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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54590</law_id><section_number>46.2-817</section_number><catch_line>Disregarding signal by law-enforcement officer to stop; eluding police; penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-390</reference><reference>46.2-2099.49</reference><reference>46.2-411</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Regulation of Traffic</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General and Miscellaneous</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person who, having received a visible or audible signal from any <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span> to bring his <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> to a stop, drives such <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> in a willful and wanton disregard of such signal or who attempts to escape or elude such <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span> whether on foot, in the vehicle, or by any other means, is guilty of a Class 2 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. It shall be an <span class="dictionary">affirmative defense</span> to a charge of a violation of this subsection if the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> shows he reasonably believed he was being pursued by a person other than a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span>. <a id="paragraph-200438" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-817/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any person who, having received a visible or audible signal from any <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span> to bring his <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> to a stop, drives such <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> in a willful and wanton disregard of such signal so as to interfere with or endanger the operation of the <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement vehicle or endanger a person is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. It shall be an <span class="dictionary">affirmative defense</span> to a charge of a violation of this subsection if the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> shows he reasonably believed he was being pursued by a person other than a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span>. <a id="paragraph-200439" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-817/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span> pursues a person as a result of a violation of subsection B and the <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span> is killed as a direct and proximate result of the pursuit, the person who violated subsection B is guilty of a Class 4 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-200440" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-817/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> When any person is convicted of an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> under this section, in addition to the other penalties provided in this section, the <span class="dictionary">driver</span>&#x2019;s license of such person shall be suspended by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> for a period of not less than thirty days nor more than one year. However, in any case where the speed of such person is determined to have exceeded the maximum allowed by twenty miles per hour, his <span class="dictionary">driver</span>&#x2019;s license shall be suspended by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> trying the case for a period of not less than ninety days. In case of <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> and <span class="dictionary">suspension</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> or <span class="dictionary">judge</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> the surrender of the license to the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, which shall dispose of it in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Disposition of surrendered licenses on revocation or suspension" href="/46.2-398/">46.2-398</a>. <a id="paragraph-200441" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-817/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Violation of this section shall constitute a separate and distinct <span class="dictionary">offense</span>. If the acts or activities violating this section also violate another provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, a <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> under this section shall not prohibit or bar any <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or proceeding under such other provision or the imposition of any penalties provided for thereby. <a id="paragraph-200442" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-817/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1964, c. 614, &#xA7; 46.1-192.1; 1984, cc. 544, 780; 1988, c. 307; 1989, c. 727; 1993, c. 796; 1996, cc. 577, 817; 1999, c. 720; 2000, c. 315; 2002, c. 505; 2008, cc. 773, 811; 2010, c. 655.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
