Virginia Code 6.2-939: Unlawful use of terms indicating that business is bank; penalty.
A. A person not authorized to engage in the banking business in the Commonwealth by the provisions of this title or under the laws of the United States, shall not (i) use any office sign having thereon any name or other words indicating that any such office is the office of a bank; (ii) use or circulate any letterheads, billheads, blank notes, blank receipts, certificates, circulars, or any written or printed paper, having thereon any name or word indicating that such person is a bank; or (iii) use the word “bank,” “banking,” “banker,” or “trust,” or the equivalent thereof in any foreign language, or the plural thereof in connection with any business other than a banking business.
Attorney's Note
Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 6 felony | up to 5 years | up to $2,500 |
Terms Used In Virginia Code 6.2-939
- Bank: means a corporation authorized by statute to accept deposits and to hold itself out to the public as engaged in the banking business in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 6.2-800
- Bank holding company: means any corporation (i) that directly or indirectly owns, controls, or holds with power to vote, 25 percent or more of the voting shares of one or more banks or of a corporation that is or becomes a bank holding company by virtue of this definition, (ii) that controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of one or more banks, or (iii) for the benefit of whose shareholders or members 25 percent or more of the voting shares of one or more banks or bank holding companies is held by trustees. See Virginia Code 6.2-800
- Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
- 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. The foregoing prohibitions shall not apply to use by a bank holding company, as defined in § 6.2-800, of the word “bank,” “banks,” “banking,” “banker,” “trust,” or the equivalent thereof in its name, or of a name similar to that of a subsidiary bank of such bank holding company.
C. The use of the above-mentioned words in the name of, or in connection with, any other business shall not be prohibited if the context or remaining words show clearly and definitely that the business is not a bank, and is not carrying on a banking business.
D. Any person violating the provisions of this section, either individually or as an interested party, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
Code 1950, § 6-134; 1966, c. 584, § 6.1-112; 1972, c. 187; 1992, cc. 24, 136; 2000, c. 56; 2003, c. 592; 2010, c. 794.