A. The owner of personal property may permanently mark such property, including any part thereof, for the purpose of identification with the social security number of the owner, preceded by the letters "VA."
B. [Repealed.]
C. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, alter, deface, destroy, conceal, or otherwise obscure the manufacturer's serial number or marks, including personalty marked with a social security number preceded by the letters "VA," from such personal property or any part thereof, without the consent of the owner, with intent to render it or other property unidentifiable.
D. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess such personal property or any part thereof, without the consent of the owner, knowing that the manufacturer's serial number or any other distinguishing identification number or mark, including personalty marked with a social security number preceded by the letters "VA," has been removed, altered, defaced, destroyed, concealed, or otherwise obscured with the intent to violate the provisions of this section.
E. A person in possession of such property which is otherwise in violation of this section may apply in writing to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Virginia State Police, for assignment of a number for the personal property providing he can show that he is the lawful owner of the property. If a number is issued in conformity with the provisions of this section, then the person to whom it was issued and any person to whom the property is lawfully disposed of shall not be in violation of this section. This subsection shall apply only when the application has been filed by a person prior to arrest or authorization of a warrant of arrest for that person by a court.
F. Any person convicted of an offense under this section, when the value of the personalty is less than $1,000, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and, when the value of the personalty is $1,000 or more, shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony.
1981, c. 165; 1982, c. 382; 2018, cc. 764, 765; 2020, cc. 89, 401.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 18.2 - Crimes and Offenses Generally
Chapter 5 - Crimes Against Property
§ 18.2-77. Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc.
§ 18.2-78. What not deemed dwelling house
§ 18.2-79. Burning or destroying meeting house, etc.
§ 18.2-80. Burning or destroying any other building or structure
§ 18.2-81. Burning or destroying personal property, standing grain, etc.
§ 18.2-84. Causing, inciting, etc., commission of act proscribed by § 18.2-83
§ 18.2-86. Setting fire to woods, fences, grass, etc.
§ 18.2-87. Setting woods, etc., on fire intentionally whereby another is damaged or jeopardized
§ 18.2-87.1. Setting off chemical bombs capable of producing smoke in certain public buildings
§ 18.2-88. Carelessly damaging property by fire
§ 18.2-89. Burglary; how punished
§ 18.2-92. Breaking and entering dwelling house with intent to commit other misdemeanor
§ 18.2-93. Entering bank, armed, with intent to commit larceny
§ 18.2-94. Possession of burglarious tools, etc.
§ 18.2-95. Grand larceny defined; how punished
§ 18.2-96. Petit larceny defined; how punished
§ 18.2-96.1. Identification of certain personalty
§ 18.2-97. Larceny of certain animals and poultry
§ 18.2-97.1. Removal of a transmitting device; penalty
§ 18.2-98. Larceny of bank notes, checks, etc., or any book of accounts
§ 18.2-99. Larceny of things fixed to the freehold
§ 18.2-100. Removal of crop by tenant before rents and advances are satisfied
§ 18.2-101. Selling, etc., of goods distrained or levied on
§ 18.2-102.1. Removal of shopping cart from store premises
§ 18.2-102.2. Unauthorized use of dairy milk cases or milk crates; penalty
§ 18.2-104.1. Liability upon conviction under § 18.2-103
§ 18.2-105.1. Detention of suspected shoplifter
§ 18.2-106. "Agents of the merchant" defined
§ 18.2-107. Theft or destruction of public records by others than officers
§ 18.2-108. Receiving, etc., stolen goods
§ 18.2-108.01. Larceny with intent to sell or distribute; sale of stolen property; penalty
§ 18.2-108.1. Receipt of stolen firearm
§ 18.2-109. Receipt or transfer of possession of stolen vehicle, aircraft or boat
§ 18.2-111. Embezzlement deemed larceny; indictment
§ 18.2-111.2. Failure to pay withheld child support; embezzlement
§ 18.2-112.1. Misuse of public assets; penalty
§ 18.2-114.1. When collection of money by commissioner, etc., larceny
§ 18.2-115.1. Unlawful sublease of a motor vehicle; penalty
§ 18.2-116. Failure to pay for or return goods delivered for selection or approval
§ 18.2-117. Failure of bailee to return animal, aircraft, vehicle or boat
§ 18.2-118. Fraudulent conversion or removal of leased personal property
§ 18.2-119. Trespass after having been forbidden to do so; penalties
§ 18.2-119.1. Validity of signs forbidding trespass; penalty
§ 18.2-121. Entering property of another for purpose of damaging it, etc.
§ 18.2-121.1. Permitting certain animals to run at large
§ 18.2-121.2. Trespass by spotlight on agricultural land
§ 18.2-121.3. Trespass with an unmanned aircraft system; penalty
§ 18.2-124. Jurisdiction over offenses committed in Capitol Square
§ 18.2-125. Trespass at night upon any cemetery
§ 18.2-126. Violation of sepulture; defilement of a dead human body; penalties
§ 18.2-127. Injuries to churches, church property, cemeteries, burial grounds, etc.; penalty
§ 18.2-128. Trespass upon church or school property
§ 18.2-130. Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure
§ 18.2-130.1. Peeping or spying into dwelling or occupied building by electronic device; penalty
§ 18.2-131. Trespass upon licensed shooting preserve
§ 18.2-132. Trespass by hunters and fishers
§ 18.2-132.1. Trespass by hunters using dogs; penalty
§ 18.2-133. Refusal of person on land, etc., of another to identify himself
§ 18.2-134. Trespass on posted property
§ 18.2-134.1. Method of posting lands
§ 18.2-135. Destruction of posted signs; posting land of another
§ 18.2-136.1. Enforcement of §§ 18.2-131 through 18.2-135
§ 18.2-137. Injuring, etc., any property, monument, etc.
§ 18.2-138. Damaging public buildings, etc.; penalty
§ 18.2-139. Injuries to trees, fences or herbage on grounds of Capitol, or in any public square
§ 18.2-140. Destruction of trees, shrubs, etc.
§ 18.2-141. Cutting or destroying trees; carrying axe, saw, etc., while hunting
§ 18.2-143. Pulling down fences or leaving open gates
§ 18.2-144. Maiming, killing or poisoning animals, fowl, etc.
§ 18.2-144.1. Prohibition against killing or injuring police animals; penalty
§ 18.2-145. Protection of homing pigeons
§ 18.2-145.1. Damaging or destroying research farm product; penalty; restitution
§ 18.2-147.2. Devices for puncturing motor vehicle tires
§ 18.2-148. Bona fide repossession under lien
§ 18.2-149. Injury to hired animal, aircraft, vehicle or boat
§ 18.2-150. Willfully destroying vessel, etc.
§ 18.2-151. Opening or carrying away pumps, etc., used for dispensing gasoline, etc.
§ 18.2-151.1. Injuring, destroying, removing, or tampering with firefighting equipment; penalty
§ 18.2-152. Stealing from or tampering with parking meter, vending machine, pay telephone, etc.
§ 18.2-152.2. Definitions; computer crimes
§ 18.2-152.3. Computer fraud; penalty
§ 18.2-152.3:1. Transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail (spam); penalty
§ 18.2-152.4. Computer trespass; penalty
§ 18.2-152.5. Computer invasion of privacy; penalties
§ 18.2-152.5:1. Using a computer to gather identifying information; penalties
§ 18.2-152.6. Theft of computer services; penalties
§ 18.2-152.7. Personal trespass by computer; penalty
§ 18.2-152.7:1. Harassment by computer; penalty
§ 18.2-152.7:2. Using computer to commit a scheme involving false representations; penalty
§ 18.2-152.8. Property capable of embezzlement
§ 18.2-152.11. Article not exclusive
§ 18.2-152.12. Civil relief; damages
§ 18.2-152.14. Computer as instrument of forgery
§ 18.2-152.15. Encryption used in criminal activity
§ 18.2-152.17. Fraudulent procurement, sale, or receipt of telephone records
§ 18.2-153. Obstructing or injuring canal, railroad, power line, etc.
§ 18.2-154. Shooting at or throwing missiles, etc., at train, car, vessel, etc.; penalty
§ 18.2-155. Injuring, etc., signal used by railroad
§ 18.2-156. Taking or removing waste or packing from journal boxes
§ 18.2-157. Injury to fences or cattle stops along line of railroad
§ 18.2-158. Driving, etc., animal on track to recover damages
§ 18.2-159. Trespassing on railroad track
§ 18.2-160. Trespassing on railroad trains
§ 18.2-160.2. Trespassing on public transportation; penalty
§ 18.2-160.3. Fare enforcement inspectors; failure to produce proof of payment of fare; penalty
§ 18.2-162. Damage or trespass to public services or utilities
§ 18.2-162.1. Diverting wastewater line; diverting or wasting public water supply
§ 18.2-163. Tampering with metering device; diverting service; civil liability
§ 18.2-165. Unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment
§ 18.2-165.1. Tampering with or unlawful use of cable television service
§ 18.2-165.2. Unlawful interference with emergency two-way radio communications; penalty
§ 18.2-167. Selling or transferring certain telephonic instruments
§ 18.2-167.1. Interception or monitoring of customer telephone calls; penalty