10 Answers to Common Virginia Speeding Ticket Questions

What Are the Prepay Fine and Court Costs for My Speeding Ticket?

If you prepay your speeding ticket you will pay $51 in court costs in addition to a fine. The fines

are calculated by each mile per hour over the speed limit. If you were ticketed in a Highway

Safety Corridor, then your fines double. If you go to court instead of prepaying your ticket the

judge sets the fine and the fine amount can be $0-$250 and the court costs are $61. Not showing

up to your court case if you choose not to prepay will cost you an additional $35 in court costs.

46.2-870 Speeding Generally - $6 per mph over the speed limit

46.2-878.1 Speeding in a Work Zone - $7 per mph over the speed limit

46.2-878.2 Speeding: Certain Residential Zone - $200 + $8 per mph over the limit

46.2-881 Speeding in Certain Bridges/Tunnels - $6 per mph over the speed limit

How Many Points Is My Va Speeding Ticket?

Speeding more than 20 mph over the limit -6 Demerit Points

Speeding 10-19 mph over the limit - 4 Demerit Points

Speeding 1-9 mph over the limit - 3 Demerit Points

46.2-877 (Driving too slowly) - 3 Demerit Points

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Will conviction affect my job?

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Can I afford the DMV points?

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Will this violate my DMV probation or Control Period?

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Do I have other pending traffic or criminal cases?

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Did this traffic ticket involve an accident?

For more information on whether hiring an attorney is right for you click here.

How Do I Beat a Virginia Speeding Ticket?

In order to be convicted of speeding an officer needs to be able to establish that speed measuring

device (radar, lidar, or pace) was working properly, was calibrated correctly and was used

speedometer was accurate, get your speedometer calibrated. identifying an inaccurate

speedometer is important to your case and important to preventing future speeding tickets. For a

list of places in Virginia and Maryland where you can get speedometer calibrations click here.

Should I Take a Virginia DMV Driver Improvement Class?

If you have a Va Driver’s license and your DMV point balance is negative (for example -5) and

you have NOT taken a Driver Improvement Course in the last 2 years then you may want to take

a Driver improvement class prior to your speeding ticket trial. Otherwise, consult with a

speeding ticket attorney prior to taking a driver improvement course to find out if doing so will

disqualify you from a court ordered speeding ticket reduction program. For more information

innocent pending appeal and the circuit court judge will completely redo the trial without

knowing what was said or done in the first trial. For more information about appealing speeding

tickets click here.

What is Virginia Traffic Court Like?

Traffic court is often crowded, rushed and systematic. A single traffic court judge in a large

jurisdiction may hear 200 cases in one morning. Traffic court rules and procedure vary from

jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Many court do not allow phone, computers, or recording devices. To

watch an instructional video about Fairfax County Traffic Court click here.

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If you have insurance through a preferred provider (an insurance company that specializes in

covering only good drivers), a conviction is more likely to raise your insurance rates.

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If you are charged with speeding more than 20 mph over the speed limit (or in some cases more

than 15 mph) you may see a significant increase in insurance premiums.

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Young drivers (under 25), drivers who recently acquired their current insurance policy, or drivers

who recently qualified for a good driver discount are more likely to experience a dramatic

increase in insurance premiums.

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If you have previously been convicted of a traffic offenses within the last year.

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Your DMV points and your insurance company’s point system are not related. You must talk to

your insurance provider if you want to know how they weigh specific offenses.

driver qualifies for a local traffic school program and such a program is available in that

jurisdiction. Frequently, a competent speeding ticket attorney can get a speeding ticket reduced

to a lower level traffic infraction that carries less sever effects on insurance, points or the driver’s

record.

are able to explain the likely outcomes of your specific case. For more information on local

speeding ticket attorneys click here.

Luke J. Nichols

Nichols & Green pllc