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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186 — False statements to obtain property or credit

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 5: False Representations to Obtain Property or Credit, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186

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.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
A. A person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if he makes, causes to be made or conspires to make directly, indirectly or through an agency, any materially false statement in writing, knowing it to be false and intending that it be relied upon, concerning the financial condition or means or ability to pay of himself, or of any other person for whom he is acting, or any firm or corporation in which he is interested or for which he is acting, for the purpose of procuring, for his own benefit or for the benefit of such person, firm or corporation, the delivery of personal property, the payment of cash, the making of a loan or credit, the extension of a credit, the discount of an account receivable, or the making, acceptance, discount, sale or endorsement of a bill of exchange or promissory note. B. Any person who knows that a false statement has been made in writing concerning the financial condition or ability to pay of himself or of any person for whom he is acting, or any firm or corporation in which he is interested or for which he is acting and who, with intent to defraud, procures, upon the faith thereof, for his own benefit, or for the benefit of the person, firm or corporation in which he is interested or for which he is acting, any such delivery, payment, loan, credit, extension, discount making, acceptance, sale or endorsement, shall, if the value of the thing or the amount of the loan, credit or benefit obtained is $1,000 or more, be guilty of grand larceny or, if the value is less than $1,000, be guilty of petit larceny. C. Venue for the trial of any person charged with an offense under this section may be in the county or city in which (i) any act was performed in furtherance of the offense, or (ii) the person charged with the offense resided at the time of the offense. D. As used in this section, "in writing" shall include information transmitted by computer, facsimile, e-mail, Internet, or any other electronic medium, and shall not include information transmitted by any such medium by voice transmission.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is false statements to obtain property or credit a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

False statements to obtain property or credit is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.

Which Virginia statute covers false statements to obtain property or credit?

False statements to obtain property or credit is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186 (False statements to obtain property or credit).

Is identity theft a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: identity theft ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 4 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3.

Identity theft — base offense: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3D) · Identity theft — financial loss of $1,000 or more: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3D) · Identity theft — second or subsequent conviction: class 6 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3D) · Identity theft — subsection B, 5 or more persons' information: class 5 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3D) · Identity theft — subsection B, 50 or more persons' information: class 4 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3D) · Identity theft — resulting in wrongful arrest/detention: class 5 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-186.3D)

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.