Fines & Court Costs
Fines for speeding tickets (including pre-paying tickets)
If you plead guilty to a traffic violation (which includes paying your ticket before the court date), the fine is typically calculated the same way in every court. Here are the fines and other costs you can expect when you receive a speeding ticket (non-reckless) in Virginia:
- Speeding: $6 per mile per hour over the limit
- Speeding in work or school zone: $7 per mile per hour over the limit
- Speeding in a Highway Safety Corridor: $12 per mile per hour over the limit (see here for more information on the HSC)
Reckless Driving Fines
Reckless driving fines can vary considerably based on the court, the particular judge who hears your case, the speed you were charged with, and the specific details of the traffic stop.
The maximum fine for reckless driving is $2,500, and the minimum is usually going to be $6 per mile per hour over the speed limit.
Plea bargains
When an attorney handles your case and gets a reduction in the charge, typically that's done through a plea bargain with the prosecutor. A plea bargain is a negotiation, and the fine is always negotiable. We will often negotiate a higher fine, in exchange for a reduction in the charge, if that reduction will protect the driver's record in a meaningful way, or if it will result in savings in the long run (both on insurance, and in protecting employment opportunities).
Driver Improvement Program
In most (but not all) cases, the judge waives the fine when they give a driver the opportunity to take a driver improvement class. As long as the driver completes the class within the required time period, they will only have to pay court costs. However, the class itself is an additional cost (usually it's $75 if taken in Virginia).
Court costs
Court costs on a traffic case vary somewhat from court to court, but they minimum is typically $61 and the maximum is typically just under $90.