Virginia Speeding Ticket: Costs, Points and What Happens

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

A Virginia speeding ticket can cost a fine plus court costs, add 3, 4 or 6 DMV demerit points, and stay on your DMV record for 5 years. If the charge can be prepaid, the fine is $6 for each mph over the limit, plus a fixed $51 court cost, and other fees can be added. You can prepay, which counts as a guilty plea, or you can go to court on the date on your summons.

Key Facts

Cost: a prepaid fine is $6 per mph over, plus a $51 court cost. See what a ticket costs.
Points: 3, 4 or 6 demerit points, counted for 2 years from the offense date. See points by speed.
Record: a speeding conviction stays on your DMV record 5 years. See how long it stays.
Reckless line: 20 mph or more over the limit, or over 85 mph. See the reckless line.
Your options: prepay as a guilty plea, or go to court. See your options.
The clinic: an eligible clinic earns 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months. See where the clinic fits.

What a Virginia Speeding Ticket Costs

The prepaid fine comes from Code § 46.2-878.3. It sets a rate for each mile per hour over the posted limit:

$6 per mph on a regular road.
$7 per mph in a school crossing zone or a highway work zone.
$8 per mph in a posted residence district.
An extra $100 for going over 80 but under 86 mph on a road with a 65 mph limit.

Court costs are added on top. Code § 16.1-69.48:1 sets “a fixed fee of $51” for a traffic infraction. Other fees can be added by other laws.

The Code sets no single total for a ticket. If you go to court, the judge can set a different amount. Our guide to speeding ticket fines by speed works through the per-mph math.

Two zones carry their own caps. A work zone fine can be up to $500 when workers are present and signs are posted.

A school crossing zone fine can be up to $250. See school zone and work zone tickets.

A mailed speed camera ticket is different. It is a civil penalty of up to $100, not a conviction, and it does not go on your driving record. Our speed camera ticket guide explains it.

Demerit Points by Speed

DMV adds points after a conviction, not after the stop. Code § 46.2-492 sets the speeding values:

1 to 9 mph over: 3 points.
10 to 19 mph over: 4 points.
20 mph or more over: 6 points.

Reckless driving also carries 6 points. If two offenses happen on one occasion, DMV gives points for only one, the higher one.

Points count for 2 years from the date of the offense under Code § 46.2-493. Speeding tickets from other states also add Virginia points for a Virginia driver.

Insurance company points are a separate system. DMV says they are not related to DMV demerit points. For the points alone, see how many points a speeding ticket is.

How Long a Ticket Stays on Your Record

Points count for 2 years. The conviction itself stays longer.

DMV’s six-point violations list shows the years beside each entry. Every speeding conviction stays 5 years. Reckless driving by speed stays 11 years.

A suspension or revocation can keep convictions on the record even longer. Our guide on how long a speeding ticket stays on your record covers the details.

Charge	Type of offense	DMV points	Years on DMV record	Can it be prepaid?
Speeding, 1 to 9 over	Traffic infraction	3	5	Yes, if listed as prepayable
Speeding, 10 to 19 over	Traffic infraction	4	5	Yes, if listed as prepayable
Speeding, 20 or more over	Traffic infraction	6	5	Yes, if listed as prepayable
Reckless driving by speed	Class 1 misdemeanor	6	11	No

When Speeding Becomes Reckless Driving

Code § 46.2-862 sets the line. Driving 20 mph or more over the limit is reckless driving. So is driving over 85 mph on any road, whatever the posted limit.

Reckless driving is a crime, not a plain infraction. Code § 46.2-868 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under Code § 18.2-11, that means up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both.

Other rules come with it:

No prepaying. Reckless driving cannot be prepaid, so the case goes through court.
License. A court may suspend the license for up to 6 months, or order the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program instead, under Code § 46.2-392 and § 46.2-393.
Over 100 mph. The court must order one of those two.

DMV’s list also has a separate entry for plain speeding 20 mph or more over, kept 5 years. The court decides how the case ends. Read when a ticket becomes reckless driving and what 20 over means.

Who handles each part of a Virginia speeding ticket: the court, DMV, an insurer, a home state and a clinic provider

Your Options After the Ticket

Your summons names a court and a date. The law gives two paths for a prepayable charge.

Prepay: under Code § 16.1-69.40:1, you may prepay fines and costs without going to court. Your signature counts as a guilty plea. The record of conviction is sent to DMV.

Go to court: you appear on the date on your summons. The court hears the case and decides the outcome.

Some charges cannot be prepaid at all. They include reckless driving, DUI and driving while suspended. We do not tell readers which path to take.

For the facts on each path, see pay or go to court. For advice on your own case, ask the court or a Virginia attorney.

What Points Can Lead To

For an adult, DMV action depends on the point total. Points from several tickets add up. The DMV page for drivers 18 and over gives these levels:

8 points in 12 months, or 12 in 24: DMV may send an advisory letter.
12 points in 12 months, or 18 in 24: you must finish a driver improvement clinic within 90 days.
18 points in 12 months, or 24 in 24: a 90-day suspension plus the clinic.

Under Code § 46.2-506, as amended in 2025, DMV may instead require 9 months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program, plus the clinic. After a clinic order comes 6 months of probation and then an 18-month control period. The DMV points system guide explains each step.

Young drivers face stricter rules. A driver aged 18 or 19 with any demerit-point conviction must take a clinic. Under 18, DMV acts by the number of convictions: a clinic, then a 90-day suspension, then revocation for 1 year or until age 18, whichever is longer.

Drivers With Extra Rules

Three groups have extra rules:

Out-of-state drivers. Virginia reports the conviction to your home state, which applies its own law. See out-of-state tickets.
CDL holders. Speeding 15 mph or more over and reckless driving are serious traffic violations under federal and Virginia rules. See CDL speeding tickets.
Anyone asking about crimes. Plain speeding is “not deemed to be criminal” under Code § 18.2-8. See misdemeanor or infraction.

Where the Driver Improvement Clinic Fits

Virginia’s official course is the Driver Improvement Clinic (DIC). Some people search for a “defensive driving” course, but the Virginia course is the DIC. It is an 8-hour course, and a clinic may charge no more than $100.

You can take it in person, or online with a DMV-licensed online provider. The DMV Driver Improvement page says you may earn 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months.

Code § 46.2-498 describes this as subtracting five demerit points from your total. Your balance can never go above +5 safe driving points.

Know the limits before you enroll:

The ticket stays. The clinic does not take the conviction off your record.
Points or insurance. You get the point benefit or an insurance discount, not both.
Court orders. If a court orders the clinic, the court decides on points.
Insurance. An insurer may give a 2-year discount to a driver 54 or younger who attends by choice. It does not have to.

The Bureau of Insurance says increases for violations “may be applied for 36 months.” See insurance after a ticket.

Virginia speeding ticket key numbers: fine rates, court cost, points, record years and the reckless line

What We Checked on the Official Pages

On the official pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the rates above matched the Code text. The history line of the prepaid fine law, § 46.2-878.3, ended in 2020. The court cost law showed a $51 fixed fee for infractions after a 2025 update.

DMV’s point lists said the years in parentheses show how long each conviction stays. They also said, “The violations listed may change without notice.” Check them again before you rely on a number.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each item comes from the Code or a DMV page:

Thinking prepaying is not a plea. Your signature counts as a guilty plea.
Mixing up the two clocks. Points count 2 years. The speeding conviction stays 5.
Using 80 as the reckless line. The line is 20 or more over, or over 85.
Planning to prepay reckless driving. The law does not allow it.
Expecting the clinic to clear the ticket. It lowers your point total. The conviction stays.
Taking a clinic for both points and insurance. You get one benefit, not both.

Virginia Speeding Ticket Guides in This Series

Fines by speed: the per-mph math.
The reckless line: 20 over or over 85.
Out-of-state drivers: what your home state sees.
Record time: how long a ticket stays.
20 over: the two ways it can end.

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

How much is a speeding ticket in Virginia?

If prepaid, the fine is $6 per mph over the limit, plus a fixed $51 court cost. Rates are higher in school crossing zones, work zones and posted residence districts. Other fees can be added, and a judge can set a different amount in court.

How many points is a Virginia speeding ticket?

It is 3 points for 1 to 9 mph over, 4 for 10 to 19 over, and 6 for 20 or more over. The points count for 2 years from the offense date.

Does paying the ticket mean I plead guilty?

Yes. Under Code § 16.1-69.40:1, prepaying works as a guilty plea. The conviction is sent to DMV.

When is speeding reckless driving in Virginia?

At 20 mph or more over the limit, or over 85 mph on any road. Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor and cannot be prepaid.

How long does a speeding ticket stay on my record?

DMV keeps a speeding conviction 5 years and reckless driving 11 years. A suspension or revocation can keep convictions longer.

Can a driver improvement clinic help after a ticket?

An eligible clinic can earn 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months. That lowers your point total, but the ticket stays on your record. If a court ordered the clinic, the court decides on points.

Does a speed camera ticket go on my record?

A mailed speed camera ticket is a civil penalty of up to $100. It is not a conviction and is not part of your driving record.

Conclusion

A Virginia speeding ticket brings a fine, court costs, demerit points and a conviction that stays on your DMV record for 5 years. The speed you were going decides the points, and 20 over or over 85 crosses into reckless driving.

If you want to lower your point total, an eligible clinic can earn 5 safe driving points, and you can take the Virginia Driver Improvement Course online. If a court ordered your clinic, ask the court first whether it accepts an online course.

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.