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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>350443</law_id><section_number>18.2-196</section_number><catch_line>Criminal possession of credit card forgery devices</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="52" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="6" identifier="6">Crimes Involving Fraud</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="7" identifier="6">Offenses Relating to Credit Cards</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> A person is guilty of criminal <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of <span class="dictionary">credit card</span> <span class="dictionary">forgery</span> devices when: <a id="paragraph-1305660" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-196/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1a" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> He is a person other than the <span class="dictionary">cardholder</span> and possesses two or more incomplete <span class="dictionary">credit cards</span>, with <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to complete them without the consent of the <span class="dictionary">issuer</span>; or <a id="paragraph-1305661" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-196/#1a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1b" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> He possesses, with knowledge of its character, machinery, plates or any other contrivance designed to reproduce instruments purporting to be <span class="dictionary">credit cards</span> of an <span class="dictionary">issuer</span> who has not consented to the preparation of such <span class="dictionary">credit cards</span>. <a id="paragraph-1305662" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-196/#1b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> A <span class="dictionary">credit card</span> is incomplete if part of the matter, other than the signature of the <span class="dictionary">cardholder</span>, which an <span class="dictionary">issuer</span> requires to appear on the <span class="dictionary">credit card</span> before it can be used by a <span class="dictionary">cardholder</span>, has not yet been stamped, embossed, imprinted or written upon.
			<span class="dictionary">Conviction</span> of criminal <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of <span class="dictionary">credit card</span> <span class="dictionary">forgery</span> devices is punishable as a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-1305663" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-196/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-125.7; 1968, c. 480; 1975, cc. 14, 15.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
