Reckless Driving in VA: Penalties, Points and the Clinic

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

Reckless driving in VA is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and whether a Driver Improvement Clinic fits your case is a question for the court or a Virginia attorney. A court may order the clinic in place of or along with other penalties, and the court decides whether you get safe driving points for it. A clinic you take by choice follows the normal rules: a 5-point benefit, once in 2 years, with a +5 balance cap.

Key Facts

The charge: reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with up to 12 months in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. See penalties.
By speed: 20 mph or more over the limit, or over 85 mph. See what counts.
Your record: 6 demerit points, and the conviction stays 11 years on the DMV record. See points and record.
Your license: the court can suspend it for as long as 6 months, or send you to the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program. See license rules.
The clinic: a court may order it “in lieu of or in addition to” penalties. See where the clinic fits.

What Counts as Reckless Driving in VA

Virginia has a general reckless driving rule. Code § 46.2-852 covers driving in a way, or at a speed, that puts any person’s life, limb or property in danger.

Speed alone can also make it reckless. Under Code § 46.2-862, it is reckless driving to drive:

20 mph or more over the speed limit, or
over 85 mph, whatever the posted limit.

Our guide on when a speeding ticket becomes reckless driving covers the speed line in detail. Below, the focus is what follows a reckless charge and how the clinic relates.

Penalties Set by the Code

Reckless driving is a crime in Virginia, not a simple traffic infraction. Under Code § 46.2-868, a reckless driving conviction is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

For that class of crime, Code § 18.2-11 allows:

Jail: up to 12 months.
Fine: up to $2,500.
Or both: the Code says “either or both.”

A reckless charge cannot be prepaid. Code § 16.1-69.40:1 lists reckless driving among the offenses that are not prepayable.

A regular speeding ticket is different. It is a traffic infraction, which Code § 18.2-8 says is “not deemed to be criminal.” See whether a speeding ticket is a misdemeanor.

License Suspension or the ISA Program

A court can also act on your license. Under Code § 46.2-392 and Code § 46.2-393, the court may suspend the license of a person convicted of reckless driving for up to 6 months.

Section 46.2-393 was amended in 2025. For reckless driving by speed, the court may order the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program instead of a suspension.

There is one firm rule. If the driver was found to be going over 100 mph, the court must order one of the two: the suspension or the program.

Points and the 11-Year Record

A reckless conviction also reaches your DMV record. DMV’s six-point violations list shows reckless driving at 6 demerit points. Each reckless entry on that list shows 11 years on the record.

Two time limits apply, and they are different:

Demerit points count for 2 years from the offense date.
The conviction stays on the DMV record for 11 years.

A regular speeding conviction, by contrast, stays 5 years. For every violation’s time limit, see how long violations stay on your record.

Six points can move a record toward DMV action. For a driver 18 or older, DMV orders a clinic at 12 points in 12 months or 18 in 24. So a driver with 6 points from an earlier offense who adds a 6-point reckless conviction within 12 months reaches 12.

Steps in a Virginia reckless driving case, from the charge to court penalties, DMV points and where a clinic can come in

Who Decides What

The court and DMV play different roles. This table sorts the main rules by who applies them.

Rule	Who decides	Source
Jail of up to 12 months and/or a fine of up to $2,500	The court	§§ 46.2-868, 18.2-11
License suspension of up to 6 months, or ISA	The court	§§ 46.2-392, 46.2-393
A clinic in place of or along with penalties	The court	§ 46.2-505
Safe driving points for a court-ordered clinic	The court	§ 46.2-505
6 demerit points per conviction	DMV, by law	DMV six-point list
11 years on the DMV record	DMV	DMV six-point list

Reduction to Improper Driving

The Code includes a lesser charge. Under Code § 46.2-869, the prosecutor (the attorney for the Commonwealth) may reduce a reckless driving charge to improper driving “at any time prior to the court’s decision.”

Improper driving is a traffic infraction. The Code says it is punishable “by a fine of not more than $500.”

That decision belongs to the prosecutor and the court. Ask a Virginia attorney what it could mean in your case.

Where the Clinic Fits

So, should you take a Driver Improvement Clinic (DIC) if you face a reckless charge? The law answers part of that question, and your court or attorney answers the rest.

Here is what the law says. Under Code § 46.2-505, a court may require a person found guilty to attend a Driver Improvement Clinic. The requirement “may be in lieu of or in addition to” other penalties.

Some people search for a “reckless driving course.” In Virginia, the course a court may order under § 46.2-505 is the Driver Improvement Clinic or a mature driver crash prevention course. DMV says the Driver Improvement Clinic teaches defensive driving techniques.

No official source says how a court treats a clinic taken before court. That is a question for a Virginia attorney.

If the Court Orders a Clinic

A court-ordered clinic comes with duties. Under § 46.2-505:

You must tell the court whether you attended and finished, as the order directs.
Failure may be punished as contempt of court.
The court decides on points. Without the court’s notice, DMV awards no safe driving points.

DMV’s Reasons for Attending page says to give the clinic a court document if points were awarded. Bring it before you finish.

DMV’s online clinic page adds that a court “may or may not accept” an online certificate. Ask the court before you enroll. The court-ordered clinic guide covers each step.

If You Take a Clinic by Choice

A voluntary clinic follows the normal point rules in the Code.

The benefit. Code § 46.2-498 subtracts 5 demerit points from your total for an eligible completion. DMV calls this 5 safe driving points.
The limit. The benefit comes once in 2 years.
The cap. Your safe driving point balance never goes above +5.
The choice. You get the point benefit or an insurance discount, not both.

DMV’s Driver Improvement page describes the clinic as 8 hours, at a cost of no more than $100. The clinic does not take the conviction off your record. A reckless conviction still stays 11 years.

Young Drivers and CDL Holders

Some drivers face added rules after any point conviction:

Ages 18 and 19. Any demerit-point offense means a required clinic.
Under 18. DMV counts convictions, not points. Conviction one brings a clinic. Conviction two brings a 90-day suspension. Conviction three brings revocation for 1 year or until age 18, whichever is longer.
CDL holders. Under Code § 46.2-341.20, reckless driving is a “serious traffic violation.” Two such convictions within 3 years bring a 60-day disqualification, and a third brings 120 days. A conviction in a personal vehicle counts here only when it leads to a suspension, revocation or cancellation.

For CDL holders, no court may use a clinic to reduce, dismiss or defer the conviction. A CDL holder who must attend needs the 8-hour commercial driver improvement clinic. An online clinic does not count.

Questions to Ask the Court or an Attorney

Only the court and your lawyer can speak to your case. These questions come straight from the rules above:

Does the order require a clinic? If so, what is the deadline?
Does the court accept an online clinic? DMV says a court may or may not.
Will the court award safe driving points? If yes, get the court’s paper for the clinic.
How should I prove I finished? Section 46.2-505 says you must tell the court.
Do I hold a CDL? If so, the commercial clinic rules apply.

On insurance, keep two facts in mind. Insurance company points are separate from DMV points. A court-required clinic does not qualify for the clinic insurance discount.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the Code and DMV pages we checked on October 27, 2026, § 46.2-393 showed a 2025 amendment. That change added the Intelligent Speed Assistance choice for reckless driving by speed.

Section 46.2-869 also showed a 2025 amendment. Its current text sets a $500 maximum fine for improper driving.

DMV’s six-point list showed each reckless driving entry at 11 years. Those entries include speeding over 85 mph, speeding 20 mph or more over the limit, and reckless driving “generally.”

What Virginia law allows after a reckless driving charge: court suspension, the ISA program, improper driving, the voluntary clinic and CDL limits

Common Mistakes About Reckless Charges

Each item below comes from the Code or a DMV page:

Treating it like a speeding ticket. Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and it cannot be prepaid.
Using 80 mph as the line. The Code says over 85 mph, or 20 mph or more over the limit.
Mixing up the two clocks. Points count 2 years, but the conviction stays 11 years.
Expecting the clinic to end the case. A court may order it in place of or along with penalties. That is the court’s call.
Skipping the court paper. Court-ordered points need the court’s document.
Taking an online clinic with a CDL. The commercial clinic is required.

How Requirements Can Vary

Virginia’s point rules, safe driving points and DMV clinic orders come from the Code of Virginia and DMV rules, and they apply statewide. What you must do still depends on whether you take the clinic by choice, because of a DMV notice, or under a court order. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and court practice can change. Check your DMV notice, your court order and the Virginia DMV website for current rules before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reckless driving a crime in Virginia?

Yes. Code § 46.2-868 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor. The penalty can be up to 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.

How many points is reckless driving in Virginia?

DMV’s six-point list shows reckless driving at six points. The points count for 2 years from the offense date. The conviction stays 11 years on the DMV record.

Can a court suspend my license for reckless driving?

Yes. The judge can suspend it for as long as 6 months, or choose the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program in its place. Above 100 mph, one of the two is required.

Will a driver improvement clinic get my reckless charge dismissed?

No official source says so. A court may order a clinic in place of or along with penalties under § 46.2-505. Ask a Virginia attorney about your own case.

Does a voluntary clinic give me points back?

An eligible completion subtracts 5 demerit points from your total, once in 2 years. Your balance never goes above +5. The reckless conviction still stays on your record.

Can a reckless charge be reduced?

Code § 46.2-869 lets the prosecutor reduce it to improper driving before the court’s decision. Improper driving carries a fine of up to $500.

Can I take the clinic online for a court order?

DMV says a court may or may not accept an online certificate. Ask the court first. CDL holders need the commercial clinic, which is not online.

Conclusion

Reckless driving in Virginia carries criminal penalties, possible license action, 6 points and an 11-year record entry. The clinic can play a part, but the court decides how it fits a court case, and a Virginia attorney can explain your options.

If a court orders a clinic, ask the court whether it accepts an online course. You can take the Virginia Driver Improvement Course online when the court or your own plans call for it.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Virginia and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Virginia DMV rules, court orders, fines and penalties depend on your notice, summons, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Virginia DMV and court sources, and consult a qualified Virginia attorney for advice about your own case.