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When you are convicted of a traffic violation, the court notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). DMV does the following:
DMV demerit points remain on your record for two years form the date that you commit the offense. The dates that demerit points are removed from your record are not related to the dates that convictions are removed from your record. For example, a reckless driving charge carries with it -6 demerit points. Two years after the conviction date, those demerit points will go away, but the "reckless driving" conviction will remain on your driving record for 11 years!
- Posts the conviction to your driving record;
- Assigns demerit points to you according to the severity of the offense;
- Issues an order of suspension (if applicable)
- Issues an order requiring the successful completion of a driver improvement clinic (if applicable)
- Notifies your insurance company upon request.
DMV demerit points remain on your record for two years form the date that you commit the offense. The dates that demerit points are removed from your record are not related to the dates that convictions are removed from your record. For example, a reckless driving charge carries with it -6 demerit points. Two years after the conviction date, those demerit points will go away, but the "reckless driving" conviction will remain on your driving record for 11 years!
Six (6) Point Violations
- Reckless Driving (11 years)
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI) (11 years)
- Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) (11 years)
- Driving after illegally consuming alcohol (persons under age 21) (3 years)
- Refusing blood/breath test (11 years)
- Driving while license is suspended/revoked (11 years)
- Operating without ignition interlock (11 years)
- Speeding 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit (5 years)
- Hit-and-run where injury or property damage in excess of $1000 occurs (11 years)
Four (4) Point Violations
- Speeding 10 mph to 19 mph above the posted speed limit (5 years)
- Passing when unsafe (3 years)
- Passing to the left of approaching vehicle (3 years)
- Failure to yield (3 years)
- Following too closely (3 years)
- Improper signal (3 years)
- Hit-and-run where property damage of more than $500 but less than $1000 occurs (11 years)
- Hit-and-run where property damage of $500 or less occurs (3 years)
- Aggressive Driving (5 years)
- Failure to obey traffic signal (3 years)
- Failure to obey highway lane markings (3 years)
- Improper backing, stopping or turning (3 years)
Three (3) Point Violations
- Speeding 1-9 mph above the posted speed limit (5 years)
- Improper passing (3 years)
- Improper driving (3 years)
- Improper turn (3 years)
- Improper U-turn (3 years)
- Failure to obey highway sign (3 years)
- Evading traffic control device (3 years)
- Driving without lights/excessive lights (3 years)
- No Virginia driver's license (3 years)
- Permitting unlicensed person to drive (3 years)
- Driving while using earphones (3 years)
- HOV violation, second or subsequent offense (5 years)
* Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of Virginia demerit-point related traffic offenses. If you are licensed in a state other than Virginia, your demerit point system may be different than that posted above. Please further note that some point violations may have changed since the duplication of this list from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Noorishad Law, P.C. is not liable for any damages that may result from errors in this publication. For a full description of violations and penalties, please call the DMV at 804.497.7100 or visit www.dmvnow.com.
