{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-406.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-406.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-406.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-406.html"}],"law_id":83452,"edition_id":1,"section_id":83452,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-406","catch_line":"What constitutes an unlawful assembly; punishment","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 18.1-254.1, 18.1-254.3; 1968, c. 460; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 251; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"Whenever three or more persons assembled share the common intent to advance some lawful or unlawful purpose by the commission of an act or acts of unlawful force or violence likely to jeopardize seriously public safety, peace or order, and the assembly actually tends to inspire persons of ordinary courage with well-grounded fear of serious and immediate breaches of public safety, peace or order, then such assembly is an unlawful assembly. Every person who participates in any unlawful assembly shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If any such person carried, at the time of his participation in an unlawful assembly, any firearm or other deadly or dangerous weapon, he shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":299030,"text":"Whenever three or more persons assembled share the common intent to advance some lawful or unlawful purpose by the commission of an act or acts of unlawful force or violence likely to jeopardize seriously public safety, peace or order, and the assembly actually tends to inspire persons of ordinary courage with well-grounded fear of serious and immediate breaches of public safety, peace or order, then such assembly is an unlawful assembly. Every person who participates in any unlawful assembly shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If any such person carried, at the time of his participation in an unlawful assembly, any firearm or other deadly or dangerous weapon, he shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15343,"edition_id":1,"name":"Riot and Unlawful Assembly","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14570,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:05","permalink":{"id":167997,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15343,"identifier":"1","token":"18.2\/9\/1","url":"\/18.2\/9\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14570,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against Peace and Order","identifier":"9","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:42","permalink":{"id":167995,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14570,"identifier":"9","token":"18.2\/9","url":"\/18.2\/9\/","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":58390,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-404","catch_line":"Obstructing free passage of others","url":"\/18.2-404\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-404","metadata":false},{"id":66562,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-405","catch_line":"What constitutes a riot; punishment","url":"\/18.2-405\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-405","metadata":false},{"id":83452,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-406","catch_line":"What constitutes an unlawful assembly; punishment","url":"\/18.2-406\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-406","metadata":false},{"id":60408,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-407","catch_line":"Remaining at place of riot or unlawful assembly after warning to disperse","url":"\/18.2-407\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-407","metadata":false},{"id":79023,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-408","catch_line":"Conspiracy; incitement, etc., to riot","url":"\/18.2-408\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-408","metadata":false},{"id":67634,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-409","catch_line":"Resisting or obstructing execution of legal process","url":"\/18.2-409\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-409","metadata":false},{"id":83908,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-410","catch_line":"Power of Governor to summon law-enforcement agencies, national guard, etc., to execute process or preserve the peace","url":"\/18.2-410\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-410","metadata":false},{"id":62952,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-411","catch_line":"Dispersal of unlawful or riotous assemblies; duties of officers","url":"\/18.2-411\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-411","metadata":false},{"id":65439,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-412","catch_line":"Immunity of officers and others in quelling a riot or unlawful assembly","url":"\/18.2-412\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-412","metadata":false},{"id":86638,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-413","catch_line":"Commission of certain offenses in county, city or town declared by Governor to be in state of riot or insurrection","url":"\/18.2-413\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-413","metadata":false},{"id":82336,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-414","catch_line":"Injury to property or persons by persons unlawfully or riotously assembled","url":"\/18.2-414\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-414","metadata":false},{"id":61232,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-414.1","catch_line":"Obstructing emergency medical services agency personnel in performance of mission; penalty","url":"\/18.2-414.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-414.1","metadata":false},{"id":71247,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-414.2","catch_line":"Crossing established police lines, perimeters or barricades","url":"\/18.2-414.2\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-414.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66562,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-405","catch_line":"What constitutes a riot; punishment","url":"\/18.2-405\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-405","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":60408,"structure_id":15343,"section_number":"18.2-407","catch_line":"Remaining at place of riot or unlawful assembly after warning to disperse","url":"\/18.2-407\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-407","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-406\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1968, chapter 460; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":[{"id":80246,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-805\/"},{"id":61280,"section_number":"19.2-392.02","catch_line":"National criminal background checks by businesses and organizations regarding employees or volunteers providing care to children or the elderly or disabled","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-392.02\/"},{"id":74660,"section_number":"19.2-392.12","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Sealing of offenses resulting in a deferred and dismissed disposition or conviction by petition","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-392.12\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168007,"object_type":"law","relational_id":83452,"identifier":"18.2-406","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-406","url":"\/18.2-406\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-406\/","token":"18.2\/9\/1\/18.2-406","dublin_core":{"Title":"What constitutes an unlawful assembly; punishment","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-406","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Whenever three or more persons assembled share the common <span class=\"dictionary\">intent<\/span> to advance some lawful or unlawful purpose by the commission of an act or acts of unlawful force or violence likely to jeopardize seriously public safety, peace or <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span>, and the assembly actually tends to inspire persons of ordinary courage with well-grounded fear of serious and immediate breaches of public safety, peace or <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span>, then such assembly is an unlawful assembly. Every person who participates in any unlawful assembly shall be guilty of a Class 1 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>. If any such person carried, at the time of his participation in an unlawful assembly, any firearm or other deadly or dangerous weapon, he shall be guilty of a Class 5 <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHAT CONSTITUTES AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY; PUNISHMENT (\u00a7 18.2-406)\n\nWhenever three or more persons assembled share the common intent to advance some\nlawful or unlawful purpose by the commission of an act or acts of unlawful force\nor violence likely to jeopardize seriously public safety, peace or order, and\nthe assembly actually tends to inspire persons of ordinary courage with\nwell-grounded fear of serious and immediate breaches of public safety, peace or\norder, then such assembly is an unlawful assembly. Every person who participates\nin any unlawful assembly shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If any such\nperson carried, at the time of his participation in an unlawful assembly, any\nfirearm or other deadly or dangerous weapon, he shall be guilty of a Class 5\nfelony.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 18.1-254.1, 18.1-254.3; 1968, c. 460; 1971, Ex. Sess.,\nc. 251; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","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}}