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Virginia traffic tickets

Points, traffic school, deadlines and what a ticket does to your insurance in Virginia.

Speeding ticket$57–$259state schedule
License at risk12 ptsin 12 months
Driver improvement clinicYesavailable, with limits
Insurance after 1 ticket+24%on $2,028 a year

What will my ticket really cost? Check my points

What kind of ticket did you get?

Which court is on your ticket?

One statewide schedule sets most fines. Pick the court named on your ticket.

Every other Virginia county court

Phone, pay-online link and traffic school steps for 4 more courts. Tap a county to open it.

Chesterfield County(804) 748-1231Pays online

Chesterfield County General District Court. Fines follow the Virginia statewide schedule.

Address
Chesterfield Courthouse, 9500 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832
Phone
(804) 748-1231
Hours
Clerk's office 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ vacourts.gov ↗

Loudoun County(703) 777-0312Pays online

Loudoun County General District Court. Fines follow the Virginia statewide schedule.

Address
2 Church Street NE, Leesburg, VA 20176-2828
Phone
(703) 777-0312
Hours
Clerk's office 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ vacourts.gov ↗

Prince William County(703) 792-6141Pays online

Prince William County General District Court. Fines follow the Virginia statewide schedule.

Address
9311 Lee Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110-5586
Phone
(703) 792-6141
Hours
Clerk's office 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ vacourts.gov ↗

Virginia Beach County(757) 385-8531Pays online

Virginia Beach General District Court. Fines follow the Virginia statewide schedule.

Address
2425 Nimmo Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9057
Phone
(757) 385-8531
Hours
Clerk's office 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courts.virginiabeach.gov ↗

What are your options with a Virginia ticket?

Paying is the fastest route, and it usually puts the ticket on your record. Driver improvement clinic is the main way to avoid that.

  1. Prepay the ticket

    If the offense is on the Uniform Fine Schedule, sign the waiver and pay the fine plus $51 by mail, online or at the clerk's office before the court date. Reckless driving, DUI and driving while suspended cannot be prepaid.

    What it does: Prepaying is a guilty plea and has the same effect as a court judgment. The conviction goes to DMV and demerit points apply.[10][11][26]

  2. Go to court and plead not guilty

    Appear on the court date on your summons. A judge hears the case. There are no jury trials in general district court.

    What it does: If found not guilty or the case is dismissed, no fine and no points. If found guilty, the judge sets the fine, which can differ from the schedule.[24][10]

  3. Ask the judge about a driver improvement clinic

    Ask at your hearing whether the court will accept a clinic. An eight-hour clinic costs no more than $100.

    What it does: Up to the judge. It can be in place of a guilty finding or in addition to the penalty. Court costs still apply, and it is not available to reduce a CDL holder's charge.[14][12][5]

    Cost: Clinic up to $100 plus court costs

  4. Fix it and show proof

    For registration, inspection, license-in-possession and similar charges, show proof that the problem is fixed to the clerk before the court date.

    What it does: The clerk may waive the fine. You still pay court costs.[26][12]

  5. Appeal to circuit court

    File a written notice of appeal with the general district court clerk within 10 days of the conviction.

    What it does: You get a completely new trial in circuit court, with a jury if you ask.[13][24][25]

  6. Set up a payment plan

    Ask the clerk for a deferred or installment payment agreement. Every court must offer one, based on what you can afford.

    What it does: Same conviction and points.[22][25]

What does the Virginia state schedule charge for speeding?

1–19 mph over$51 + $6 per mph over 0[10]
1–19 mph over$251 + $8 per mph over 0[10][20]
16–19 mph over$241 + $6 per mph over 15[10]

No statewide driver surcharge. Every prepayable traffic infraction carries a fixed $51 processing fee on top of the fine, charged once per incident even with several tickets.[10][12][26]

Every fine on the Virginia schedule (19)
TicketState fineWith court costs
Speeding, 1–19 mph overPrinted as: Exceeding the speed limit (46.2-870 to 46.2-876)$6 per mph over the limit plus the $51 processing fee.$51 + $6 per mph over 0[10]Plus court costs
Speeding, 16–19 mph overPrinted as: Driving in excess of 80 mph but less than 86 mph in a 65 mph zone (46.2-878.3)$100 plus $6 per mph over the limit, plus $51.$241 + $6 per mph over 15[10]Plus court costs
School zone speeding, 1–19 mph overPrinted as: Exceeding the speed limit in a school crossing zone (46.2-873)$7 per mph over plus $51.$51 + $7 per mph over 0[10][20]Plus court costs
Work zone speeding, 1–19 mph overPrinted as: Exceeding the speed limit in a highway work zone (46.2-878.1)$7 per mph over plus $51.$51 + $7 per mph over 0[10][20]Plus court costs
Speeding, 1–19 mph overPrinted as: Exceeding the speed limit in a posted residence district (46.2-878.2)$200 plus $8 per mph over plus $51.$251 + $8 per mph over 0[10][20]Plus court costs
Failure to obey traffic lights (46.2-833)$151[10]$151
Failure to stop and yield at a stop sign (46.2-821)$81[10]$81
Failure of driver turning left to yield to oncoming vehicle (46.2-825)Most failure-to-yield lines (46.2-820 to 46.2-829) are $30 plus $51.$81[10]$81
Following a vehicle more closely than is reasonable or prudent (46.2-816)$81[10]$81
Changing lane without first ascertaining safety of move$151[10]$151
U-turn in business district other than at intersection (46.2-845)$81[10]$81
Holding a handheld personal communications device while drivingFirst offense.$176[10][18]$176
Passing stopped school bus (46.2-844)Civil penalty version.$301[10][19]$301
Expiration of registration (46.2-613)If you fix it: Clerk may waive the fine, court costs still apply. Show a valid registration card before your court date.[10][26][12]$76[10][26][12]$76
Failure to have vehicle inspected (46.2-1158)$81[10][26]$81
Safety belt violation, driver or passenger 18 and over (46.2-1094)Civil penalty of $25 with no court costs and no demerit points.$25[16]$25
Reckless driving, including 20+ mph over or over 85 mph (46.2-862)Class 1 misdemeanor: up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $2,500.Up to $2,500[15][27][11]Up to $2,551
Operating an uninsured motor vehicle (46.2-707)Class 3 misdemeanor, fine up to $500.Up to $500[17][27]Up to $551
Moving violation in a designated highway safety corridor (46.2-808.2)Double the otherwise applicable fine, plus $51.On your notice[10][20]Plus court costs

With court costs is an estimate. It uses the same add-ons Virginia's own schedule shows on other tickets, which adds $51.[10][18][19][26][12][16] Your notice shows the exact total.

How many points is a speeding ticket in Virginia?

All 16 point values
  • Unsafe lane change4 pts[8]
  • Illegal U-turn3 pts[7]
  • Handheld phone use3 pts[7]
  • Passing a stopped school bus4 pts[8]
  • Improper passing3 pts[7]
  • Aggressive driving4 pts[8]
  • DUI6 pts[9]
  • No seat belt0 pts[16]
How points work in Virginia

DMV adds demerit points (3, 4 or 6) when you are convicted of a traffic violation, including convictions in other states. Demerit points count for two years from the offense date, though the conviction itself can stay on your record for 3, 5 or 11 years. You also earn one safe driving point for each full calendar year with no violations or suspensions, up to a maximum of five, and five more for finishing a driver improvement clinic voluntarily. Safe driving points offset demerit points.[6][7][8][9][5]

Commercial driver? Points and disqualifications work differently. How tickets affect a CDL →

When can you lose your license?

  1. 8 ptsin 12 monthsAdvisory letter warning about the consequences[2]
  2. 12 ptsin 12 monthsMust finish a driver improvement clinic within 90 days, or the license is suspended until you do[2][3][5]
  3. 18 ptsin 12 months90-day suspension[2]
Full wording of each rule
  • 8 points in 12 months: Advisory letter warning about the consequences (also sent at 12 points in 24 months).
  • 12 points in 12 months: Must finish a driver improvement clinic within 90 days, or the license is suspended until you do (also triggered by 18 points in 24 months).
  • 18 points in 12 months: 90-day suspension (also triggered by 24 points in 24 months). A clinic is required before reinstatement, then 6 months of probation.
  • A demerit-point conviction for an offense committed while on DMV probation brings a suspension of 45 days (3-point violation), 60 days (4-point) or 90 days (6-point), then another six months of probation.

Getting your license back after a suspension costs $30 in Virginia, before any course or court costs.[21]

Drivers under 21

Under 18: the first demerit-point conviction (or a seat belt or child restraint conviction) requires a driver improvement clinic within 90 days. The second brings a 90-day suspension and the third a one-year revocation or until age 18, whichever is longer. Under 18, 9 points in 12 months or 12 in 24 months also triggers a clinic and probation. Ages 18 and 19: any demerit-point or seat belt conviction requires a driver improvement clinic.[4][2][3]

Can driver improvement clinic keep a ticket off your record in Virginia?

It can help. Taken voluntarily, a clinic gives one of two benefits, not both: 5 safe driving points (which offset demerit points) or an insurance premium reduction.[3][5][6][14][12]

How often: Safe driving points for a clinic once every 24 months. You may attend again for the other benefit one year after completion.

Official list of approved schools ↗

Is it worth it for your ticket? Get a yes or no →

Who qualifies, CDL drivers and cost

Taken voluntarily, a clinic gives one of two benefits, not both: 5 safe driving points (which offset demerit points) or an insurance premium reduction. It does not remove the conviction. A judge can also order a clinic in lieu of or in addition to the usual penalty, and courts may accept it in place of a finding of guilty. When a court orders it, the court decides whether you get safe driving points and you cannot use it for the insurance discount.[3][5][6][14][12]

Who can use it: Any driver may attend voluntarily. Ask the court first if you want it counted in your case, and check that the court accepts an online clinic. A first handheld phone violation is the only time the statute itself lets a court order a clinic in lieu of a conviction for that offense. Courts may not reduce, dismiss or defer a charge because of a clinic for CDL holders or for offenses in a commercial vehicle.[5][14][18]

Commercial (CDL) drivers: No[14][5]

Cost: Eight-hour clinic, no more than $100. Taken in place of a guilty finding, the court still charges its fixed fee.[5][12]

Do school and work zones cost more?

School zones

Not doubled, but higher. Speeding in a marked school crossing zone is $7 per mph over instead of $6, plus the $51 processing fee. The school crossing limit is 25 mph between the posted signs, which are up 30 minutes before and after school hours. Photo-enforced school zones carry $100 for 10 or more over.[10][20]

Work zones

Not doubled, but higher. Speeding in a highway work zone with workers present is $7 per mph over, up to a $500 maximum, plus the $51 processing fee. A handheld phone violation in a work zone is a mandatory $250. Separately, fines for moving violations double in a designated highway safety corridor.[10][20][18]

When is your ticket due?

  1. Date on noticePay or respondset by the court[11][12][24][25]
    Details

    Prepay or appear by the court date on your summons. If you miss it: The court can try you in your absence and convict you, adding a $35 failure-to-appear fee. In some cases a separate failure to appear charge or warrant is issued.

  2. 10daysLast day to appealfrom conviction[13][24][25]
    Details

    Appeal a general district court conviction to circuit court. If you miss it: After 10 days the right to a new trial is lost.

  3. 60daysMotion to rehear a convictionfrom conviction[25]
    Details

    Motion to rehear a conviction. If you miss it: Granting it is up to the judge, and it does not extend the 10-day appeal deadline.

  4. 90daysPay fines and costs after a convictionfrom conviction[25]
    Details

    Pay fines and costs after a conviction. If you miss it: Interest and extra fees are added after the due date unless you have a payment plan.

  5. 90daysFinish a DMV-required driver improvement clinicfrom the notice date[2][5]
    Details

    Finish a DMV-required driver improvement clinic. If you miss it: DMV suspends your license until you finish it.

What happens if you don't respond

If you neither prepay nor appear, the judge can hear the case without you and convict you, and a $35 failure-to-appear fee is added to the costs. In criminal and some traffic cases a separate warrant can be issued on a new failure to appear charge. Since July 1, 2020 the law that suspended licenses for unpaid court fines and costs is repealed, and every court must offer deferred or installment payment plans.[12][24][25][23][22]

Work out your exact dates → · Already missed it?

Will an out-of-state ticket follow you home?

Virginia drivers get demerit points for traffic convictions in other states. Virginia is not in the Nonresident Violator Compact, so an unpaid Virginia ticket is not reported to a nonresident's home state under that compact. Anyone can prepay a prepayable offense by mail or online without coming to court.[7][1][11]

How out-of-state tickets work →

How much will it raise your insurance in Virginia?

One speeding ticket raised a full-coverage premium by about 24% on average in Virginia[1], from a clean-record average of $2,028 a year.[1] If that increase stays for three years, that's about $1,460 on top of the fine.

Averages from ValuePenguin State of Auto Insurance in 2026, not a quote. Insurers differ, and many look back three to five years.

Where are the official pages?

What else do people ask?

How do points work in Virginia?

DMV adds demerit points (3, 4 or 6) when you are convicted of a traffic violation, including convictions in other states. Demerit points count for two years from the offense date, though the conviction itself can stay on your record for 3, 5 or 11 years. You also earn one safe driving point for each full calendar year with no violations or suspensions, up to a maximum of five, and five more for finishing a driver improvement clinic voluntarily. Safe driving points offset demerit points.

How many points before your license is at risk in Virginia?

12 points in 12 months: Must finish a driver improvement clinic within 90 days, or the license is suspended until you do (also triggered by 18 points in 24 months).

Can traffic school keep a ticket off my record in Virginia?

Driver improvement clinic: Taken voluntarily, a clinic gives one of two benefits, not both: 5 safe driving points (which offset demerit points) or an insurance premium reduction. It does not remove the conviction. A judge can also order a clinic in lieu of or in addition to the usual penalty, and courts may accept it in place of a finding of guilty. When a court orders it, the court decides whether you get safe driving points and you cannot use it for the insurance discount. Limit: Safe driving points for a clinic once every 24 months. You may attend again for the other benefit one year after completion.

Will an out-of-state ticket follow me home to Virginia?

Virginia is a member of the Driver License Compact, so convictions in other member states are reported to Virginia. Virginia drivers get demerit points for traffic convictions in other states. Virginia is not in the Nonresident Violator Compact, so an unpaid Virginia ticket is not reported to a nonresident's home state under that compact. Anyone can prepay a prepayable offense by mail or online without coming to court.

How much does a speeding ticket raise insurance in Virginia?

About 24% on average for full coverage, according to ValuePenguin State of Auto Insurance in 2026. Your insurer's rate can differ a lot from the average.

Sources

Virginia law and DMV sources (27)
  1. AAMVA DLC/NRVC Member Joinder Dates (rev. April 2026), AAMVA.
  2. Virginia DMV: Traffic Violations - Drivers Age 18 and Over, Virginia DMV.
  3. Va. Code § 46.2-498 Driver improvement clinics, voluntary attendance, Virginia General Assembly.
  4. Virginia DMV: Traffic Violations - Drivers Under Age 18, Virginia DMV.
  5. Virginia DMV: Driver Improvement (clinics, probation, CDL), Virginia DMV.
  6. Virginia DMV: The Points System, Virginia DMV.
  7. Virginia DMV: Three Point Violations, Virginia DMV.
  8. Virginia DMV: Four Point Violations, Virginia DMV.
  9. Virginia DMV: Six Point Violations, Virginia DMV.
  10. Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia, Rule 3B:2 Uniform Fine Schedule (traffic infractions), Supreme Court of Virginia.
  11. Va. Code § 16.1-69.40:1 (prepayable traffic infractions), Virginia General Assembly.
  12. Va. Code § 16.1-69.48:1 (fixed court fees in district court), Virginia General Assembly.
  13. Va. Code § 16.1-132 (right of appeal from district court), Virginia General Assembly.
  14. Va. Code § 46.2-505 (court may direct defendant to attend driver improvement clinic), Virginia General Assembly.
  15. Va. Code § 46.2-862 (reckless driving by speed), Virginia General Assembly.
  16. Va. Code § 46.2-1094 (safety belts, penalty), Virginia General Assembly.
  17. Va. Code § 46.2-707 (operation of uninsured vehicle, penalty), Virginia General Assembly.
  18. Va. Code § 46.2-818.2 (handheld personal communications devices), Virginia General Assembly.
  19. Va. Code §§ 46.2-844, 46.2-859 (passing stopped school buses), Virginia General Assembly.
  20. Va. Code §§ 46.2-873, 46.2-878.1, 46.2-878.2, 46.2-808.2 (school crossing, work zone, residence district, safety corridor), Virginia General Assembly.
  21. Va. Code § 46.2-411 (reinstatement fee), Virginia General Assembly.
  22. Va. Code § 19.2-354.1 (deferred or installment payment agreements), Virginia General Assembly.
  23. Va. Code § 46.2-395 (repealed by Acts 2020, cc. 964 and 965), Virginia General Assembly.
  24. General District Courts informational pamphlet, Virginia Judicial System.
  25. Fairfax County General District Court: Missed your Traffic/Criminal Court Date?, Fairfax County General District Court.
  26. Fairfax County General District Court: Prepayable Offenses and Comply with Law Payments, Fairfax County General District Court.
  27. Va. Code § 18.2-11 (punishment for misdemeanors), Virginia General Assembly.
Insurance sources (4)
  1. State of Auto Insurance in 2026, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
  2. Car Insurance Rate Increases with a Speeding Ticket in 2026, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
  3. How Does a DUI Affect Your Auto Insurance Rates in 2026?, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).
  4. How Much Will My Car Insurance Rates Go Up After a Crash in 2026?, ValuePenguin (LendingTree).