Virginia Code 4.1-313: Possessing, transporting, etc., alcoholic beverages illegally acquired; penalty
A. No person, other than a common carrier, shall have, possess, keep, carry, ship or transport alcoholic beverages upon which the tax imposed by the laws of the United States has not been paid.
Attorney's Note
Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 misdemeanor | up to 12 months | up to $2,500 |
Terms Used In Virginia Code 4.1-313
- Alcoholic beverages: includes alcohol, spirits, wine, and beer, and any one or more of such varieties containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume, including mixed alcoholic beverages, and every liquid or solid, powder or crystal, patented or not, containing alcohol, spirits, wine, or beer and capable of being consumed by a human being. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- Board: means the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Licensed: means the holding of a valid license granted by the Authority. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- Markup: The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
- sell: includes soliciting or receiving an order for; keeping, offering or exposing for sale; peddling, exchanging or bartering; or delivering otherwise than gratuitously, by any means, alcoholic beverages. See Virginia Code 4.1-100
- United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
B. No person shall possess alcoholic beverages in amounts in excess of the limits provided in § 4.1-311 in containers not bearing evidence that they have been purchased from the Board or a person licensed to sell them, or other evidence that the tax due to the Commonwealth or the markup required by the Board has been paid, unless it can be proved that the alcoholic beverages were lawfully acquired by the possessor.
C. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Code 1950, § 4-75; 1954, c. 484; 1966, c. 408; 1974, c. 460; 1975, c. 481; 1976, c. 36; 1984, c. 603; 1993, c. 866.