Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-130 — Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 5: Trespass to Realty, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-130
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to enter upon the property of another and secretly or furtively peep, spy or attempt to peep or spy into or through a window, door or other aperture of any building, structure, or other enclosure of any nature occupied or intended for occupancy as a dwelling, whether or not such building, structure or enclosure is permanently situated or transportable and whether or not such occupancy is permanent or temporary, or to do the same, without just cause, upon property owned by him and leased or rented to another under circumstances that would violate the occupant's reasonable expectation of privacy.
B. It shall be unlawful for any person to use a peephole or other aperture to secretly or furtively peep, spy or attempt to peep or spy into a restroom, dressing room, locker room, hotel room, motel room, tanning bed, tanning booth, bedroom or other location or enclosure for the purpose of viewing any nonconsenting person who is totally nude, clad in undergarments, or in a state of undress exposing the genitals, pubic area, buttocks or female breast and the circumstances are such that the person would otherwise have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a lawful criminal investigation or a correctional official or local or regional jail official conducting surveillance for security purposes or during an investigation of alleged misconduct involving a person committed to the Department of Corrections or to a local or regional jail.
D. As used in this section, "peephole" means any hole, crack or other similar opening through which a person can see.
E. A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-130.
Which Virginia statute covers peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure?
Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-130 (Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.