Usually not, but it can be, and that possibility is exactly why these charges deserve serious attention. Most fake ID cases involving college students in Blacksburg are charged as misdemeanors. Using a false ID to buy alcohol or get into a bar is typically charged under Va. Code § 18.2-204.1, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to twelve months in jail and a $2,500 fine. Possessing or transferring a fictitious ID can be charged under Va. Code § 18.2-204.2.
The felony risk comes from Virginia forgery law. A counterfeit driver’s license is a forged public record, and prosecutors have in some cases pursued felony forgery charges over fake IDs. A felony conviction carries consequences in a completely different league, including the loss of civil rights and a permanent bar to many careers. It is not the usual outcome for a student who showed a fake at a bar downtown, but the exposure is real, and the difference between a misdemeanor resolution and something worse often comes down to how the case is handled.
Prosecutors and judges in Montgomery County see these cases every semester, and a local lawyer knows what outcomes are realistically available, including resolutions that can keep a young person’s record clean. Joel has decades of experience defending Virginia Tech and Radford students in these exact situations.
If you or your student has been charged over a fake ID, call Joel at 540-961-5297 for a free consultation, and read more on his page about fake ID charges in Blacksburg.