Fines, Points & Your Record
How Virginia prices a traffic infraction when the offense section names no fine, and what reaches the DMV driving record.
2 guides
Virginia does not print a price list. Open § 46.2-816 or § 46.2-830 looking for a dollar figure and there is none — and that is not an oversight. Section 46.2-113 sets one default for the entire motor vehicle title: unless a section says otherwise, a violation is a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of not more than that set for a Class 4 misdemeanor under § 18.2-11, which is $250. Court costs are charged separately on top of it.
A handful of sections override that default with a figure of their own, and the handheld phone law in § 46.2-818.2 is the one drivers meet most often. Demerit points run on a third track again: they are assigned by the DMV rather than the court, and the number has no relationship to the fine at all. These two pages set out both systems, offense by offense.
All guides
- VA Cell Phone Driving Laws: What § 46.2-818.2 Bans
VA cell phone driving laws ban holding a handheld device while driving: a $125 fine for a first offense, $250 for a second, and 3 DMV demerit points.
- Virginia Moving Violations: Fines, Points and Code Sections
Virginia moving violations, offense by offense: the Code section, the maximum fine, the DMV demerit points and how long each one stays on your record.