Speeding charges in Prince William County are very common. In fact, it is admittedly rare for someone to go their entire life without being cited for speeding at some point. If you receive a speeding ticket, you are tasked with the decision whether to prepay the ticket or contest it by going to court or hiring an attorney. Speeding charges carry DMV demerit points and can affect insurance rates and even certain types of jobs. If you have a good driving record, it may well be worth your while to hire a traffic lawyer in order to protect your driving record. We have handled thousands of speeding cases and regularly appear in the Prince William County General District Court. We also handle speeding tickets issued by the City of Manassas, Manassas Park, Town of Occoquan, Town of Haymarket, and the Town of Dumfries. Give us a call for a free consultation at 703-273-4100 or use the contact form below.
Speeding Ticket Points and Costs in Prince William County
In Virginia, all speeding offenses carry DMV demerit points. If you are convicted of speeding in Prince William County, the clerk will send an abstract of the conviction to the DMV. If you prepay the speeding ticket you are pleading guilty to the offense. The number of DMV demerit points will depend on the speed involved. The DMV is required to supply your driving record to your insurance company upon request so they will be able to see the speeding offense if they check.
Speeding at 1-9 mph over the posted speed limit is a 3-point offense and will remain on the driving record for 5 years. Speeding at less than 10 mph over the posted limit is rare but it does happen.
Speeding at 10-19 mph over the posted speed limit is a 4-point offense and will also remain on the driving record for 5 years. This is the most common speeding offense we see.
Speeding at 20 mph or more over the posted speed limit is a 6-point offense that remains on the driving record for 5 years. It should be noted that speeding at 20 mph or more over the limit could have been charged as reckless driving and Judges know this so they do not routinely reduce these charges since they have already been reduced by the officer when the citation was issued.
Speeding Ticket Costs
The court costs for speeding in Prince William County is $71.00. In addition to court costs, there will be a fine which can be up to $250.00. However, depending on the speed involved and location of the offense, the fine is usually less than that. There are exceptions where the fine can be up to $500 if the speeding offense occurred in a highway safety corridor or in a highway work zone.
Speeding Generally (§46.2-870 & §46.2-878): In highways where the posted speed limit is 55 mph, 60 mph, 65 mph, and 70 mph, the fine is $6 per mile over the posted speed limit.
Speeding in School Crossings (§46.2-873): In areas where there is a nearby school with warning signs indicating that a school crossing is in progress, the posted speed limit is 25 mph. These are the flashing signs you see near schools. The fine is $7 per mile over the posted speed limit though the statute allows a fine of up to $250.00.
Speeding in Business or Residential (§46.2-874): In areas where the speed limit is 25 mph such as neighborhoods or areas where there are businesses. The fine is $6 per mile over the posted speed limit.
Speeding in Cities and Towns (§46.2-875): In areas where you are driving through a municipality, the fine of $6 per mile over the posted speed limit.
Speeding in Highway Work Zone (§46.2-878.1): In areas where workers are present with highway work zone signs the fine is $7 per mile over the posted speed limit. However, there is a provision in the statute for a fine of up to $500.00.
Speeding in Highway Safety Corridor (§46.2-808.2): These are designated areas where it has been determined that safety is a concern due to data showing increased accidents and traffic volume. The statute allows for a fine of up to $500.00.
Fighting your Speeding Charge in Prince William County
When you receive a speeding ticket in Prince William County, the citation will be issued by a police officer from the locality you were stopped in. Prince William County, City of Manassas, Manassas Park, Town of Occoquan, Town of Haymarket, the Town of Dumfries, and the VA State Police have separate police departments. All speeding charges will be heard in the Prince William County General District Court at 9311 Lee Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110 by a Prince William County General District Court Judge.
We contest our client's speeding citation by first speaking with the prosecutor. Most of the time these conversation occur at 8:30am before the docket starts. During these conversations we set forth what we believe the evidence to be and will provide any appropriate mitigation. In most cases we can resolve speeding cases by plea agreement with the prosecutor. In these cases we are seeking a reduction of the charge or dismissal so to avoid DMV demerit points and insurance rate increases. Of course, results will depend on our client's driving record, interaction with the officer, and any driver improvement courses or other mitigation that have been prepared.
In those cases where we cannot work out an appropriate resolution to the case, we will have a trial before the Judge and challenge the police officer's observations and the accuracy of their equipment. In most cases, however, we continue (reschedule) the case to a later date to either prepare for trial or prepare further mitigation for the next court date.
We can Appear for Court on your Behalf for Speeding Cases in Prince William County
If you are out-of-state or simply have other important matters to handle on your court date, we can appear for your speeding case on your behalf in Prince William County. We will contact you from the courthouse that morning to keep you apprised of the case. If we resolve the case on your behalf, we will let you know what fines if any you need to pay and how to pay it at a later time. If it appears we need to have a trial we will let you know that too and reschedule the case for you to appear for court later if necessary.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss your case, we would be happy to speak. All consultations are free, confidential, and full of good information to help you decide about hiring a speeding lawyer for your case.