Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.2 (2026)

Wearing of body armor while committing a crime; penalty

✓ current as of May 2026

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Any person who, while committing a crime of violence as defined in § 18.2-288 (2) or a felony violation of § 18.2-248 or subdivision (a) 2 or 3 of § 18.2-248.1, has in his possession a firearm or knife and is wearing body armor designed to diminish the effect of the impact of a bullet or projectile shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

1990, c. 936; 1997, c. 311.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 2008–2011 · leading case: Jones v. Com., 687 S.E.2d 738 (Va. 2010).

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Jones v. Com., 687 S.E.2d 738 (Va. 2010). · cites it 6× “st assignment of error, Jones claims that his conviction for wearing body armor during the commission of a crime *742 should be reversed because the evidence was insufficient to prove that he committed a "crime of violence" while wearing the bulletproof vest or that the vest was…”

Alderman v. United States, 562 U.S. 1163 (2011). “Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-287.2 (Lexis 2009). North Carolina, by comparison, enhances all felony offenses by one class level if the offender wears or possesses body armor during the commission of the felony.”

Aubrey Dwight Jones, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 6× “2-22, and wearing body armor while committing a crime, in violation of Code § 18.2-287.2. He argues that the evidence was insufficient to convict him of any of those crimes.”

Ronald Beasley Chaney, s/k/a Ronald B. Chaney, III v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “2-58, and wearing body armor in violation of Code § 18.2-287.2. On appeal, he contends the trial court erred in refusing to allow him to withdraw his guilty pleas before sentencing.”

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