A. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, for which license plates, decals, or registration cards have been revoked pursuant to this article, to fail or refuse to surrender to the Department, on demand, a certificate of title if it is incorrect in any material particular. Violation of this subsection shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Attorney's Note

Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class 1 misdemeanorup to 12 monthsup to $2,500
Class 2 misdemeanorup to 6 monthsup to $1,000
For details, see Va. Code § 18.2-11

Terms Used In Virginia Code 46.2-612

  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • Semitrailer: means every vehicle of the trailer type so designed and used in conjunction with a motor vehicle that some part of its own weight and that of its own load rests on or is carried by another vehicle. See Virginia Code 46.2-100
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of 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 1-245
  • Trailer: means every vehicle without motive power designed for carrying property or passengers wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, including manufactured homes. See Virginia Code 46.2-100
  • Vehicle: means every device in, on or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn on a highway, except personal delivery devices and devices moved by human power or used exclusively on stationary rails or tracks. See Virginia Code 46.2-100

B. No person shall:

1. Display or cause or permit to be displayed any registration card, certificate of title, or license plate or decal that he knows is fictitious or that he knows has been canceled, revoked, suspended, or altered; or display or cause or permit to be displayed on any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer any license plate or decal that he knows is currently issued for another vehicle. Violation of this subdivision shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor.

2. Fail or refuse to surrender to the Department or the Department of State Police, on demand, any certificate of title, registration card, or license plate or decal that has been suspended, canceled, or revoked. Violation of this subdivision shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor.

3. Use a false name or address in any application for the registration of any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, for a certificate of title, or for any renewal or duplicate certificate or knowingly make a false statement of a material fact, knowingly conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit a fraud in any registration application. Violation of this subdivision shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Code 1950, § 46-61; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-62; 1962, c. 302; 1972, c. 609; 1989, c. 727; 2019, cc. 71, 79.