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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66807</law_id><section_number>58.1-1017.3</section_number><catch_line>Fraudulent purchase of cigarettes; penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="58.1">Taxation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Taxes Administered by the Department of Taxation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Cigarette Tax</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Excise Tax</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any person who purchases 5,000 (25 <span class="dictionary">cartons</span>) <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> or fewer using a forged business license, a business license obtained under <span class="dictionary">false pretenses</span>, a forged or invalid Virginia sales and <span class="dictionary">use</span> tax exemption certificate, a forged or invalid Virginia <span class="dictionary">cigarette</span> exemption certificate, or a Virginia sales and <span class="dictionary">use</span> tax exemption certificate obtained under <span class="dictionary">false pretenses</span> is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> for a first <span class="dictionary">offense</span> and a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span> for a second or subsequent <span class="dictionary">offense</span>. Any person who purchases more than 5,000 (25 <span class="dictionary">cartons</span>) <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> using a forged business license, a business license obtained under <span class="dictionary">false pretenses</span>, a forged or invalid Virginia sales and <span class="dictionary">use</span> tax exemption certificate, a forged or invalid Virginia <span class="dictionary">cigarette</span> exemption certificate, or a Virginia sales and <span class="dictionary">use</span> tax exemption certificate obtained under <span class="dictionary">false pretenses</span> is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span> for a first <span class="dictionary">offense</span> and a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span> for a second or subsequent <span class="dictionary">offense</span>. Additionally, any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be assessed a civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> of (i) $2.50 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, but no less than $5,000, for a first <span class="dictionary">offense</span>; (ii) $5 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, but no less than $10,000, for a second such <span class="dictionary">offense</span> committed within a 36-month period; and (iii) $10 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, but no less than $50,000, for a third or subsequent such <span class="dictionary">offense</span> committed within a 36-month period. The civil penalties shall be assessed and collected by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> as other taxes are collected.
		The provisions of this section shall not preclude <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> under any other <span class="dictionary">statute</span>.</p></section></text><history>2015, cc. 273, 290; 2017, cc. 112, 453.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
