How to Pay Traffic Tickets in Virginia
The procedure of paying driving fines in Virginia indicates that drivers waive their right to a court hearing and plead guilty to the traffic violation in question. Motorists may also fight traffic tickets in order to avoid paying large fines and incurring negative points on their driving record.
VA ticket violation payments may be submitted via several methods, depending on the presiding court and the type of the offense. Learn more about how and where to pay traffic tickets in VA by reading the following sections:
- How to pay a traffic ticket fine in Virginia
- Virginia traffic ticket attorneys
- Pleading not guilty in Virginia
- Dismissal of charges in Virginia
- Lost tickets in Virginia
How to Pay a Traffic Ticket Fine in Virginia
Drivers may submit Virginia traffic tickets payments via the internet, by mail or in person at the court handling their case. The procedures to pay traffic fines online or via mail may differ depending on the corresponding court, as well as the type of payment motorists need to provide.
Pre-court VA traffic tickets payments are considered a waiver of the right to a hearing and reflect drivers’ decision to enter a plea of “guilty.” Drivers cannot submit post-court traffic fine payments on the date of trial; they must do so within 30 days following their court date. Failure to provide the allotted payment in due time will result in license suspensions.
Paying a Virginia Ticket Online
To initiate the process of paying traffic tickets online in Virginia, you must visit the General District Court Online Case Information System, find the traffic violation court that corresponds to the court listed on your citation and begin your case search.
Once you locate your traffic ticket case, you may proceed with your payment. VA traffic fines online payment submissions generally include a convenience fee in addition to the set fines.
Note that pre-court payments for specific traffic citations require drivers to finalize the process until the last business day prior to their court date. Post-court payments must be submitted within 30 days after the court date.
Paying a Virginia Ticket via Other Methods
An alternative method to pay traffic citations in VA is to submit your payment via mail. Your traffic tickets payment deadline will once again depend on whether you are making a pre-court or post-court payment.
In the first instance, you will need to mail the allotted traffic fines and fees at least seven days before the deadline stated on your summons to avoid further inconvenience. In certain instances, you may receive a “Virginia Prepayable Offenses Information Sheet” with instructions about how to proceed with your summons.
If this is not the case, contact the number displayed on your Virginia traffic citation for further instructions. Post-court Virginia traffic ticket fees must also be provided in due time to the corresponding general district or juvenile court.
Should you need to mail a post-court traffic fine, contact the presiding court and inquire about your amount due and reference number, as well as the court’s mailing address.
Virginia Traffic Ticket Attorneys
Drivers who choose to beat a traffic ticket in Virginia may increase their chances of winning their case by hiring an experienced lawyer. Motorists who engage the services of a VA traffic citation attorney will become familiar with all the steps to prepare a successful traffic ticket defense.
In addition to this, the legal assistance of a lawyer will help drivers avoid points on their driving transcript, a suspension of their credential and more adverse effects on their licensure. To instantly find a lawyer who can increase your chances of avoiding legal penalties, simply snap a picture of your ticket and provide some routine citation information.
You will then be matched with the best lawyer for your particular case.
Pleading Not Guilty in Virginia
The procedure of contesting a traffic ticket in VA generally requires drivers to plead “not guilty” to their infraction. The exact steps to dispute traffic citations may be contained within the issued summons. Once motorists enter a plea of not guilty to their traffic fine, they are usually required to wait for a trial date.
Prior to presenting their case in court, drivers may need to gather any credible evidence and contact any witnesses to ensure a positive outcome. If found guilty, they may face harsh penalties, such as demerit points on their driving report, large fines and surcharges and more.
To avoid these penalties, it is important to have legal representation. You may find a qualified ticket defense attorney online to represent you in court and increase your chances of being found not guilty.
Dismissal of Charges in Virginia
Motorists may become eligible for traffic ticket dismissal by successfully completing a traffic school course. Depending on the Virginia traffic violation court that is handling your case, the judge may allow you to dismiss your traffic citation by graduating from such course. Note that traffic summons which contain incorrect details may also lead to dismissal of your charges.
Lost Tickets in Virginia
If you lose your VA traffic citation, you may not be able to pay your fines or challenge the matter in court. Therefore, you must recover lost traffic ticket details as soon as possible to stay in accordance with the set deadlines.
One option to retrieve lost information is using the state’s online case information system. Contact the presiding traffic violation court in Virginia if the online provider does not offer enough details.