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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>56127</law_id><section_number>18.2-460</section_number><catch_line>Obstructing justice; resisting arrest; fleeing from a law-enforcement officer; penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>18.2-513</reference><reference>19.2-215.1</reference><reference>19.2-271</reference><reference>19.2-310.2</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="10">Crimes Against the Administration of Justice</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Interference With Administration of Justice</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> If any person without just cause knowingly obstructs a <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, <span class="dictionary">witness</span>, any <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Position of animal control officer created" href="/3.2-6555/">3.2-6555</a> in the performance of his duties as such or fails or refuses without just cause to cease such obstruction when requested to do so by such <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, <span class="dictionary">witness</span>, <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Position of animal control officer created" href="/3.2-6555/">3.2-6555</a>, he is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-205691" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-460/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Except as provided in subsection C, any person who, by threats or force, knowingly attempts to intimidate or impede a <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, <span class="dictionary">witness</span>, any <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer, or an animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Position of animal control officer created" href="/3.2-6555/">3.2-6555</a> lawfully engaged in his duties as such, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justice in any <span class="dictionary">court</span>, is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-205692" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-460/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If any person by threats of bodily harm or force knowingly attempts to intimidate or impede a <span class="dictionary">judge</span>, <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, <span class="dictionary">witness</span>, any <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer, lawfully engaged in the discharge of his duty, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justice in any <span class="dictionary">court</span> relating to a violation of or conspiracy to violate &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance prohibited; penalties" href="/18.2-248/">18.2-248</a> or subdivision (a)(3), (b) or (c) of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Penalties for sale, gift, distribution or possession with intent to sell, give or distribute marijuana" href="/18.2-248.1/">18.2-248.1</a>, or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Prohibited criminal street gang participation; penalty" href="/18.2-46.2/">18.2-46.2</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Recruitment of persons for criminal street gang; penalty" href="/18.2-46.3/">18.2-46.3</a>, or relating to the violation of or conspiracy to violate any violent <span class="dictionary">felony</span> <span class="dictionary">offense</span> listed in subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints" href="/17.1-805/">17.1-805</a>, he is guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-205693" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-460/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Any person who knowingly and willfully makes any materially false statement or representation to a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer or an animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Position of animal control officer created" href="/3.2-6555/">3.2-6555</a> who is in the course of conducting an investigation of a <span class="dictionary">crime</span> by another is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-205694" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-460/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Any person who intentionally prevents or attempts to prevent a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer from lawfully arresting him, with or without a warrant, is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. For purposes of this subsection, intentionally preventing or attempting to prevent a lawful <span class="dictionary">arrest</span> means fleeing from a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer when (i) the officer applies physical force to the person, or (ii) the officer communicates to the person that he is under <span class="dictionary">arrest</span> and (a) the officer has the legal authority and the immediate physical ability to place the person under <span class="dictionary">arrest</span>, and (b) a reasonable person who receives such communication knows or should know that he is not free to leave. <a id="paragraph-205695" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-460/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-310; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1976, c. 269; 1984, c. 571; 1989, c. 506; 1993, c. 747; 1996, c. 718; 1999, cc. 770, 800; 2002, cc. 527, 810, 818; 2003, cc. 111, 149; 2004, cc. 396, 435; 2007, cc. 220, 282; 2009, c. 242; 2018, c. 417.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
