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Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-79 — Burning or destroying meeting house, etc

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 1: Arson and Related Crimes, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-79

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. § 18.2-79Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session
If any person maliciously burns, or by the use of any explosive device or substance, maliciously destroys, in whole or in part, or causes to be burned or destroyed, or aids, counsels, or procures the burning or destroying, of any meeting house, courthouse, townhouse, institution of higher education, academy, schoolhouse, or other building erected for public use except an asylum, hotel, jail, prison or church or building owned or leased by a church that is immediately adjacent to a church, or any banking house, warehouse, storehouse, manufactory, mill, or other house, whether the property of himself or of another person, not usually occupied by persons lodging therein at night, at a time when any person is therein, or if he maliciously sets fire to anything, or causes to be set on fire, or aids, counsels, or procures the setting on fire of anything, by the burning whereof any building mentioned in this section is burned, at a time when any person is therein, he shall be guilty of a Class 3 felony. If such offense is committed when no person is in such building mentioned in this section, the offender shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

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Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is burning or destroying meeting house, etc a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

It depends on the circumstances: burning or destroying meeting house, etc ranges from a class 4 felony to a class 3 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-79.

Burning or destroying with person inside: class 3 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-79) · Burning or destroying with no person inside: class 4 felony (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-79)

Which Virginia statute covers burning or destroying meeting house, etc?

Burning or destroying meeting house, etc is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-79 (Burning or destroying meeting house, etc).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.