OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 19, art. IV

in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-77 Entering property of another for purpose of damaging it.

Sec. 19-77. - Entering property of another for purpose of damaging it. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to enter the land, dwelling, outhouse or any other building of another for the purpose of damaging such property or any of the contents thereof or in any manner to interfere with the rights of the owner, user or the occupant thereof to use such property free from interference. (b) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (Code 1993, § 20-51; Code 2004, § 66-111; Code 2015, § 19-77; Code 2020, § 19-77)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-78 Destruction or removal of property.

Sec. 19-78. - Destruction or removal of property. (a) If any person unlawfully destroys, defaces, damages or removes without the intent to steal any property, real or personal, not such person's own, or breaks down, destroys, defaces, damages or removes without the intent to steal any monument or memorial for war veterans described in Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1812, any monument erected for the purpose of marking the site of any engagement fought during the Civil War, or for the purpose of designating the boundaries of the City or any tree marked for that purpose, such person shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, provided that the court may, in its discretion, dismiss the charge if the locality or organization responsible for maintaining the injured property, monument, or memorial files a written affidavit with the court stating it has received full payment for the injury. (b) If any person intentionally causes such injury, such person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if the value of or damage to the property, memorial or monument is less than $1,000.00. The amount of loss caused by the destruction, defacing, damage or removal of such property, memorial or monument may be established by proof of the fair market cost of repair or fair market replacement value. Upon conviction, the court may order that the defendant pay restitution. (Code 1993, § 20-52; Code 2004, § 66-112; Code 2015, § 19-78; Code 2020, § 19-78)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-79 Damaging certain buildings.

Sec. 19-79. - Damaging certain buildings. (a) Any person who willfully and maliciously breaks any window or door of any courthouse, house of public worship, college, schoolhouse, city hall or other public building or library; damages or defaces any public building or any statuary in or on any other public buildings or public grounds; or destroys any property in any of such buildings shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if the damage is less than $1,000.00. (b) Any person who willfully and unlawfully damages or defaces any book, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, map, picture, manuscript, or other property located in any library, reading room, museum, or other educational institution shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if the damage is less than $1,000.00. (Code 1993, § 20-53; Code 2004, § 66-113; Code 2015, § 19-79; Code 2020, § 19-79)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-80 Breaking, injuring, defacing, destroying or preventing the operation of vehicle, aircraft or boat.

Sec. 19-80. - Breaking, injuring, defacing, destroying or preventing the operation of vehicle, aircraft or boat. Any person who shall individually or in association with one or more others willfully break, injure, tamper with or remove any part of any vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel for the purpose of injuring, defacing or destroying the vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel or temporarily or permanently preventing its useful operation or for any purpose against the will or without the consent of the owner of such vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel or who shall in any other manner willfully or maliciously interfere with or prevent the running or operation of such vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (Code 1993, § 20-54; Code 2004, § 66-114; Code 2015, § 19-80; Code 2020, § 19-80)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-81 Entering or setting in motion vehicle, aircraft, boat, locomotive or rolling stock of railroad.

Sec. 19-81. - Entering or setting in motion vehicle, aircraft, boat, locomotive or rolling stock of railroad. Any person who shall, without the consent of the owner or person in charge of a vehicle, aircraft, boat, vessel, locomotive or other rolling stock of a railroad, climb into or upon such vehicle, aircraft, boat, vessel, locomotive or other rolling stock of a railroad, with intent to commit any crime, malicious mischief, or injury thereto, or who, while a vehicle, aircraft, boat, vessel, locomotive or other rolling stock of a railroad is at rest and unattended, shall attempt to manipulate any of the levers and starting crank or other device, brake or mechanism thereof or to set into motion such vehicle, aircraft, boat, vessel, locomotive or other rolling stock of a railroad, with the intent to commit any crime, malicious mischief, or injury thereto, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, this section shall not apply when any such act is done in an emergency or in furtherance of public safety or by or under the direction of an officer in the regulation of traffic or performance of any other official duty. (Code 1993, § 20-55; Code 2004, § 66-115; Code 2015, § 19-81; Code 2020, § 19-81)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-82 Dumping trash.

Sec. 19-82. - Dumping trash. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or otherwise dispose of trash, garbage, refuse, litter, a companion animal as defined in Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6500 for the purpose of disposal, or other unsightly matter on public property, including a public highway, right-of-way, property adjacent to such highway or right-of-way, or on private property without the written consent of the owner thereof or the owner's agent. (b) When any person is arrested for a violation of this section and the matter alleged to have been illegally dumped or disposed of has been ejected from a motor vehicle or transported to the disposal site in a motor vehicle, the arresting officer may comply with Code of Virginia, § 46.2-936 in making such arrest. When a violation of the provisions of this section has been observed by any person, and the matter illegally dumped or disposed of has been ejected or removed from a motor vehicle, the owner or operator of the motor vehicle shall be presumed to be the person ejecting or disposing of the matter. However, such presumption shall be rebuttable by competent evidence. (c) Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by confinement in jail for not more than 12 months and a fine of not less than $250.00 nor more than $2,500.00, either or both. In lieu of the imposition of confinement in jail, the court may order the defendant to perform a mandatory minimum of ten hours of community service in litter abatement activities. (d) This section shall not apply to the lawful disposal of such matter in landfills. (Code 1993, § 20-56; Code 2004, § 66-116; Code 2015, § 19-82; Code 2020, § 19-82)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 19-83 Trespassing; designation of police to enforce trespass violations.

Sec. 19-83. - Trespassing; designation of police to enforce trespass violations. (a) If any person without authority of law goes upon or remains upon the lands, buildings or premises of another, or any portion or area thereof, after having been forbidden to do so, either orally or in writing, by the owner, lessee, custodian, or the agent of any such person, or other person lawfully in charge thereof, or after having been forbidden to do so by a sign or signs posted by or at the direction of such persons or the agent of any such person or by the holder of any easement or other right-of-way authorized by the instrument creating such interest to post such signs on such lands, structures, premises or portion or area thereof at a place or places where it or they may be reasonably seen, or if any person, whether he is the owner, tenant or otherwise entitled to the use of such land, building or premises, goes upon, or remains upon such land, building or premises after having been prohibited from doing so by a court of competent jurisdiction by an order issued pursuant to Code of Virginia, §§ 16.1-253, 16.1-253.1, 16.1-253.4, 16.1-278.2 through 16.1-278.6, 16.1-278.8, 16.1-278.14, 16.1-278.15, 16.1-279.1, 19.2-152.8, 19.2-152.9 or 19.2-152.10 or an ex parte order issued pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 20-103, and after having been served with such order, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This section shall not be construed to affect in any way the provisions of §§ 18.2-132 through 18.2-136. (b) For purposes of this section, the term "person lawfully in charge" shall include members of the Department of Police when the owner, agent or manager of the property so authorizes in writing, according to procedures set out by the Chief of Police. Such authorization shall be kept on file with the Chief of Police in such location within the Department of Police as the Chief of Police deems appropriate. (Code 1993, § 20-57; Code 2004, § 66-117; Code 2015, § 19-83; Code 2020, § 19-83)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH19OFMIPR_ARTIVOFAGPRFetched: 11/8/2026