Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-313.1 — Withholding information about possibly rabid animal; penalty

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 8: Miscellaneous Dangerous Conduct, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Withholding information about possibly rabid animal

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-313.1

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. § 18.2-313.1Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session

It shall be unlawful for any person to (i) knowingly withhold information from, or knowingly give false information to, any lawfully authorized governmental agent which would reasonably lead to the discovery or location and capture of any animal reasonably identifiable as one that has potentially exposed a human being to rabies; (ii) upon the request of an animal control officer, a law-enforcement officer, or an official of the Department of Health, willfully fail to grant access to any animal owned, harbored, or kept by that person that is suspected of having caused a rabies exposure to a human being; or (iii) upon notice by an animal control officer, a law-enforcement officer, or an official of the Department of Health, willfully fail to comply with a confinement, isolation, or quarantine order. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Official sources

Official section text (law.lis.virginia.gov)

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is withholding information about possibly rabid animal a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

Withholding information about possibly rabid animal is a class 2 misdemeanor in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-313.1.

Which Virginia statute covers withholding information about possibly rabid animal?

Withholding information about possibly rabid animal is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-313.1 (Withholding information about possibly rabid animal; penalty).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.