{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-433.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-433.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-433.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-433.1.html"}],"law_id":80565,"edition_id":1,"section_id":80565,"structure_id":14611,"section_number":"18.2-433.1","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1987, c. 720; 2003, c. 976; 2004, c. 263.","full_text":"As used in this article:\n\t\t“Civil disorder” means any public disturbance within the United States or any territorial possessions thereof involving acts of violence by assemblages of three or more persons, which causes an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual.\n\t\t“Explosive or incendiary device” means (i) dynamite and all other forms of high explosives, (ii) any explosive bomb, grenade, missile, or similar device, or (iii) any incendiary bomb or grenade, fire bomb, or similar device, including any device which consists of or includes a breakable container including a flammable liquid or compound, and a wick composed of any material which, when ignited, is capable of igniting such flammable liquid or compound, and can be carried or thrown by one individual acting alone.\n\t\t“Firearm” means any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of an explosion of a combustible material; or the frame or receiver of any such weapon.\n\t\t“Law-enforcement officer” means any officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101 or any such officer or member of the armed forces of the United States, any state, any political subdivision of a state, or the District of Columbia, and such term shall specifically include, but shall not be limited to, members of the National Guard, as defined in \u00a7 101(c) of Title 10, United States Code, members of the organized militia of any state or territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, not included within the definition of National Guard as defined by such \u00a7 101(c), and members of the Armed Forces of the United States.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":288650,"text":"As used in this article:\n\t\t“Civil disorder” means any public disturbance within the United States or any territorial possessions thereof involving acts of violence by assemblages of three or more persons, which causes an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual.\n\t\t“Explosive or incendiary device” means (i) dynamite and all other forms of high explosives, (ii) any explosive bomb, grenade, missile, or similar device, or (iii) any incendiary bomb or grenade, fire bomb, or similar device, including any device which consists of or includes a breakable container including a flammable liquid or compound, and a wick composed of any material which, when ignited, is capable of igniting such flammable liquid or compound, and can be carried or thrown by one individual acting alone.\n\t\t“Firearm” means any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of an explosion of a combustible material; or the frame or receiver of any such weapon.\n\t\t“Law-enforcement officer” means any officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101 or any such officer or member of the armed forces of the United States, any state, any political subdivision of a state, or the District of Columbia, and such term shall specifically include, but shall not be limited to, members of the National Guard, as defined in \u00a7 101(c) of Title 10, United States Code, members of the organized militia of any state or territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, not included within the definition of National Guard as defined by such \u00a7 101(c), and members of the Armed Forces of the United States.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14611,"edition_id":1,"name":"Unlawful Paramilitary Activity","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14570,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:53","permalink":{"id":168155,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14611,"identifier":"8","token":"18.2\/9\/8","url":"\/18.2\/9\/8\/","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":80565,"structure_id":14611,"section_number":"18.2-433.1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/18.2-433.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/8\/18.2-433.1","metadata":false},{"id":56135,"structure_id":14611,"section_number":"18.2-433.2","catch_line":"Paramilitary activity prohibited; penalty","url":"\/18.2-433.2\/","token":"18.2\/9\/8\/18.2-433.2","metadata":false},{"id":77479,"structure_id":14611,"section_number":"18.2-433.3","catch_line":"Exceptions","url":"\/18.2-433.3\/","token":"18.2\/9\/8\/18.2-433.3","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":56135,"structure_id":14611,"section_number":"18.2-433.2","catch_line":"Paramilitary activity prohibited; penalty","url":"\/18.2-433.2\/","token":"18.2\/9\/8\/18.2-433.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-433.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1987. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 720 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1987 \u201cActs\u201d aren\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 2003, chapter 976<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 263<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":68291,"section_number":"18.2-513","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-513\/"},{"id":64442,"section_number":"22.1-279.3:1","catch_line":"Reports of certain acts to school authorities; reports of certain acts by school authorities to parents; reports of certain acts by school authorities to law enforcement","order_by":null,"url":"\/22.1-279.3_1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":73488,"section_number":"9.1-101","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-101\/"}],"permalink":{"id":168157,"object_type":"law","relational_id":80565,"identifier":"18.2-433.1","token":"18.2\/9\/8\/18.2-433.1","url":"\/18.2-433.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-433.1\/","token":"18.2\/9\/8\/18.2-433.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-433.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article:\n\t\t“Civil disorder<\/span>” means any public disturbance within the United States or any territorial possessions<\/span> thereof involving acts of violence by assemblages of three or more persons, which causes an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual.\n\t\t“Explosive or incendiary device<\/span>” means (i) dynamite and all other forms of high explosives, (ii) any explosive bomb, grenade, missile, or similar device, or (iii) any incendiary bomb or grenade, fire bomb, or similar device, including any device which consists of or includes a breakable container including a flammable liquid or compound, and a wick composed of any material<\/span> which, when ignited, is capable of igniting such flammable liquid or compound, and can be carried or thrown by one individual acting alone.\n\t\t“Firearm<\/span>” means any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of an explosion of a combustible material<\/span>; or the frame or receiver of any such weapon.\n\t\t“Law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span>” means any officer as defined in \u00a7 9.1-101<\/a> or any such officer or member of the armed forces of the United States, any state, any political subdivision of a state, or the District of Columbia, and such term shall specifically include, but shall not be limited to, members of the National Guard, as defined in \u00a7 101(c) of Title 10, United States Code, members of the organized militia of any state or territory of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, not included within the definition of National Guard as defined by such \u00a7 101(c), and members of the Armed Forces of the United States.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 18.2-433.1)\n\nAs used in this article:\n\t\t“Civil disorder” means any public disturbance within the United\nStates or any territorial possessions thereof involving acts of violence by\nassemblages of three or more persons, which causes an immediate danger of or\nresults in damage or injury to the property or person of any other individual.\n\t\t“Explosive or incendiary device” means (i) dynamite and all other\nforms of high explosives, (ii) any explosive bomb, grenade, missile, or similar\ndevice, or (iii) any incendiary bomb or grenade, fire bomb, or similar device,\nincluding any device which consists of or includes a breakable container\nincluding a flammable liquid or compound, and a wick composed of any material\nwhich, when ignited, is capable of igniting such flammable liquid or compound,\nand can be carried or thrown by one individual acting alone.\n\t\t“Firearm” means any weapon that will or is designed to or may\nreadily be converted to expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of an\nexplosion of a combustible material; or the frame or receiver of any such\nweapon.\n\t\t“Law-enforcement officer” means any officer as defined in \u00a7\n9.1-101 or any such officer or member of the armed forces of the United States,\nany state, any political subdivision of a state, or the District of Columbia,\nand such term shall specifically include, but shall not be limited to, members\nof the National Guard, as defined in \u00a7 101(c) of Title 10, United States Code,\nmembers of the organized militia of any state or territory of the United States,\nthe Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, not included\nwithin the definition of National Guard as defined by such \u00a7 101(c), and\nmembers of the Armed Forces of the United States.\n\nHISTORY: 1987, c. 720; 2003, c. 976; 2004, c. 263.","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}}