{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-427.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-427.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-427.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-427.html"}],"law_id":61013,"edition_id":1,"section_id":61013,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-427","catch_line":"Use of profane, threatening, or indecent language over public airways or by other methods","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-238; 1960, c. 358; 1964, c. 577; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1976, c. 312; 1984, c. 592; 2010, c. 565; 2011, c. 246.","full_text":"Any person who uses obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or makes any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threatens any illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone or citizens band radio, in this Commonwealth, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\t“Over any telephone” includes, for purposes of this section, any electronically transmitted communication producing a visual or electronic message that is received or transmitted by cellular telephone or other wireless telecommunications device.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":223053,"text":"Any person who uses obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or makes any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threatens any illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone or citizens band radio, in this Commonwealth, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\t“Over any telephone” includes, for purposes of this section, any electronically transmitted communication producing a visual or electronic message that is received or transmitted by cellular telephone or other wireless telecommunications device.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14837,"edition_id":1,"name":"Unlawful Use of Telephones","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14570,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:17","permalink":{"id":168107,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14837,"identifier":"6","token":"18.2\/9\/6","url":"\/18.2\/9\/6\/","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":71628,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-424","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-424\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-424","metadata":false},{"id":56725,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-425.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-425.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-425.1","metadata":false},{"id":56806,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-426","catch_line":"\"Emergency call\" and \"emergency personnel\" defined","url":"\/18.2-426\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-426","metadata":false},{"id":61013,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-427","catch_line":"Use of profane, threatening, or indecent language over public airways or by other methods","url":"\/18.2-427\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-427","metadata":false},{"id":79700,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-428","catch_line":"Giving certain false information to another by telephone","url":"\/18.2-428\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-428","metadata":false},{"id":77553,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-429","catch_line":"Causing a telephone, digital pager, or other device to ring or signal with intent to annoy; emergency communications; penalties","url":"\/18.2-429\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-429","metadata":false},{"id":62009,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-429.1","catch_line":"False caller identification information; penalty","url":"\/18.2-429.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-429.1","metadata":false},{"id":64613,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-430","catch_line":"Venue for offenses under this article","url":"\/18.2-430\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-430","metadata":false},{"id":76798,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-431","catch_line":"Duty of telephone companies; notices in directories","url":"\/18.2-431\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431","metadata":false},{"id":79843,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-431.1","catch_line":"Illegal conveyance or possession of cellular telephone or other wireless telecommunications device by prisoner or committed person; penalty","url":"\/18.2-431.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-431.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":56806,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-426","catch_line":"\"Emergency call\" and \"emergency personnel\" defined","url":"\/18.2-426\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-426","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79700,"structure_id":14837,"section_number":"18.2-428","catch_line":"Giving certain false information to another by telephone","url":"\/18.2-428\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-428","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-427\/","history_text":"

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 1964, chapter 577; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15; in 1976, chapter 312; in 1984, chapter 592; in 2010, chapter 565<\/a>; in 2011, chapter 246<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168121,"object_type":"law","relational_id":61013,"identifier":"18.2-427","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-427","url":"\/18.2-427\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-427\/","token":"18.2\/9\/6\/18.2-427","dublin_core":{"Title":"Use of profane, threatening, or indecent language over public airways or by other methods","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-427","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person who uses obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or makes any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threatens any illegal or immoral act with the intent<\/span> to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, over any telephone or citizens band radio, in this Commonwealth, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>.\n\t\t“Over any telephone” includes, for purposes of this section, any electronically transmitted communication producing a visual or electronic message that is received or transmitted by cellular telephone or other wireless telecommunications device.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUSE OF PROFANE, THREATENING, OR INDECENT LANGUAGE OVER PUBLIC AIRWAYS OR BY\nOTHER METHODS (\u00a7 18.2-427)\n\nAny person who uses obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent\nlanguage, or makes any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threatens\nany illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any\nperson, over any telephone or citizens band radio, in this Commonwealth, is\nguilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\t“Over any telephone” includes, for purposes of this section, any\nelectronically transmitted communication producing a visual or electronic\nmessage that is received or transmitted by cellular telephone or other wireless\ntelecommunications device.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-238; 1960, c. 358; 1964, c. 577; 1975, cc. 14, 15;\n1976, c. 312; 1984, c. 592; 2010, c. 565; 2011, c. 246.","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}}