":{"id":166021,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55057,"identifier":"18.2-175","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-175","url":"\/18.2-175\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-175\/","token":"18.2\/6\/2\/18.2-175","dublin_core":{"Title":"Unlawful wearing of officer’s uniform or insignia; unlawful use of vehicle with word “police” shown thereon","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-175","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No person, not such an officer as is referred to in \u00a7 19.2-78<\/a>, shall wear any such uniform as is designated pursuant to the provisions of such section or wear an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth or the insignia of any such officer’s uniform, nor shall any person not such an officer, or not authorized by such officer, or not authorized by the military police of the armed forces or of the National Guard, or not authorized by the military police of other governmental agencies, use or cause to be used on the public roads or highways of this Commonwealth, any motor vehicle bearing markings with the word “police” shown thereon. However, the prohibition against wearing an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth shall not apply to any certified firefighter or to any certified or licensed emergency medical personnel. Any violation of this section shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUNLAWFUL WEARING OF OFFICER’S UNIFORM OR INSIGNIA; UNLAWFUL USE OF VEHICLE\nWITH WORD “POLICE” SHOWN THEREON (\u00a7 18.2-175)\n\nNo person, not such an officer as is referred to in \u00a7 19.2-78, shall wear any\nsuch uniform as is designated pursuant to the provisions of such section or wear\nan insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth or the insignia\nof any such officer’s uniform, nor shall any person not such an officer,\nor not authorized by such officer, or not authorized by the military police of\nthe armed forces or of the National Guard, or not authorized by the military\npolice of other governmental agencies, use or cause to be used on the public\nroads or highways of this Commonwealth, any motor vehicle bearing markings with\nthe word “police” shown thereon. However, the prohibition against\nwearing an insignia or markings containing the Seal of the Commonwealth shall\nnot apply to any certified firefighter or to any certified or licensed emergency\nmedical personnel. Any violation of this section shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-312; 1960, c. 358; 1966, c. 420; 1968, c. 675; 1975,\ncc. 14, 15; 1979, c. 704; 1991, c. 424.","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}}