Will a Speeding Conviction in Virginia Be Used Against Me in the Future?

Will a Speeding ticket conviction in Virginia be used against me in the future? Possibly, depending on if you admitted guilt. That’s right-that “simple” little speeding ticket always results in more than a fine. For information on how a speeding ticket can be used against you in the future, read the post below.

Speeding Tickets in Virginia

Speeding tickets are pre-payable offenses, meaning they can be paid before the court date and the driver doesn’t even need to go to court at all.

However, pre-paying a ticket is an admission of guilt, which results in a conviction for speeding on the person’s driving record, the driver will have the associated DMV demerit points on his or her record, AND the driver will have to pay court costs IN ADDITION to the fine. Va. Code §16.1-69.48:1.

If you do go to court and plead no contest, guilty, or are found guilty, you will have the same penalties imposed as if you pre-paid the Speeding ticket, and that will be more than a fine. You will have to pay court costs, the conviction will be on your Virginia driving record, and the DMV will add the associated demerit points to your record.

If you fail to appear for your court date and don’t pre-pay your ticket, you most likely will be convicted in your absence. You will have to pay a fine, court costs, and there will be additional court costs for failing to appear (Va. Code §16.1-69.48:1). The conviction will remain on your driving record for several years and you will have demerit points on your record. Too many demerit points in a short period of time will result in DMV driver’s license suspension.

How Will a Speeding Conviction in Virginia be Used Against Me in the Future?

There are many ways a conviction for speeding can be used against a driver in the future:

The conviction will remain on your Virginia driving record for several years. If you are ever pulled over again for a traffic offense during that time, that speeding conviction will be visible to the police officer and court, and you will be less likely to get a break in the future.

DMV demerit points will be deducted from the points you already have. Your point balance will be lowered based on the speed at which you were convicted of speeding. Again, if you are ever before the court again, prosecutors and judges will see your points and keep that in mind when considering a penalty.

Accumulating too many DMV demerit points in a short period of time can result in driver’s license suspension-which means you cannot drive.

If you have a driver’s license from another state and are convicted of Speeding or another traffic offense in Virginia, your home state will most likely find out and take action against your license in that state.

Your car insurance company will see your conviction and the demerit points. This may impact your premium payments, or potentially your actual coverage.

Life insurance companies will review your driving record when determining whether to insure you. Bad driving records can have consequences in this process.

If the speeding involved or resulted in an accident, and you admit guilt (by pre-paying the ticket or being found guilty in court), this could be used against you in a future civil lawsuit.

If you are required to drive for your employment, a bad driving record could impact your employer’s insurance coverage, which could impact your job with the company.

Your driving record can and will be reviewed if you are applying for or renewing a security clearance.

Juvenile drivers are impacted differently than adult drivers in some ways for speeding tickets. For example, a conviction for any offense resulting in demerit points requires a driver improvement class. A conviction for a second offense resulting in demerit points will result in automatic driver’s license suspension. And a conviction for a third offense resulting in demerit points will result in driver’s license revocation.

Speeding Convictions in Virginia: More Than a Fine

Clearly, Speeding convictions in Virginia result in more than a fine.

For more information on Speeding tickets in Virginia, click here.

For more information on Speeding tickets and driving records in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driving records in Virginia, click here.

For more information on Speeding tickets and DMV points in Virginia, click here.

For more information on DMV demerit points in Virginia, click here.

For more information on court costs in Virginia, click here.

For more information on failing to appear for a traffic ticket in Virginia, click here.

For more information on failing to appear for a Speeding ticket in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driver’s license suspension in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driver’s license suspension for rapid point accumulation in Virginia, click here.

For more information on Speeding tickets and car insurance in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driving records and car insurance in Virginia, click here.

For more information on Speeding tickets and life insurance in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driving records and life insurance in Virginia, click here.

For more information on civil liability for a Speeding ticket in Virginia, click here.

For more information on civil liability for a traffic offense in Virginia, click here.

For more information on Speeding tickets and your job in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driving records and your employment in Virginia, click here.

For more information on Speeding tickets and a security clearance in Virginia, click here.

For more information on driving records and a security clearance in Virginia, click here.

For more information on how juveniles are impacted by Speeding tickets in Virginia, click here.

 

For more general information on how Speeding convictions in Virginia result in much more than a fine, check out our book, More Than A Fine: The True Cost of Speeding in Virginia, available on Amazon.

 

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