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A Driver’s Guide to Moving Violation Points in Northern Virginia

Like many other states, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has a point system that is used to assess drivers. When you are convicted of a moving violation in Northern Virginia, the court notifies the DMV. The DMV then assigns demerit points and posts the convictions to your driving record. If you receive an excessive number of traffic violation points, the DMV may suspend your license or require that you complete a driver improvement clinic. The DMV may also notify your insurance company.

Insurance companies have their own point system. These systems are developed by individual companies and are not regulated by the DMV. Insurance points may affect your auto insurance coverage.

Virginia also assigns safe driving points. For every year that you hold a Virginia driver's license with no violations or suspensions, you receive a safe driving point. Up to five of these points may be used to offset demerit points. You can also receive safe driver points by attending s driver improvement clinic.

Points are on your DMV for two years, but convictions remain longer. The number of years that the conviction stays on your DMV record is in parentheses beside each violation. An asterisk (*) indicates that the conviction remains on your record permanently.

Moving Violations in Virginia

Six Point Violations

Reckless Driving (Felony or Misdemeanor)

• Reckless driving - speeding in excess of 80 mph (11 years)
• Reckless driving - speeding 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit (11 years)
• Reckless driving - racing (11 years)
• Reckless driving - passing or overtaking an emergency vehicle (11 years)
• Reckless driving - passing a school bus (11 years)
• Reckless driving - passing on the crest of a hill (11 years)
• Reckless driving - passing at a railroad crossing (11 years)
• Reckless driving - passing two vehicles abreast (11 years)
• Reckless driving - driving two vehicles abreast (11 years)
• Reckless driving - driving too fast for conditions (11 years)
• Reckless driving - failing to give a proper signal (11 years)
• Reckless driving - faulty brakes/improper control (11 years)
• Reckless driving - on parking lots, etc. (11 years)
• Reckless driving - with an obstructed view (11 years)
• Reckless driving - generally (11 years)
• Speeding 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit (5 years)

Driving Under the Influence (Virginia DUI)

• Driving while intoxicated (11 years)
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (11 years)
• Driving under the influence of drugs (11 years)
• Driving after illegally consuming alcohol (persons under age 21) (3 years)
• Driving while intoxicated - maiming (11 years)
• Involuntary manslaughter/alcohol (11 years)
• Refusing blood/breath test (11 years)
• Driving while your license is suspended or revoked for driving while intoxicated (11 years)
• Driving while your license is revoked for driving while intoxicated - maiming (11 years)
• Driving while your license is revoked for driving while intoxicated - involuntary manslaughter (11 years)

Manslaughter

• Manslaughter (11 years)
• Involuntary manslaughter (11 years)
• Involuntary manslaughter/aggravated (11 years)

Habitual Offenders

• Driving after being declared a habitual offender (11 years)
• Authorizing person suspended for habitual offender and/or driving while intoxicated to drive (3 years)

Licenses/Permits

• Driving on suspended license (11 years)
• Driving while your license is suspended or revoked (11 years)
• Driving while your license is suspended or revoked for non-payment of court fines and costs (11 years)
• Driving under suspension or revocation before giving proof of financial responsibility (11 years)

Other Violations

• Speeding 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit (5 years)
• Injuring person while racing - felony (11 years)
• Failure to stop at the scene of a crash - injury (11 years)
• Failure to stop at the scene of a crash - death (11 years)
• Failure to stop at the scene of a crash - property damage of $1000 or more (11 years)
• Emergency vehicle violation - death (11 years)
• Vehicular assault or willful stopping, impeding or damaging vehicle (11 years)
• Blocking access to service facility (11 years)
• Attempting to elude police
• Felony offense (11 years)
• Misdemeanor offense (3 years)
• Passing stopped school bus (non-reckless) (3 years)
• Operating unsafe vehicle (3 years)

Four Point Violations

Reckless Driving/Speeding

• Reckless driving - failure to stop before entering a highway (11 years)
• Speeding (5 years)
• Speeding 10-14 mph above the posted speed limit (5 years)
• Speeding 15-19 mph above the posted speed limit (5 years)
• Speeding 10-19 mph above the posted speed limit (5 years)

Passing

• Passing when unsafe (3 years)
• Passing to the left of approaching vehicle (3 years)

Stopping/Yielding

• Failure to drive to the right and stop for police/fire/emergency vehicle (3 years)
• Failure to stop for pedestrian with white cane (3 years)
• Failure to stop and yield right-of-way (3 years)
• Failure to yield right-of-way (3 years)
• Failure to yield when turning left (3 years)
• Failure to yield to funeral procession (3 years)

Keeping to the Right

• Failure to drive on right half of highway or street (3 years)
• Failure to keep to the right when crossing an intersection (3 years)
• Driving to the left of rotary traffic island (3 years)

Following/Signaling

• Following too closely (3 years)
• Failure to signal before moving from curb (3 years)
• Improper signal (3 years)

Railroad Crossings

• Failure to obey railroad crossing signal (3 years)
• Failure to stop at railroad grade crossing (3 years)
• Failure to keep to the right at a railroad crossing (3 years)
• Failure to stop passenger-carrying vehicle at railroad grade crossing (3 years)
• Railroad crossing/stopping (3 years)
• Improper operation of crawler-type tractor over railroad crossing (3 years)

Other Violations

• Operating a motor vehicle while suspended/revoked/restricted with a blood alcohol content of .02% or more (11 years)
• Failure to stop at the scene of a crash, unattended property, damage in excess of $500 (11 years)
• Failure to stop at the scene of a crash, property damage (3 years)
• Emergency vehicle violation - property damage (5 years)
• Emergency vehicle violation - injury (5 years)
• Aggressive driving (5 years)
• Failure to obey traffic signal (3 years)
• Failure to obey lane directional signal (3 years)
• Failure to obey highway lane markings (3 years)
• Improper backing, stopping or turning (3 years)
• Driving the wrong way on one-way highway or street (3 years)
• Impeding/disrupting funeral procession (3 years)
• Disregarding police officer's signal to stop (3 years)
• Disregarding crossing guard/officer's signal (3 years)

Three Point Violations

Speeding

• Speeding 1-9 mph above the posted speed limit (5 years)
• Impeding traffic, slow speed (5 years)

Passing/Driving

• Improper passing (3 years)
• Improper passing on the right (3 years)
• Improper driving (3 years)
• Improper stopping on highway (3 years)
• Changing course after signaling (3 years)
• Coasting with gears in neutral (3 years)
• Failure to give way in favor of overtaking vehicle (3 years)
• Failure to give way when abreast of another car (3 years)
• Driving through safety zone (3 years)
• Driving over fire hose (3 years)
• Unauthorized use of crossover on controlled highway (3 years)
• Driving/riding on sidewalk (3 years)

Turning/Backing

• Improper turn (3 years)
• Improper U-turn (3 years)
• Violation of right turn on red (3 years)
• Violation of left turn on red (3 years)

Signs/Signals

• Failure to obey highway sign (3 years)
• Evading traffic control device (3 years)

Lights

• Driving without lights/excessive lights (3 years)
• Failure to dim headlights (3 years)
• Parking without proper lights displayed (3 years)
• Inadequate hazard lights (3 years)

Licenses/Permits

• No Virginia driver's license (3 years)
• No Virginia license plate (3 years)
• Failure to obtain a driver's license (3 years)
• No driver's license - vehicle/motorcycle (3 years)
• Failure to have license revalidated (3 years)
• Learner's permit violation (3 years)
• Permitting unlicensed person to drive (3 years)
• Driving in violation of restricted license (restrictions related to physical limitation, such as mechanical control device) (3 years)

Other Violations

• Failure to stop at the scene of a crash, unattended property (3 years)
• Failure to leave the scene of a crash at the direction of officer (3 years)
• Failure to report a crash, unattended property, less than $250 damage (3 years)
• Following/parking within 500 feet of fire apparatus (3 years)
• Emergency vehicle violation (3 years)
• Drinking while driving (3 years)
• Improper driving/riding motorcycle (3 years)
• Driving with TV screen visible to driver (3 years)
• Driving while using earphones (3 years)
• Passenger restriction violation (3 years)
• Curfew violation (3 years)
• HOV violation, second or subsequent offense - Northern Virginia planning district 8 (5 years)

In Virginia, those who are charged with reckless driving face points, fines, possible license suspension, and even jail time. However, traffic charges can be fought. If you have received a high speed speeding ticket, have been charged with reckless driving or with driving under the influence, you need a Virginia traffic offense lawyer who will aggressively defend your case and get positive results for you. Contact Vienna Law Group, P.C. at 1-877-491-4LAW to schedule a free consultation with a Virginia reckless driving attorney .

Vienna Law Group

10615 Judicial Drive                      8229 Boone Blvd
Suite 101                                       Suite 290
Fairfax, VA 22030                            Vienna, VA  22182 

Phone: 703-385-6868
Toll free: 1-877-491-4LAW
Fax: 703-385-7009

Vienna Law Group provides immigration, bankruptcy, family law, divorce, traffic violation, DUI/DWI and criminal legal services in Northern Virginia, including the following cities and counties: Fairfax, Vienna, Reston, Tyson's Corner, McLean, Falls Church, Arlington, Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, Annandale, Springfield, West Springfield, Newington, Lorton, Woodbridge, Dale City, Burke, Manassas, Centerville, Chantilly, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Fairfax County, Alexandria County, Arlington County, Loudon County and Prince William County.

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