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SB47 • 2026

Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.

An Act to amend and reenact § 18.2-174 of the Code of Virginia, relating to impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.

Crime
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Craig
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.

Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.

What This Bill Does

  • Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.
  • Provides that any person who impersonates a law-enforcement officer (i) while committing or attempting to commit aggravated murder, first or second degree murder, abduction, rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, or sexual battery or (ii) while circumventing, bypassing, or attempting to circumvent or bypass any security measure of any business, commercial building, residence, building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof, or building owned or leased by a locality or any agency thereof is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
  • A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 5 felony.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 875 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0875)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0875)

  4. 2026-04-01 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB47)

  5. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  6. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  7. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  8. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  9. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  10. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  11. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Enrolled

  12. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB47ER)

  13. 2026-03-12 Senate

    House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  14. 2026-03-11 House

    Read third time

  15. 2026-03-11 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  16. 2026-03-11 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  17. 2026-03-11 House

    Passed House with substitute (75-Y 24-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-03-11 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  19. 2026-03-11 House

    Passed House with substitute (99-Y 0-N 0-A)

  20. 2026-03-11 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/11/2026 1:02 pm)

  21. 2026-03-10 House

    Passed by for the day

  22. 2026-03-09 House

    Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar

  23. 2026-03-09 House

    Passed by for the day

  24. 2026-03-06 House

    Read second time

  25. 2026-03-04 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  26. 2026-03-04 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB47)

  27. 2026-03-03 Transportation & Public Safety

    Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

  28. 2026-03-03 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/3/2026 8:51 am)

  29. 2026-03-03 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26108352D-H1

  30. 2026-03-02 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  31. 2026-02-20 Criminal

    House subcommittee offered

  32. 2026-02-20 Criminal

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)

  33. 2026-02-20 Criminal

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)

  34. 2026-02-18 Criminal

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  35. 2026-02-05 House

    Placed on Calendar

  36. 2026-02-05 House

    Read first time

  37. 2026-02-05 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  38. 2026-02-02 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  39. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Read second time

  40. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  41. 2026-01-30 Courts of Justice

    Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

  42. 2026-01-30 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  43. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Rules suspended

  44. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  45. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  46. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  47. 2026-01-28 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N)

  48. 2026-01-24 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB47)

  49. 2026-01-23 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26105928D-S1

  50. 2026-01-23 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/23/2026 11:20 am)

  51. 2026-01-21 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  52. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Courts of Justice Substitute

  53. 2026-01-07 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB47)

  54. 2025-12-05 Senate

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (12/5/2025 4:10 pm)

  55. 2025-11-24 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100776D

  56. 2025-11-24 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.
Provides that any person who impersonates a law-enforcement officer (i) while committing or attempting to commit aggravated murder, first or second degree murder, abduction, rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, or sexual battery or (ii) while circumventing, bypassing, or attempting to circumvent or bypass any security measure of any business, commercial building, residence, building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof, or building owned or leased by a locality or any agency thereof is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 5 felony.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend and reenact §
18.2-174
of the Code of Virginia, relating to impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
18.2-174
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
18.2-174
. Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalties.
A.
Any person who falsely assumes or exercises the functions, powers, duties, and privileges incident to the office of sheriff, police officer, marshal, or other peace officer, or any local, city, county, state, or federal law-enforcement officer, or who falsely assumes or pretends to be any such officer, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense
of this subsection
is punishable as a Class 6 felony.
B. Any person who commits a violation of subsection A while (i) committing or attempting to commit a violation of §
18.2-31
,
18.2-32
,
18.2-47
,
18.2-61
,
18.2-67.1
,
18.2-67.2
,
18.2-67.3
, or
18.2-67.4
or (ii) circumventing, bypassing, or attempting to circumvent or bypass any security measure of any business, commercial building, residence, building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof, or building owned or leased by a locality or any agency thereof is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A second or subsequent offense of this subsection is punishable as a Class 5 felony.
2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities; therefore, Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025 requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to assign a minimum fiscal impact of $50,000. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.