Speeding Tickets in Virginia
May 16, 2022 by Jean Humbrecht
Speeding tickets in Virginia need to be taken seriously. Drivers can pre-pay speeding tickets in Virginia, avoiding the need to go to court. However, pre-paying speeding tickets in Virginia is an admission of guilt and will result in a conviction for a traffic offense that will remain on the offender’s driving record for several years.
Speeding Tickets in Virginia Are Punished with Fines and DMV Points
Speeding in Virginia can sometimes even be a crime. Driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit, or driving more than 80 miles per hour, regardless of the speed limit, can be charged as Reckless Driving (Va. Code §46.2-862). Reckless Driving in Virginia is punished with jail, high fines, and driver’s license suspension. Most importantly, the driver will have a permanent criminal record that cannot be expunged.
Why Did I Get A Speeding Ticket in Virginia?
A driver in Virginia can receive a speeding ticket for exceeding the posted speed limit. Additionally, certain areas have reduced speeds at certain times and/or increased fines and penalties for speeding. These areas include school crossings and school zones (Va. Code §46.2-873), highway work zones (Va. Code §46.2-878.1), and residential areas (Va. Code §46.2-878.2).
Measuring Speed in Virginia
There are a variety of tools police officers use to measure a car’s speed in Virginia, including RADAR, LiDAR, microcomputer devices connected to odometer cables, and pacing. Whatever speed-monitoring equipment they are using must be working properly and must also be properly calibrated.
Fines for Speeding Tickets in Virginia
Speeding tickets in Virginia are punished with fines. The fine is pre-payable and is based on the number of miles over the posted speed limit the offender was driving (Va. Code §46.2-878.3). The driver will generally be fined $6 for every mile per hour over the speed limit he was driving.
There are increased fines for speeding in certain areas. For example, speeding at a school crossing or in a highway work zone will be punished with a fine of $7 for every mile per hour over the posted speed limit the offender was driving, and the driver will be fined $8 for every mile per hour he was traveling over the speed limit in a residential district (Va. Code §46.2-878.3).
For more information on fines for speeding tickets in Virginia, click here.
Speeding Tickets in Virginia and DMV Points
In addition to fines, convictions for speeding tickets in Virginia will automatically result in DMV demerit points. The number of points depends on the driver’s speed. Speeding 1-9 miles over the posted speed limit will result in 3 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(3)). Speeding 10-19 miles over the speed limit will result in 4 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(2)). Speeding more than 20 miles over the posted speed limit will result in 6 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(1)).
For more information on Virginia speeding tickets and DMV demerit points, click here.
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