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West Virginia traffic tickets

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

Speeding ticketUp to $100fine, plus $112 or more in court costs
License at risk12 ptsin 24 months
Defensive driving courseYesavailable, with limits
Insurance after 1 ticket+22%on $2,148 a year

What will my ticket really cost? Check my points

What kind of ticket did you get?

Which court is on your ticket?

State law sets a range, and the court picks the amount. Pick the court named on your ticket.

West Virginia county courts

Phone, pay-online link and traffic school steps for 5 courts. Tap a county to open it.

Berkeley County(304) 264-1957Pays online

Berkeley County Magistrate Court. Your notice shows the amount.

Address
Berkeley County Judicial Center, 380 West South Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401
Phone
(304) 264-1957
Traffic school
A DMV-approved classroom defensive driving course takes 3 points off your record once every 12 months. It does not dismiss the ticket.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courtswv.gov ↗

Cabell County(304) 526-8642Pays online

Cabell County Magistrate Court. Your notice shows the amount.

Address
Cabell County Courthouse, 750 Fifth Avenue, Room B-113, Huntington, WV 25701
Phone
(304) 526-8642
Traffic school
A DMV-approved classroom defensive driving course takes 3 points off your record once every 12 months. It does not dismiss the ticket.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courtswv.gov ↗

Kanawha County(304) 357-0422Pays online

Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Your notice shows the amount.

Address
Kanawha County Judicial Building, 111 Court Street, Charleston, WV 25301
Phone
(304) 357-0422
Traffic school
A DMV-approved classroom defensive driving course takes 3 points off your record once every 12 months. It does not dismiss the ticket.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courtswv.gov ↗

Monongalia County(304) 291-7296Pays online

Monongalia County Magistrate Court. Your notice shows the amount.

Address
Monongalia County Justice Center, 75 High Street, Suite 25, Morgantown, WV 26505
Phone
(304) 291-7296
Traffic school
A DMV-approved classroom defensive driving course takes 3 points off your record once every 12 months. It does not dismiss the ticket.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courtswv.gov ↗

Wood County(304) 422-3444Pays online

Wood County Magistrate Court. Your notice shows the amount.

Address
401 Second Street, Suite 12, Parkersburg, WV 26101
Phone
(304) 422-3444
Traffic school
A DMV-approved classroom defensive driving course takes 3 points off your record once every 12 months. It does not dismiss the ticket.

Pay or look up your ticket ↗ courtswv.gov ↗

What are your options with a West Virginia ticket?

Paying is the fastest route, and it usually puts the ticket on your record. Defensive driving course is the main way to avoid that.

  1. Plead guilty or no contest by phone and mail

    Call the magistrate court in the county of the ticket. The magistrate sets the fine and costs, then you sign the guilty plea on the citation and mail it with payment.

    What it does: A conviction. DMV adds any points.[14]

  2. Pay online

    Once you have a case number, pay fines and costs on the state magistrate court payment site. Each payment has a $2 fee.

    What it does: Clears what you owe. Payment plans can be paid there too.[15]

  3. Plead not guilty

    Plead in person before a magistrate or by mail to the magistrate court. You can ask for a jury trial.

    What it does: The case goes to trial. If you win there is no fine and no points.[14]

  4. Ask to dismiss before trial

    File the court's motion to dismiss form and explain why. The prosecutor has 10 days to object.

    What it does: If the prosecutor doesn't object, the magistrate may dismiss the ticket.[14]

  5. Take a defensive driving course

    After the points post, take a DMV-approved classroom course.

    What it does: Takes 3 points off your total, once every 12 months. The conviction stays.[2]

What does West Virginia law allow for speeding?

1–10 mph overUp to $5 fine + $112 or more[5]
Speeding, first conviction (17C-6-1)Up to $100 fine + $112 or more[5]

Magistrate courts add at least $112 in costs to a traffic fine: $60 in court costs, $30 for regional jail operations, a $12 law enforcement training fee and $10 for crime victims compensation on moving violations.[16][19][18][17][15]

Every fine on the West Virginia schedule (10)
TicketState fineWith court costs
Speeding, first conviction (17C-6-1)Up to $200 for a second within a year and $500 for a third within two years.Up to $100[5]Up to $100 fine + $112 or more
Speeding, 1–10 mph overPrinted as: Speeding 10 mph or less over on an interstate or controlled access highwayUp to $5[5]Up to $5 fine + $112 or more
Speeding in a school zone6 points.$100–$500[5]At least $212
Traffic signal violation (general misdemeanor penalty, 17C-18-1)First conviction.Up to $100[6]Up to $100 fine + $112 or more
Stop sign violation (general misdemeanor penalty, 17C-18-1)Up to $100[6]Up to $100 fine + $112 or more
Failure to yield (general misdemeanor penalty, 17C-18-1)Up to $100[6]Up to $100 fine + $112 or more
Handheld phone use while driving, first conviction (17C-14-15)Up to $200 for a second within 24 months, and up to $350 plus 3 points for a third.Up to $100[7]Up to $100 fine + $112 or more
Passing a stopped school bus, first offense (17C-12-7)Up to 6 months in jail is also possible.$500–$1,000[8]At least $612
Failure to wear a safety belt (17C-15-49)No points.$25[9]At least $137
Not carrying proof of insurance (17D-2A-4)Not guilty if you show the insurance was in effect within 7 days of the ticket.If you fix it: Dismissed. Show the insurance was in effect, within 7 days of the ticket.[10]$200–$5,000[10]At least $312

With court costs is an estimate. At least $112 in magistrate court costs, plus a one-day jail cost that the state resets each year.[16][17][18][19] Your notice shows the exact total.

How many points is a speeding ticket in West Virginia?

All 16 point values
  • Failure to yield3 pts[4]
  • Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle6 pts[4]
  • Driving too fast for conditions or hazardous driving3 pts[4]
  • Following too closely2 pts[4]
  • Improper turns, turning movements or signals2 pts[4]
  • Passing in a no-passing zone or into oncoming traffic3 pts[4]
  • Handheld phone use3 pts[7]
  • All other moving violations2 pts[4]
How points work in West Virginia

Points go on your record when you are convicted and come off 2 years after the conviction date. The conviction itself stays for 5 years. You get a warning letter at 6 points and a suspension at 12. Tickets anywhere in the US get points on the West Virginia schedule. If one stop leads to several convictions, only the most serious counts. Speeding 10 mph or less over carries no points, except for commercial drivers.[2][4]

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

When can you lose your license?

  1. 12 ptsin 24 months30-day suspension at 12 to 13 points, 45 days at 14 to 15, 60 days at 16 to 17, 90 days at 18 to 19 and 120 days at 20 or more[2]
Full wording of each rule
  • 12 points in 24 months: 30-day suspension at 12 to 13 points, 45 days at 14 to 15, 60 days at 16 to 17, 90 days at 18 to 19 and 120 days at 20 or more. Suspensions usually run one after another.

Getting your license back after a suspension costs $50 in West Virginia, before any course or court costs.[12]

Drivers under 21

The point system applies to drivers 18 or older and to holders of a full Level 3 license. Younger drivers with a graduated license are handled under those license rules.[4]

Can Defensive driving course keep a ticket off your record in West Virginia?

It can help. Takes 3 points off your total. It does not dismiss the ticket.[2]

How often: Once every 12 months.

Official list of approved schools ↗

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

Who qualifies, CDL drivers and cost

Takes 3 points off your total. It does not dismiss the ticket. If a 30-day suspension for 12 or 13 points is pending and you send proof of the course and the reinstatement fee before it starts, the suspension is cancelled. It can't undo a suspension for 14 or more points.[2]

Who can use it: The points must already be on your record before you take the class. Only the classroom courses on the DMV list count. Online courses are not accepted.[2]

Do school and work zones cost more?

School zones

Speeding in a marked school zone carries a fine of $100 to $500 and 6 points. Going 15 or more mph over with children present can also bring up to 6 months in jail. If the school zone signs were missing, the fine is capped at $25.[4][5]

When is your ticket due?

  1. Date on noticePay or respondset by the court[11][14]
    Details

    Answer the citation by the date printed on it. If you miss it: The clerk reports the failure to DMV within 15 days, DMV can suspend your license, and the magistrate can issue a warrant.

  2. 10daysLicense suspended if ignoredfrom the notice date[11]
    Details

    Suspension order for failure to appear takes effect. If you miss it: Your license is suspended until you resolve the case.

  3. 20daysLast day to appealfrom conviction[13]
    Details

    Appeal a magistrate conviction to circuit court. If you miss it: After 20 days the circuit court can still allow a late appeal for good cause, up to 90 days after sentencing.

What happens if you don't respond

If you don't answer or appear, the magistrate clerk tells DMV within 15 days and DMV suspends your license. The suspension starts 10 days after you get the order by certified mail. The prosecutor can also ask the magistrate for an arrest warrant.[11][14]

Work out your exact dates → · Already missed it?

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

Out-of-state tickets get points on the West Virginia schedule. A conviction for 10 mph or less over on an interstate elsewhere is not recorded if it would also be 10 or less over West Virginia's limit for that road, unless you drive commercially or left the fine unpaid.[2][5]

How out-of-state tickets work →

How much will it raise your insurance in West Virginia?

One speeding ticket raised a full-coverage premium by about 22% on average in West Virginia[1], from a clean-record average of $2,148 a year.[1] If that increase stays for three years, that's about $1,418 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 West Virginia?

Points go on your record when you are convicted and come off 2 years after the conviction date. The conviction itself stays for 5 years. You get a warning letter at 6 points and a suspension at 12. Tickets anywhere in the US get points on the West Virginia schedule. If one stop leads to several convictions, only the most serious counts. Speeding 10 mph or less over carries no points, except for commercial drivers.

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

12 points in 24 months: 30-day suspension at 12 to 13 points, 45 days at 14 to 15, 60 days at 16 to 17, 90 days at 18 to 19 and 120 days at 20 or more. Suspensions usually run one after another.

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

Defensive driving course: Takes 3 points off your total. It does not dismiss the ticket. If a 30-day suspension for 12 or 13 points is pending and you send proof of the course and the reinstatement fee before it starts, the suspension is cancelled. It can't undo a suspension for 14 or more points. Limit: Once every 12 months.

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

West Virginia is a member of the Driver License Compact, so convictions in other member states are reported to West Virginia. Out-of-state tickets get points on the West Virginia schedule. A conviction for 10 mph or less over on an interstate elsewhere is not recorded if it would also be 10 or less over West Virginia's limit for that road, unless you drive commercially or left the fine unpaid.

How much does a speeding ticket raise insurance in West Virginia?

About 22% 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

West Virginia law and DMV sources (19)
  1. AAMVA DLC/NRVC Member Joinder Dates (rev. April 2026), AAMVA.
  2. Point System, West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
  3. W. Va. Code 17B-3-6 Authority of division to suspend or revoke license, West Virginia Legislature.
  4. W. Va. Code R. 91-5-7 The Point System (via Cornell LII), West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (legislative rule).
  5. W. Va. Code 17C-6-1 Speed limitations generally, penalties, West Virginia Legislature.
  6. W. Va. Code 17C-18-1 Violations of chapter, penalties for misdemeanor, West Virginia Legislature.
  7. W. Va. Code 17C-14-15 Prohibiting the use of certain electronic communication devices while driving, West Virginia Legislature.
  8. W. Va. Code 17C-12-7 Overtaking and passing school buses, penalties, West Virginia Legislature.
  9. W. Va. Code 17C-15-49 Operation of vehicles with safety belts, penalty, West Virginia Legislature.
  10. W. Va. Code 17D-2A-4 Proof of insurance, penalties, West Virginia Legislature.
  11. W. Va. Code 17B-3-3c Suspending license for failure to appear in court, West Virginia Legislature.
  12. W. Va. Code 17B-3-9 Reinstatement fee, West Virginia Legislature.
  13. W. Va. Code 50-5-13 Appeals in criminal cases (magistrate court), West Virginia Legislature.
  14. Rules of Criminal Procedure for Magistrate Courts, Rule 7 (traffic citations), Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
  15. Magistrate Court Fines, Fees Payable Online (news release, Sept. 19, 2022), Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
  16. W. Va. Code 50-3-2 Costs in criminal proceedings (magistrate court), West Virginia Legislature.
  17. W. Va. Code 14-2A-4 Crime victims compensation costs, West Virginia Legislature.
  18. W. Va. Code 30-29-4 Law enforcement training fee, West Virginia Legislature.
  19. W. Va. Code 15A-3-16 Regional jail per diem rate, West Virginia Legislature.
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).