Paying or Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Virginia

Pay in the court named on your summons: general district court tickets through the Judicial System's online payment (select the court, then search by name, case number or hearing date and use "Mark for Payment" on eligible cases; up to five cases per receipt), and circuit court cases through the circuit court payment site. Only prepayable offenses can be paid before court (not reckless driving), and pre-court payment waives the hearing and enters a guilty plea. Online card payments carry a 4% convenience fee; pay before 3:30 p.m. Eastern on the business day before your trial date, or mail payment at least 7 days before court. Unpaid post-court balances go to collection 90 days after the court date.

Completing a DMV-certified driver improvement clinic subtracts five demerit points (or awards safe driving points if the driver has fewer than five demerit points); a driver can hold no more than five safe driving points. Voluntary attendance earns either the point benefit or an insurance premium reduction, not both, no more than once in a two-year period. If a court orders the clinic, the court decides whether safe driving points are awarded. For a first handheld-phone violation, a court may order a driver improvement clinic instead of a conviction.

Grounds include excessive demerit points (90-day suspension at 18 points in 12 months or 24 in 24 months), violations while on probation (45-90 days), DUI (one-year loss of license for a first conviction; three-year revocation for a second within 10 years; indefinite revocation for a third within 10 years), and refusing a breath or blood test (one-year suspension for a first refusal).