Traffic Tickets in Virginia

SUMMARY: Virginia Traffic Tickets

In Virginia, you can generally pay your ticket fines online, by mail, or in person. Depending on the violation and county where you received your traffic ticket, you may have to appear in court. To fight your traffic ticket, you must plead “not guilty" in court. If you've lost your ticket, you can search for it online.

Continue reading this page to learn what to do when you receive a traffic ticket in Virginia.

Traffic Ticket Fines and Penalties

NOTE: Be sure to respond to your traffic ticket on time, as you could face additional charges and a warrant for your arrest.

Your traffic ticket fine will vary depending on the violation and county you were ticketed in. Check your traffic ticket for the exact fees and penalties.

In some cases, you will need to appear in court.

For more information, visit our Traffic Ticket Fines & Penalties page or contact the county court listed on your citation.

Driving Record Points

In addition to having to pay a fine, the VA Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may also add points to your driving record. Points vary from 3 points to 6 points depending on the type of violation you committed, and stay on your record for 2 years.

For more information, visit our page on the DMV Point System in Virginia.

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Pay a Traffic Ticket in Virginia

In Virginia, you can generally pay your traffic ticket either:

  • Online (general district courts only).
  • By mail.
    OR
  • In person.

Refer to your ticket for payment instructions. It will specify when you must pay your fine by:

  • Pre-court tickets:
    • Can be paid before your court date. (Waives your court hearing.)
  • Post-court tickets:
    • Court appearance is mandatory.
    • Can be paid after your court hearing.

For more information, please visit our Pay Traffic Tickets page.

Traffic School Courses

The VA Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offers driver improvement clinics.

Depending on your violation and driving history, completion of this course may be mandatory.

NOTE: Driver improvement clinics do not dismiss traffic tickets.

For more information, visit our Defensive Driving in VA page.

Fight a VA Traffic Ticket

If you do not believe you are guilty of the violation on your traffic ticket, you can attend your court appearance and plead “not guilty."

Check your Virginia traffic ticket for instructions.

For more information, visit our Fighting Traffic Tickets page, or contact the appropriate local county court directly.

NOTE: To help your case, you may want to hire a traffic ticket attorney.

Lost Your Traffic Ticket?

In Virginia, you can search for your lost traffic ticket online on the Virginia Courts Case Information website.

You can search by:

  • Name.
  • Case number.
  • Hearing date.
    OR
  • Service/process.

If you have any further questions, you can contact the traffic court in the county where you received the ticket.

Fines & Penalties for Commercial Drivers

If you have a commercial driver's license (CDL), you must notify your employer within 30 days of being convicted of a traffic violation, even if you weren't driving a commercial vehicle.

Your Virginia CDL will be suspended for 1 year if the court convicts you of any of the following violations:

  • Operating a non-commercial vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher.
  • Operating your commercial vehicle with a BAC of 0.04% or higher.
  • Refusing a chemical test.
  • Leaving the scene of an accident

Visit the following pages for details on traffic violations for commercial drivers in Virginia:

Virginia Traffic Ticket: FAQs

Still have questions? Our Traffic Ticket FAQ page has more information on topics, including:

  • Missing your trial date.
  • Requesting a different court date.
  • Driving records.
  • Dismissing traffic ticket points.
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