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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-188 — Defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc

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. § 18.2-188

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. § 18.2-188Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
It shall be unlawful for any person, without paying therefor, and with the intent to cheat or defraud the owner or keeper to: 1. Put up at a hotel, motel, campground or boardinghouse; 2. Obtain food from a restaurant or other eating house; 3. Gain entrance to an amusement park; or 4. Without having an express agreement for credit, procure food, entertainment or accommodation from any hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant, eating house or amusement park. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to cheat or defraud the owner or keeper out of the pay therefor to obtain credit at a hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant or eating house for food, entertainment or accommodation by means of any false show of baggage or effects brought thereto. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to cheat or defraud, to obtain credit at a hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant, eating house or amusement park for food, entertainment or accommodation through any misrepresentation or false statement. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to cheat or defraud, to remove or cause to be removed any baggage or effects from a hotel, motel, campground, boardinghouse, restaurant or eating house while there is a lien existing thereon for the proper charges due from him for fare and board furnished. Any person who violates any provision of this section is, if the value of service, credit or benefit procured or obtained is $1,000 or more, guilty of a Class 5 felony or is, if the value is less than $1,000, guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 5 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-188.

Defrauding hotels, etc. — value $1,000 or more: class 5 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-188) · Defrauding hotels, etc. — value less than $1,000: class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-188)

Which Virginia statute covers defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc?

Defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-188 (Defrauding hotels, motels, campgrounds, boardinghouses, etc).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.