If you’re facing a Virginia reckless driving ticket you may be wondering what the fine might be. Unfortunately, there is no set fine for reckless driving because it is a Class 1 misdemeanor charge.
The range of fines for Virginia reckless driving can be anything from $0 up to $2,500, but note that $2,500 is the maximal fine permitted by law for Class 1 misdemeanor and so that would include Virginia reckless driving tickets. However, it’s very rare for a Virginia reckless driving ticket to cost that much.
The actual fine you’re looking at for your case will depend upon a variety of factors including the local court, the judge, the prosecutor, the specific facts of your case, and also your driving record.
In some cases, your charge might be reduced to a lesser offense, where your maximum fine would be lower than $2,500. But let’s assume that your case is not reduced and that you are found guilty of reckless driving. What might your fine actually be?
Due to the varying court procedures and the way judges handle these cases across Virginia it’s hard to give an answer to that in the abstract. However, in the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford areas where I practice, the average fine for a somewhat average reckless driving by speed case will be in the neighborhood of $300.00. That could be a little less or a little more depending on the facts of the case. For example, if you’re charged with going 100 miles an hour in a 65 on the interstate you might be looking at a fine upwards of $750.00 to $1,000.00. By contrast, if you have a very basic low level speed case, you might be looking at a fine of just a couple of hundred dollars.
On average, I would say it’s $300.00 to $350.00 in the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George area. If you have a case in a different area of Virginia what I recommend is talking with a local attorney who regularly handles Virginia reckless driving tickets in that area and they could tell you what fine you may be looking at.
Photo by:401(K) 2013