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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>86834</law_id><section_number>18.2-60.4</section_number><catch_line>Violation of protective orders; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-106</reference><reference>16.1-298</reference><reference>16.1-309.1</reference><reference>16.1-69.55</reference><reference>17.1-213</reference><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>19.2-11.01</reference><reference>19.2-310.2</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference><reference>19.2-81.3</reference><reference>53.1-202.3</reference><reference>53.1-40.02</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="4">Crimes Against the Person</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Extortion and Other Threats</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person who violates any provision of a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Emergency protective orders authorized" href="/19.2-152.8/">19.2-152.8</a>, <a class="law" title="Preliminary protective orders" href="/19.2-152.9/">19.2-152.9</a>, or <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a> is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <span class="dictionary">Conviction</span> hereunder shall bar a <span class="dictionary">finding</span> of <span class="dictionary">contempt</span> for the same act. The punishment for any person convicted of a second <span class="dictionary">offense</span> of violating a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span>, other than a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a>, when the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> is committed within five years of the prior <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> and when either the instant or prior <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was based on an act or threat of violence, shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of 60 days. Any person convicted of a third or subsequent <span class="dictionary">offense</span> of violating a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span>, other than a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a>, when the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> is committed within 20 years of the first <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> and when either the instant or one of the prior <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> was based on an act or threat of violence, is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span> and the punishment shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months. The mandatory minimum terms of confinement prescribed for violations of this section shall be served consecutively with any other sentence. <a id="paragraph-310916" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> In addition to any other <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span>, any person who, while knowingly armed with a firearm or other deadly weapon, violates any provision of a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> with which he has been served issued pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Emergency protective orders authorized" href="/19.2-152.8/">19.2-152.8</a>, <a class="law" title="Preliminary protective orders" href="/19.2-152.9/">19.2-152.9</a>, or <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a>, other than a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a>, is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-310917" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If the respondent commits an <span class="dictionary">assault</span> and <span class="dictionary">battery</span> upon any <span class="dictionary">party</span> protected by the protective <span class="dictionary">order</span>, other than a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a>, resulting in bodily injury to the <span class="dictionary">party</span> or stalks any <span class="dictionary">party</span> protected by the protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Stalking; penalty" href="/18.2-60.3/">18.2-60.3</a>, he is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. Any person who violates such a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span>, other than a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> issued pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a>, by furtively entering the home of any protected <span class="dictionary">party</span> while the <span class="dictionary">party</span> is present, or by entering and remaining in the home of the protected <span class="dictionary">party</span> until the <span class="dictionary">party</span> arrives, is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, in addition to any other <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-310918" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of any <span class="dictionary">offense</span> hereunder for which a mandatory minimum term of confinement is not specified, the person shall be sentenced to a term of confinement and in no case shall the entire term imposed be suspended. <a id="paragraph-310919" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall, in addition to the sentence imposed, enter a protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Protective order" href="/19.2-152.10/">19.2-152.10</a> for a specified period not exceeding two years from the date of <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>. <a id="paragraph-310920" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> A violation of this section may be prosecuted in the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> where the protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> was issued, in any county, city, or town where any act constituting the violation of the protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> occurred, or in the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> where the <span class="dictionary">party</span> protected by the protective <span class="dictionary">order</span> resided at the time of such violation. <a id="paragraph-310921" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> Upon a violation of this section, if a Military Protective <span class="dictionary">Order</span> issued by a commanding officer in the Armed Forces of the United States, the Virginia National Guard, or the National Guard of any other state against a person under such officer&#x2019;s command and registered in the National <span class="dictionary">Crime</span> Information Center (NCIC) has been issued against the same <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>, the <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer or agency shall inform the military <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer or agency that entered the Military Protective <span class="dictionary">Order</span> into the NCIC or the commanding officer who issued the Military Protective <span class="dictionary">Order</span> of such violation telephonically, in writing, via email, via text, or by any other routine means of interagency communication. <a id="paragraph-310922" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-60.4/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1998, c. 569; 2003, c. 219; 2011, cc. 445, 480; 2013, cc. 761, 774; 2016, cc. 583, 585, 638; 2020, cc. 487, 1005; 2024, cc. 108, 118; 2025, cc. 208, 217.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
