What a Virginia speeding ticket is
A Virginia speeding ticket handed out by an officer is typically charged as a traffic infraction for exceeding a posted or statutory speed limit. It is not the same paper as a mailed camera / photo-monitoring civil notice under Virginia’s photo-speed statutes (for example, Va. Code § 46.2-882.1). If the paper is a mailed camera summons naming a photo speed monitoring device, that is a different track — confirm what your paper says. If the paper is an officer citation for speeding, the officer / court track below applies.
US overview: What a speeding ticket notice is. Contrast: What an NYC speeding ticket is · What a California speeding ticket is · What a Florida speeding ticket is · What a Pennsylvania speeding ticket is.
Demerit points (Va. Code § 46.2-492 + VA DMV)
Va. Code § 46.2-492(D) (law.lis.virginia.gov, retrieved 17 Sep 2026) directs the Commissioner to assign demerit points on a graduated scale not to exceed six points for any single conviction, including:
Speeding twenty or more miles per hour above the posted speed limit — six demerit points (with other serious offenses listed in that paragraph).
Speeding between ten and nineteen miles per hour above the posted speed limit — four demerit points.
Speeding between one and nine miles per hour above the posted speed limit — three demerit points.
That is the statute’s statement. Virginia DMV “Three / Four / Six Point Violations” pages (retrieved 17 Sep 2026) list the same speeding bands (1–9 → three points; 10–19 → four points; 20+ → six points) and state that demerit points remain on the record for two years from the offense date; speeding convictions on those lists are shown as remaining on the DMV record for five years. That is DMV’s statement, not an instruction from us. We do not tell you how a ticket will affect your license or insurance.
Reckless driving by speed (boundary as statute states)
Va. Code § 46.2-862 (retrieved 17 Sep 2026): a person is guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of 85 miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit. That is the statute’s statement. Virginia DMV’s six-point list includes “Reckless driving - speeding 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit” and “Reckless driving - speeding in excess of 85 mph.” Virginia Judicial System “How to Pay Traffic Tickets” page (vacourts.gov, retrieved 17 Sep 2026): YOU MAY NOT PREPAY if the charge is for reckless driving. That is the courts’ statement. We do not tell you how a charge will be classified on your summons — read the charge printed on it.
Prepayment frame (Va. Code § 46.2-878.3 + Uniform Fine Schedule)
Va. Code § 46.2-878.3 (retrieved 17 Sep 2026): except as otherwise provided in that section, the Traffic Infractions and Uniform Fine Schedule adopted by the Supreme Court for prepayment shall, where prepayment is permitted, include a fine of $6 per mile-per-hour in excess of posted speed limits provided for in that article. The same section requires $7 per mile-per-hour for a violation of §§ 46.2-873 and 46.2-878.1, and $8 per mile-per-hour for a violation of § 46.2-878.2. Any person who drives in excess of 80 mph but below 86 mph on a highway with a maximum speed limit of 65 mph is subject to an additional fine of $100. That is the statute’s statement, not an instruction from us.
Supreme Court of Virginia Rule 3B:2 Uniform Fine Schedule (Rules of Court PDF, Part Three B last amended by Order dated 29 Sep 2023; retrieved 17 Sep 2026) lists prepayable speed rows consistent with that frame, including: ordinary exceeding the speed limit — $6 per mile over; school crossing (§ 46.2-873) — $7 per mile; highway work zone (§ 46.2-878.1) — $7 per mile; residence district (§ 46.2-878.2) — $200 plus $8 per mile over; driving in excess of 80 mph but less than 86 mph in a 65 mph zone (§ 46.2-878.3) — $100 plus $6 per mile over. The schedule’s processing-fee column shows $51 for those rows (footnote references Code §§ 9.1-106 and 53.1-120). Rule 3B:2: prepayment is a written appearance, waiver of court hearing, and plea of guilty; the schedule does not restrict the fine a judge may impose when there is a court hearing. That is the Supreme Court’s statement. Confirm the amount and eligibility printed on your summons and with the court named on it.
Virginia Judicial System ticket-payment page (retrieved 17 Sep 2026): pre-court payments for eligible tickets are a waiver of a court hearing and entry of a guilty plea; mail prepayment must be received by the court named on the summons. That is the courts’ statement, not an instruction from us. We do not tell you whether to prepay or appear.
Violation.com does not collect Virginia fines. If you upload a speeding notice, we summarize what the notice shows. It is not legal advice.
Sources retrieved 17 Sep 2026:
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-492/
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-878.3/
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-862/
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/improvement/points/assess
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/improvement/points/system
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/improvement/points/points-3
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/improvement/points/points-4
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/improvement/points/points-6
- https://vacourts.gov/static/courts/scv/rulesofcourt.pdf
- https://www.vacourts.gov/caseinfo/tickets_dc
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/section46.2-882.1/
Not legal advice. Not a law firm. Not affiliated with a government agency. Information Only.