{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/33.2-801.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/33.2-801.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/33.2-801.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/33.2-801.html"}],"law_id":76287,"edition_id":1,"section_id":76287,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-801","catch_line":"Cutting or damaging trees; damaging bridges; damaging markers; obstructing highways; penalty","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 33-279; 1956, c. 676; 1970, c. 322, \u00a7 33.1-345; 1972, c. 65; 1980, c. 141; 1981, c. 19; 1988, c. 79; 1989, c. 727; 1997, c. 136; 2014, c. 805.","full_text":"Any person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor who:\n\n1\n\nCuts or damages a tree within 50 feet of a highway so as to render it liable to fall and leaves it standing;2\n\nKnowingly and willfully, without lawful authority, breaks down, destroys, or damages any bridge or log placed across a stream for the accommodation of pedestrians;3\n\nObstructs any highway or any ditch made for the purpose of draining the highway;4\n\nWillfully or maliciously displaces, removes, destroys, or damages any highway sign or historical marker or any inscription thereon that is lawfully within a highway; or5\n\nPuts or casts into any public highway any glass, bottles, glassware, crockery, porcelain or pieces thereof, caltrops or any pieces of iron or hard or sharp metal, or any nails, tacks, or sharp-pointed instruments of any kind, likely in their nature to cut or puncture any tire of any vehicle or injure any animal traveling thereon. This subdivision shall not apply to the use of any tire deflation device by a law-enforcement officer while in the discharge of his official duties, provided the device was approved for use by the Division of Purchase and Supply.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":273866,"text":"Any person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor who:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":273867,"text":"Cuts or damages a tree within 50 feet of a highway so as to render it liable to fall and leaves it standing;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":273868,"text":"Knowingly and willfully, without lawful authority, breaks down, destroys, or damages any bridge or log placed across a stream for the accommodation of pedestrians;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":273869,"text":"Obstructs any highway or any ditch made for the purpose of draining the highway;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":273870,"text":"Willfully or maliciously displaces, removes, destroys, or damages any highway sign or historical marker or any inscription thereon that is lawfully within a highway; or","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":273871,"text":"Puts or casts into any public highway any glass, bottles, glassware, crockery, porcelain or pieces thereof, caltrops or any pieces of iron or hard or sharp metal, or any nails, tacks, or sharp-pointed instruments of any kind, likely in their nature to cut or puncture any tire of any vehicle or injure any animal traveling thereon. This subdivision shall not apply to the use of any tire deflation device by a law-enforcement officer while in the discharge of his official duties, provided the device was approved for use by the Division of Purchase and Supply.","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15048,"edition_id":1,"name":"Offenses Concerning Highways","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12830,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:44","permalink":{"id":206311,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15048,"identifier":"8","token":"33.2\/II\/8","url":"\/33.2\/II\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12830,"edition_id":1,"name":"Modes of Transportation: Highways, Bridges, Ferries, Rail, and Public Transportation","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12806,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":205369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12830,"identifier":"II","token":"33.2\/II","url":"\/33.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12806,"edition_id":1,"name":"Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems","identifier":"33.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","permalink":{"id":204785,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12806,"identifier":"33.2","token":"33.2","url":"\/33.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57364,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-800","catch_line":"Definition","url":"\/33.2-800\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-800","metadata":false},{"id":76287,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-801","catch_line":"Cutting or damaging trees; damaging bridges; damaging markers; obstructing highways; penalty","url":"\/33.2-801\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-801","metadata":false},{"id":78222,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-802","catch_line":"Dumping trash; penalty","url":"\/33.2-802\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-802","metadata":false},{"id":69747,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-803","catch_line":"Dump creating fire hazard to public bridge; penalty","url":"\/33.2-803\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-803","metadata":false},{"id":69317,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-804","catch_line":"Junkyards; penalty","url":"\/33.2-804\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-804","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":57364,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-800","catch_line":"Definition","url":"\/33.2-800\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-800","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":78222,"structure_id":15048,"section_number":"33.2-802","catch_line":"Dumping trash; penalty","url":"\/33.2-802\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-802","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/33.2-801\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 9 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 1956, chapter 676; in 1970, chapter 322; in 1972, chapter 65; in 1980, chapter 141; in 1981, chapter 19; in 1988, chapter 79; in 1989, chapter 727; in 1997, chapter 136<\/a>; in 2014, chapter 805<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":206317,"object_type":"law","relational_id":76287,"identifier":"33.2-801","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-801","url":"\/33.2-801\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/33.2-801\/","token":"33.2\/II\/8\/33.2-801","dublin_core":{"Title":"Cutting or damaging trees; damaging bridges; damaging markers; obstructing highways; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 33.2-801","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span> who:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Cuts or damages<\/span> a tree within 50 feet of a highway<\/span> so as to render it liable to fall and leaves it standing; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Knowingly and willfully, without lawful authority, breaks down, destroys, or damages<\/span> any bridge or log placed across a stream for the accommodation of pedestrians; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Obstructs any highway<\/span> or any ditch made for the purpose of draining the highway<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Willfully or maliciously displaces, removes, destroys, or damages<\/span> any highway<\/span> sign or historical marker or any inscription thereon that is lawfully within a highway<\/span>; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Puts or casts into any public highway<\/span> any glass, bottles, glassware, crockery, porcelain or pieces thereof, caltrops or any pieces of iron or hard or sharp metal, or any nails, tacks, or sharp-pointed instruments of any kind, likely in their nature to cut or puncture any tire of any vehicle or injure any animal traveling thereon. This subdivision shall not apply to the use of any tire deflation device by a law<\/span>-enforcement officer while in the discharge of his official duties, provided the device was approved for use by the Division of Purchase and Supply. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCUTTING OR DAMAGING TREES; DAMAGING BRIDGES; DAMAGING MARKERS; OBSTRUCTING\nHIGHWAYS; PENALTY (\u00a7 33.2-801)\n\nAny person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor who:\n\n1. Cuts or damages a tree within 50 feet of a highway so as to render it liable\nto fall and leaves it standing;\n\n2. Knowingly and willfully, without lawful authority, breaks down, destroys, or\ndamages any bridge or log placed across a stream for the accommodation of\npedestrians;\n\n3. Obstructs any highway or any ditch made for the purpose of draining the\nhighway;\n\n4. Willfully or maliciously displaces, removes, destroys, or damages any highway\nsign or historical marker or any inscription thereon that is lawfully within a\nhighway; or\n\n5. Puts or casts into any public highway any glass, bottles, glassware,\ncrockery, porcelain or pieces thereof, caltrops or any pieces of iron or hard or\nsharp metal, or any nails, tacks, or sharp-pointed instruments of any kind,\nlikely in their nature to cut or puncture any tire of any vehicle or injure any\nanimal traveling thereon. This subdivision shall not apply to the use of any\ntire deflation device by a law-enforcement officer while in the discharge of his\nofficial duties, provided the device was approved for use by the Division of\nPurchase and Supply.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 33-279; 1956, c. 676; 1970, c. 322, \u00a7 33.1-345; 1972, c.\n65; 1980, c. 141; 1981, c. 19; 1988, c. 79; 1989, c. 727; 1997, c. 136; 2014, c.\n805.","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}}