Virginia Speeding Ticket

A Virginia speeding ticket is the last thing that a Virginia driver has time to worry about.  Many people think that it is easier to pre-pay a fine instead of going to court and fighting a Virginia speeding ticket.  However, pre-paying a Virginia speeding ticket is an admission of guilt and will result in a conviction that will remain on the offender’s driving record for several years.

Speeding in Virginia can also sometimes be a crime.  Speeding more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit can be charged as speeding or Reckless Driving in Virginia (Va. Code §46.2-862).  Reckless Driving in Virginia is punished with jail, high fines, and driver’s license suspension.  The most serious punishment, however, is a permanent criminal record.

For more information on Reckless Driving charges in Virginia, click here.

Why Did I Get A Virginia Speeding Ticket?

The Virginia Code has specified the maximum safe speeds at which drivers in Virginia can travel on certain roadways.  The speed limits are posted and traveling above these speeds can result in a Virginia speeding ticket.  Additionally, certain areas have reduced speeds at certain times and/or increased fines and additional 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 a Car’s Speed in Virginia

Police officers use RADAR, LiDAR, microcomputer devices connected to odometer cables, and pacing to measure a vehicle’s speed in Virginia.  Police officers must verify that their speed-monitoring equipment is working properly to convict a Virginia driver of speeding and the equipment must also be properly calibrated.

Fine for Virginia Speeding Ticket

A Virginia speeding ticket is punished with a fine.  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 assessed a fine of $6 for every mile 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 driver was traveling, and speeding in a residential district is punished with a fine of $8 for every mile per hour over the posted speed limit the driver was traveling (Va. Code §46.2-878.3).

Virginia Speeding Ticket and DMV Points

In addition to a fine, a conviction for a Virginia speeding ticket will result in DMV demerit points.  These points can hurt a driver if he receives traffic tickets in the future and accumulating too many points in a short time period could result in DMV driver’s license suspension.  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)).  This conviction will remain on the driver’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.
• Speeding 10-19 miles over the posted speed limit will result in 4 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(2)).  The conviction will remain on the driver’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.
• Speeding more than 20 miles over the posted speed limit will result in 6 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(1)).  This conviction will remain on the driver’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.

For more information on a Virginia speeding ticket and DMV demerit points, click here.

 

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