{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-481.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-481.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-481.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-481.html"}],"law_id":54092,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54092,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-481","catch_line":"Treason defined; how proved and punished","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-418; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"Treason shall consist only in:\n\n1\n\nLevying war against the Commonwealth;2\n\nAdhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort;3\n\nEstablishing, without authority of the legislature, any government within its limits separate from the existing government;4\n\nHolding or executing, in such usurped government, any office, or professing allegiance or fidelity to it; or5\n\nResisting the execution of the laws under color of its authority.\n\t\t\tSuch treason, if proved by the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or by confession in court, shall be punishable as a Class 2 felony.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":198553,"text":"Treason shall consist only in:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":198554,"text":"Levying war against the Commonwealth;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":198555,"text":"Adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":198556,"text":"Establishing, without authority of the legislature, any government within its limits separate from the existing government;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":198557,"text":"Holding or executing, in such usurped government, any office, or professing allegiance or fidelity to it; or","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":198558,"text":"Resisting the execution of the laws under color of its authority.\n\t\t\tSuch treason, if proved by the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or by confession in court, shall be punishable as a Class 2 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13025,"edition_id":1,"name":"Treason and Related Offenses","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13024,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:09","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:09","permalink":{"id":164499,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13025,"identifier":"1","token":"18.2\/11\/1","url":"\/18.2\/11\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13024,"edition_id":1,"name":"Offenses Against the Sovereignty of the Commonwealth","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:09","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:09","permalink":{"id":164497,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13024,"identifier":"11","token":"18.2\/11","url":"\/18.2\/11\/","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":54092,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-481","catch_line":"Treason defined; how proved and punished","url":"\/18.2-481\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-481","metadata":false},{"id":80129,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-482","catch_line":"Misprision of treason","url":"\/18.2-482\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-482","metadata":false},{"id":74098,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-483","catch_line":"Attempting, or instigating others, to establish usurped government","url":"\/18.2-483\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-483","metadata":false},{"id":81643,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-484","catch_line":"Advocacy of change in government by force, violence or other unlawful means","url":"\/18.2-484\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-484","metadata":false},{"id":85381,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-485","catch_line":"Conspiring to incite one race to insurrection against another race","url":"\/18.2-485\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-485","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":80129,"structure_id":13025,"section_number":"18.2-482","catch_line":"Misprision of treason","url":"\/18.2-482\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-482","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-481\/","history_text":"

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 1960, chapter 358; 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":63586,"section_number":"53.1-202.3","catch_line":"Rate at which sentence credits may be earned; prerequisites","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-202.3\/"},{"id":58640,"section_number":"53.1-40.02","catch_line":"Conditional release of terminally ill prisoners","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-40.02\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":164501,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54092,"identifier":"18.2-481","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-481","url":"\/18.2-481\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-481\/","token":"18.2\/11\/1\/18.2-481","dublin_core":{"Title":"Treason defined; how proved and punished","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-481","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Treason shall consist only in:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Levying war against the Commonwealth; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Establishing, without authority of the legislature, any government within its limits separate from the existing government; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Holding or executing, in such usurped government, any office, or professing allegiance or fidelity to it; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Resisting the execution of the laws<\/span> under color of its authority.\n\t\t\tSuch treason, if proved by the testimony<\/span> of two witnesses to the same overt act, or by confession<\/span> in court<\/span>, shall be punishable as a Class 2 felony<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTREASON DEFINED; HOW PROVED AND PUNISHED (\u00a7 18.2-481)\n\nTreason shall consist only in:\n\n1. Levying war against the Commonwealth;\n\n2. Adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort;\n\n3. Establishing, without authority of the legislature, any government within its\nlimits separate from the existing government;\n\n4. Holding or executing, in such usurped government, any office, or professing\nallegiance or fidelity to it; or\n\n5. Resisting the execution of the laws under color of its authority.\n\t\t\tSuch treason, if proved by the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt\nact, or by confession in court, shall be punishable as a Class 2 felony.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-418; 1960, c. 358; 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}}