Title 13, Crimes and Criminal Procedure

§ 3781. Tapping gas pipes with intent to defraud A person who taps gas pipes with intent to take gas therefrom, or who connects pipes with such gas pipes so that gas may be used without passing through the meters for measurement, or who knowingly burns gas without measurement by …

§ 3782. Tapping electric lines; injuries to electric plants A person who willfully commits or causes to be committed an act with intent to injure a machine, apparatus, or structure appertaining to the works of a person, firm, association, or corporation engaged in manufacturing, …

§ 3784. Interfering with meters A person, other than an authorized agent or employee acting for the owner, manufacturer, or operator thereof, who maliciously opens, closes, breaks into, or in any manner adjusts or interferes with a meter, or other regulating or measuring device o…

§ 3785. Injuring lights in streets and public buildings A person who willfully and maliciously breaks the glass about a street lamp or gaslight, or a lamp or gaslight in the grounds about a public building, or, without authority, lights such a lamp or gaslight or extinguishes the…

§ 3786. Tapping cable television systems; damage to equipment A person who willfully or maliciously damages, or causes to be damaged, any wire, cable, conduit, apparatus, or equipment of a company operating a cable television system, as defined in 30 V.S.A. § 501, or who commits …

§ 3801. Definitions As used in this section: (1) “Party line” means a subscribers’ line telephone circuit, consisting of two or more main telephone stations connected therewith, each station with a distinctive ring or telephone number. (2) “Emergency” means a situation in which p…

§ 3802. Refusal to surrender line in an emergency A person shall not willfully refuse to surrender the use of a party line to another person for the purpose of permitting such other person to report a fire or summon police, medical or other aid in case of emergency.

§ 3803. Declaring emergency falsely A person shall not request the use of a party line on pretext that an emergency exists, knowing that an emergency does not exist.

§ 3804. Notice in telephone directories Every telephone directory hereafter distributed to the members of the general public shall contain a copy of this subchapter, printed in type which is no smaller than eight-point type and is headed by the word “warning” in larger and bold-f…

§ 3805. Penalties A person who violates this subchapter shall be fined not more than $300.00 or imprisoned for not more than one month, or both.

§ 3831. Cutting ice and not fencing hole A person who takes ice from water over which people are accustomed to pass and does not place around the opening thereby made in the ice suitable guards to prevent a person, team, or vehicle from falling into such hole or opening shall be …

§ 3833. Unlawful taking of tangible personal property; penalty A person who, without the consent of the owner, takes and carries away or causes to be taken and carried away any tangible personal property with the intent of depriving the owner temporarily of the lawful possession …

§ 3834. Removal of surveying monuments A person who knowingly removes or alters monuments marking the boundary of lands or knowingly defaces, alters, or removes marks upon any tree, post, or stake that is a monument designating a point, course, or line in the boundary of a parcel…

§ 3835. Surveillance devices; placement on private property without consent of owner; civil penalty (a) A person shall not place a camera or other surveillance device on any privately owned real property with the intent to conduct surveillance on a person or the property unless t…

§ 4001. Slung shot, blackjack, brass knuckles—Use or possession A person who uses a slung shot, blackjack, brass knuckles or similar weapon against another person, or attempts so to do, or who possesses a slung shot, blackjack, brass knuckles, or similar weapon, with intent so to…

§ 4002. Manufacture, sale, etc A person within the State who manufactures or causes to be manufactured, or sells or gives away or parts with, or offers so to do, or keeps for sale or gift, a slung shot, blackjack, brass knuckles, or similar weapon, shall be imprisoned not more th…

§ 4003. Carrying dangerous weapons A person who carries a dangerous or deadly weapon with the intent to injure another shall be imprisoned for not more than two years or fined not more than $2,000.00, or both. It shall be a felony punishable by not more than 10 years of imprisonm…

§ 4004. Possession of dangerous or deadly weapon in a school bus or school building or on school property (a) No person shall knowingly possess a firearm or a dangerous or deadly weapon while within a school building or on a school bus. A person who violates this section shall, f…

§ 4005. While committing a felony (a) Except as otherwise provided in 18 V.S.A. § 4253, a person who carries a dangerous or deadly weapon, openly or concealed, while committing a felony shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $500.00, or both. (b)(1) C…

§ 4006. Record of firearm sales All pawnbrokers and retail merchants dealing in firearms shall keep a record book in which they shall record the sale by them of all revolvers and pistols, and the purchase by them of all secondhand revolvers and pistols. Such record shall include …

§ 4007. Furnishing firearms to children A person, firm, or corporation, other than a parent or guardian, who sells or furnishes to a minor under the age of 16 years a firearm or other dangerous weapon or ammunition for firearms shall be fined not more than $50.00 nor less than $1…

§ 4008. Possession of firearms by children A child under the age of 16 years shall not, without the consent of his or her parents or guardian, have in his or her possession or control a pistol or revolver constructed or designed for the use of gunpowder or other explosive substan…

§ 4009. Negligent use of gun A person who carelessly or negligently wounds another person by gunshot shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Amended 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 15.)

§ 4010. Gun suppressors (a) As used in this section: (1) “Gun suppressor” means any device for muffling or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a gun suppressor,…

§ 4011. Aiming gun at another Any person who shall intentionally point or aim any gun, pistol, or other firearm at or towards another, except in self-defense or in the lawful discharge of official duty, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $50.00. Any person who shall discharg…

§ 4012. Reporting treatment of firearm wounds (a) Every physician attending or treating a case of bullet wound, gunshot wound, powder burn, or any other injury arising from or caused by the discharge of a gun, pistol, or other firearm, or whenever such case is treated in a hospit…

§ 4013. Zip guns A person who possesses, sells, or offers for sale a weapon commonly known as a “zip” gun shall be imprisoned not more than 90 days or fined not more than $100.00, or both. (Added 1959, No. 151, eff. May 5, 1959; amended 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2025, No.…

§ 4014. Purchase of firearms in other states Residents of the State of Vermont may purchase rifles and shotguns in another state, provided that such residents conform to the applicable provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968, and regulations thereunder, as administered by the U…

§ 4015. Purchase of firearms by nonresidents Residents of a state other than the State of Vermont may purchase rifles and shotguns in the State of Vermont, provided that such residents conform to the applicable provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968, and regulations thereunder…

§ 4016. Weapons in court (a) As used in this section: (1) “Courthouse” means a building or any portion of a building designated by the Supreme Court of Vermont as a courthouse. (2) “Dangerous or deadly weapon” means any firearm, or other weapon, device, instrument, material, or s…

§ 4017. Persons prohibited from possessing firearms; conviction of violent crime (a) A person shall not possess a firearm if the person has been convicted of a violent crime. (b) A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than two years or fined not more than…

§ 4017a. Fugitives from justice; persons subject to final relief from abuse or stalking order; persons charged with certain offenses; prohibition on possession of firearms (a) A person shall not possess a firearm if the person: (1) is a fugitive from justice; (2) is the subject o…

§ 4018. Drones (a) No person shall equip a drone with a dangerous or deadly weapon or fire a projectile from a drone. A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (b) As used in this section: (1) “Drone” …

§ 4019. Firearms transfers; background checks (a) As used in this section: (1) “Firearm” shall have the same meaning as in subsection 4017(d) of this title. (2) “Immediate family member” means a spouse, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, stepsibling, grandparent, step…

§ 4019a. Firearms transfers; waiting period (a) A person shall not transfer a firearm to another person until 72 hours after the licensed dealer facilitating the transfer is provided with a unique identification number for the transfer by the National Instant Criminal Background …

§ 4020. Sale of firearms to persons under 21 years of age prohibited (a) A person shall not sell a firearm to a person under 21 years of age. A person who violates this subsection shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (b) This s…

§ 4021. Large capacity ammunition feeding devices (a) A person shall not manufacture, possess, transfer, offer for sale, purchase, or receive or import into this State a large capacity ammunition feeding device. As used in this subsection, “import” does not include the transporta…

§ 4022. Bump-fire stocks; possession prohibited (a) As used in this section, “bump-fire stock” means a butt stock designed to be attached to a semiautomatic firearm and intended to increase the rate of fire achievable with the firearm to that of a fully automatic firearm by using…

§ 4023. Possession of firearms in hospital buildings prohibited (a) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm while within a hospital building. (b) A person who violates this section shall be fined not more than $250.00. (c) This section shall not apply to a firearm possesse…

§ 4024. Negligent firearms storage (a)(1) A person who stores or keeps a firearm within any premises that are under the person’s custody or control, and who knows or reasonably should know that a child or prohibited person is likely to gain access to the firearm, shall be: (A) im…

§ 4025. Straw purchasing of firearms (a) A person shall not purchase a firearm for, on behalf of, or at the request of another person if the purchaser knows or reasonably should know that the other person: (1) is prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm; (2) i…

§ 4026. Defacing of firearm’s serial number (a) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm that has had the importer’s or manufacturer’s serial number removed, obliterated, or altered. (b) A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fine…

§ 4027. Polling places; firearms prohibited (a)(1) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm at a polling place or on the walks leading to a building in which a polling place is located on an election day. (2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall apply …

§ 4051. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Court” means the Family Division of the Superior Court. (2) “Dangerous weapon” means an explosive or a firearm. (3) “Explosive” means dynamite, or any explosive compound of which nitroglycerin forms a part, or fulminate in bulk…

§ 4052. Jurisdiction and venue (a) The Family Division of the Superior Court shall have jurisdiction over proceedings under this subchapter. (b) Emergency orders under section 4054 of this title may be issued by a judge of the Criminal, Civil, or Family Division of the Superior C…

§ 4053. Petition for extreme risk protection order (a) A State’s Attorney, the Office of the Attorney General, or a family or household member may file a petition requesting that the court issue an extreme risk protection order prohibiting a person from purchasing, possessing, or…