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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85982</law_id><section_number>18.2-128</section_number><catch_line>Trespass upon church or school property</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-278.8</reference><reference>18.2-46.1</reference><reference>53.1-202.3</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Crimes Against Property</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Trespass to Realty</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person who, without the consent of some person authorized to give such consent, goes or enters upon, in the nighttime, the premises or property of any <span class="dictionary">church</span> or upon any <span class="dictionary">school property</span> for any purpose other than to attend a meeting or service held or conducted in such <span class="dictionary">church</span> or <span class="dictionary">school property</span>, shall be guilty of a Class 3 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-307954" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-128/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not a <span class="dictionary">church</span> member or student, to enter upon or remain upon any <span class="dictionary">church</span> or <span class="dictionary">school property</span> in violation of (i) any direction to vacate the property by a person authorized to give such direction or (ii) any posted notice which contains such information, posted at a place where it reasonably may be seen. Each time such person enters upon or remains on the posted premises or after such direction that person refuses to vacate such property, it shall constitute a separate <span class="dictionary">offense</span>.
			A violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>, except that any person, other than a parent, who violates this subsection on <span class="dictionary">school property</span> with the <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to abduct a student shall be guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-307955" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-128/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> For purposes of this section: (i) &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">school property</span>&#x201D; includes a school bus as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/46.2-100/">46.2-100</a> and (ii) &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">church</span>&#x201D; means any place of worship and includes any educational building or community center owned or leased by a <span class="dictionary">church</span>. <a id="paragraph-307956" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-128/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-182; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1988, c. 497; 1989, c. 680; 1993, c. 961; 1994, c. 326; 1995, cc. 493, 642; 1997, c. 779.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
