It would be best if you always take care of the speed limit while driving. Otherwise, you will be punished for the over speeding. A speeding ticket carries on a hefty amount of fine, and it can affect your insurance rates. If you get multiple tickets, your driving license also can suspend.
What Happens If I Get a Ticket in Virginia?
When you receive a traffic ticket, you have two options – plead guilty or plead not to be guilty. If you are guilty, then pledge guilty and pay the traffic ticket. If you are innocent, so you can appeal not to be guilty in the court. To do so, contact the traffic officer or go to the municipal court and file a case. They will appoint you a hearing date for your case. You have to present it on that date in court. You can also hire a traffic lawyer to fight in court for your case. If you win the case, the judge will dismiss your ticket, and you will also get some money from the court as compensation.
Virginia’s Demerit Point System
Every Us state has different demerit points for speeding tickets; Virginia also has its point system. Traffic tickets carry some specific demerit points values in Virginia. When you receive a speeding ticket, some points add to your driving license. How many points you will get depends on the nature of the violation. Every violation is added to your driving records. Speeding tickets can stay from 3-11 years on your driving records, and points can be 3 to 6 range of a traffic ticket.
Following are some Virginia traffic tickets and their point:
- If you drive over the speeding limit (1-9 MPH above the limit), 3 points will be added on your license.
- Six points, if you are speeding over 80 MPH.
- Three points for improper U-turn, improper passing, and no Virginia driver’s license.
- Six points for racing, DUI, manslaughter, driving on a suspended license.
Ways to pay a traffic ticket in Virginia
There are three ways to pay tickets in Virginia. There are as following:
Online: Most US states have a particular website/portal for the payment of traffic tickets. Virginia also has a website that you can access from anywhere. But not anytime you can pay through the online portal, there are some specific working hours in which you can pay traffic tickets online.
Visit the Municipal Court: If you don’t want to pay online, you can also go court for ticket payment. You have to pay for it before the date written at the bottom of the ticket. It can take a long time because you have to stand in the long queue and wait for your turn.
Mailing Address: You can also pay a speeding ticket by sending a money order or cheque with necessary documents on the Virginia traffic court address’s mailing address. It takes uncertain time, so if you are thinking of paying with this method. So, you should send it immediately after receiving the ticket.
How do I pay a speeding ticket online in Virginia?
You don’t need to go to municipal courts. There is a portal where you can pay your traffic ticket online in Virginia. The following are the steps to pay tickets online:
- Visit the official website of the Virginia traffic ticket court. There are three websites: Virginia Circuit Court, General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations (JDR) District Court. You have to choose one of these according to your need and edibility.
- Click on accept the terms and conditions of use.
- You have to enter some details such as court level, search type, court location, business/last name, first name, etc. to find your case.
- After entering all the information, click on the ‘search’ button.
- Then it will show you your traffic ticket details and fine amount.
- Enter the credit card details to make payment.
- There will be a button ‘Continue Payment Process’ click on that. But before proceeding, check your details once again.
- If everything is fine, then enter your payment amount and click on submit payment.
- You should print out the payment confirmation page.
Consequences of Receiving a Speeding Ticket in Virginia
There are the following consequences of receiving a speeding ticket in Virginia:
Fines: You have to pay fines when you receive a traffic ticket. If your offense is severe, then you will be charged a higher amount of penalty. A speeding ticket can have a maximum $250 amount of penalty.
Increase Insurance Rates: A speeding ticket also affects your vehicle insurance premium. Insurance rates will increase. If your violation is more prominent and you receive multiple tickets at a specific time, then your insurance company can refuse you to insure your car.
DMV Demerits Points: when you get a speeding ticket, some points also add to your driving license. The value of points can rage 3 to 6. If you get too many points, your license also can be suspended.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Should I plead guilty or not guilty in Virginia traffic court?
It is best to plead not to be guilty in the court. But if you are in real guilty, so we recommend you to plead guilty and pay fines. Because speeding tickets affects many things like insurance rates, cost of coverage, etc. if you receive multiple tickets, your driving license can also be suspended. So, if your case is completed you should hire a traffic lawyer to fight in the court. If you win the case, your fine amount also will dismiss immediately by the Virginia judge.
How much is a Virginia speeding ticket?
Usually, you will be charged $6 per MPH over the Virginia speed limit, with an additional $200 in total. But it can increase in the following case:
- When you are speeding in a school area or work zone, the speeding ticket will be $7 per MPH.
- If you are speeding in a residential area, the speeding ticket will increase to $8 per MPH.
- Speeding tickets can be $200 to $500 when speeding on a highway.
- If your offense is massive, your license can also suspend, or it can lead you to jail time.
What happens if you don’t pay a speeding ticket in Virginia?
Virginia Court will impose a fine on you for not paying tickets. They will send a notice at your address that will contain the next date to pay a speeding ticket. You have to pay tickets with fines before the date mention in the notice. If you don’t pay on the next date, DMV can issue an arrest warrant for you, and they can also suspend your driving license.
Conclusion
You can pay traffic tickets online without any additional hassle. It is a secure, fast, and convenient way of ticket payment. If you want to pledge not to be guilty, so you should hire a traffic lawyer to represent you in the court. It will help you to win the case, and your ticket will dismiss or negotiate.