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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62707</law_id><section_number>18.2-77</section_number><catch_line>Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-2307</reference><reference>16.1-260</reference><reference>16.1-301</reference><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>18.2-461</reference><reference>18.2-513</reference><reference>18.2-90</reference><reference>18.2-91</reference><reference>19.2-215.1</reference><reference>19.2-297.1</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference><reference>19.2-83.1</reference><reference>22.1-254</reference><reference>27-32.1</reference><reference>32.1-318</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="5">Crimes Against Property</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Arson and Related Crimes</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> If any person maliciously (i) burns, or by use of any explosive device or substance destroys, in whole or in part, or causes to be burned or destroyed, or (ii) aids, <span class="dictionary">counsels</span> or procures the burning or destruction of any dwelling house or manufactured home whether belonging to himself or another, or any occupied hotel, hospital, mental health facility, or other house in which persons usually dwell or lodge, any occupied railroad car, boat, vessel, or river craft in which persons usually dwell or lodge, or any occupied jail or prison, or any occupied church or occupied building owned or leased by a church that is immediately adjacent to a church, he shall be guilty of a <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, punishable by imprisonment for life or for any period not less than five years and, subject to subdivision g of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Punishment for conviction of felony; penalty" href="/18.2-10/">18.2-10</a>, a fine of not more than $100,000. Any person who maliciously sets fire to anything, or aids, <span class="dictionary">counsels</span> or procures the setting fire to anything, by the burning whereof such occupied dwelling house, manufactured home, hotel, hospital, mental health facility or other house, or railroad car, boat, vessel, or river craft, jail or prison, church or building owned or leased by a church that is immediately adjacent to a church, is burned shall be guilty of a violation of this subsection. <a id="paragraph-228644" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-77/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any such burning or destruction when the building or other place mentioned in subsection A is unoccupied, shall be punishable as a Class 4 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-228645" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-77/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> For purposes of this section, &#x201C;church&#x201D; shall be defined as in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty" href="/18.2-127/">18.2-127</a>. <a id="paragraph-228646" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-77/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-75; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1977, c. 63; 1978, c. 443; 1993, c. 406; 1997, c. 832.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
