After getting a speeding ticket, you may feel tempted to shove it in your glove compartment and never think about it again. But neglecting speeding tickets and letting them add up can add in some additional consequences to your speeding fines.
Fines Going to Collections
If you do not pay your speeding ticket in a timely manner, then your speeding ticket may go to collections to try and recoup the costs. To avoid the fine going to collections, you must pay your ticket within 40 days of the date issued, either online, through the mail, or on the court date issued with your ticket. If you pay your ticket outright before going to court, then it is considered a guilty plea and you will not need to go to court.
Letting your traffic violation fines go to collections can have severe financial consequences other than having creditors after you. Your fine in collections will be added to your credit report for seven years and your credit score may be lowered as a result.
Points on Your License
Any traffic violation in Virginia will add three, four, or six demerit points to your driver’s license depending on the severity.
- Three Points: offenses that involve slow speed or speeding between one and nine miles per hour over the speeding limit
- Four Points: offenses that involve speeding between 10 and 19 miles per hour over the speed limit
- Six Points: reckless driving tickets, which involve speeding 20 miles per hour or higher over the speed limit or driving over 85 miles per hour.
How Can I Check Points on My Record?
To check how many demerit points will be added for your violation, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has a guide listing traffic offenses, demerit points, and the length of time points will remain on the license.
Demerit points aren’t pointless. The DMV uses demerit points to track driver safety and implement driver improvement clinics.
- If you earn 12 demerit points in 12 months or 18 demerit points in 24 months, you may need to complete a driver improvement clinic within 90 days.
- If you earn 18 demerit points in 12 months or 24 points in 24 months, then you will lose your driver’s license for 90 days and must enroll in a driver improvement clinic.
- Driver improvement clinics are held both in-person and online, however, those under the age of 20 are required to complete their clinics in the in-person setting.
Did You Get A Speeding Ticket?
Our Manassas traffic violation attorneys at Tobias Iszard, PC can help you fight your speeding tickets and lower your fines. We know the ins and outs of traffic fines in Virginia.
Do you need help with speeding tickets? Call us today at (703) 215-1880 or contact us online to schedule an appointment with our team.
.jpg)
