Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-439 — Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 2: Bribery and Related Offenses, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-439
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.
If any executive, legislative or judicial officer, sheriff or police officer, or any candidate for such office, accept in this Commonwealth, or if, being resident in this Commonwealth, such officer or candidate shall go out of this Commonwealth and accept and afterwards return to and reside in this Commonwealth, any gift or gratuity or any promise to make a gift or do any act beneficial to such officer or candidate under an agreement, or with an understanding, that his vote, opinion or judgment shall be given on any particular side of any question, cause or proceeding which is or may be by law brought before him in his official capacity or that in such capacity he shall make any particular nomination or appointment or take or fail to take any particular action or perform any duty required by law, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony and shall forfeit his office and be forever incapable of holding any office of honor, profit or trust under the Constitution of Virginia. The word candidate as used in this section and § 18.2-438 , shall mean anyone who has filed his candidacy with the appropriate electoral official or who is a candidate as defined in § 24.2-101 .
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate is a class 4 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-439.
Which Virginia statute covers acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate?
Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-439 (Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.