How Much is a Speeding Ticket in Virginia?

How much is a speeding ticket in Virginia? How much does a Virginia speeding ticket cost? As a Virginia traffic lawyer I answer these questions every day. First of all, note that speeding 20 mph or more over the limit, or over 80 mph is not speeding. Thus, driving 81 mph in a 70 is reckless driving by speed. This is not a prepayable ticket and it is a criminal misdemeanor. Speeding tickets are prepayable though.

The “cost” of a Virginia speeding ticket is similar to purchasing a new car. You think you have negotiated a great deal, and then the dealer tacks on dealer costs, and shipping/freight costs. Here is the formula to figure out how much a speeding ticket is in Virginia:

Actual Virginia Speeding Ticket Cost = prepaid amount of the ticket, including the court costs, plus insurance premium increase

Using this formula, you can get an idea of how much it will actually cost you for your Virginia speeding ticket. Many people choose to just pay these speeding tickets and then they call me when their insurance skyrockets. At that point it is too late. If you factor in the insurance cost, it will help you make a better decision.

This table only applies to certain speeding tickets in Virginia. Reckless driving by speed is NOT a prepayable offense. So if you were driving 81 mph or more OR 20 MPH or more then that is reckless driving and it is not prepayable. In addition, speeding in a work zone, residential area, or school district, etc. has added penalties. This chart is for reference purposes only and is not accurate for all speeding tickets. The insurance premium increases are based on a recent study of six major insurance carriers. Note that most insurance companies use a 5-10 year period as the “lookback” period and so the 3 year column in the table is likely underestimating the actual cost.

Recently, there was a study completed for thousands of people convicted of traffic tickets. The study tested measured the average increase in insurance rates. This study showed that even minor speeding tickets will cost thousands of dollars over 3-10 years. Insurance companies use what is called a “look back period.” Simply put, it is the period of time the insurance company looks back at to determine your rates. Most insurance companies use a 5-10 year look back period.

That means that any speeding ticket will impact your insurance rates for 5-10 years. I published an article detailing the impact tickets have on insurance premiums HERE.

As a Virginia traffic lawyer, I specialize in reckless driving, speeding tickets, and other traffic violations. Leavitt & Martin has successfully defended thousands of client over the years. There are many reasons to keep your driving record clean. Every state has a DMV, and they all keep track of points. The days of getting an out of state speeding ticket and not having problems are over. The fact is that all of the different states talk to each other. So when you get a ticket in one state, every state knows.