Seeing the red and blue lights of a police vehicle flashing in your rearview mirror while driving is never a welcome sight. The matter only gets worse if you end up receiving a speeding ticket or some other citation for a traffic offense. When a person in Virginia is convicted of a traffic offense, such as speeding, that person will receive demerit points on his or her driving record. The number of points assigned depends on how serious the offense was. How long the points stay on a motorist’s record depends on how serious the offense was.
For example, speeding one to five miles per hour above the posted speed limit will result in the accumulation of three demerit points that will stay on a person’s driving record for five years. Speeding 10 to 19 miles per hour over the posted speed limit will result in the accumulation of four demerit points that will stay on a person’s driving record for five years. And speeding 20 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit will result in the accumulation of six demerit points that will stay on a person’s driving record for 11 years.
Some traffic offenses stay on a person’s driver’s license permanently. For example, if a person is operating a commercial motor vehicle and his or her blood alcohol concentration is 0.04 or greater, the six-point offense will be on the person’s driver’s license permanently. Or, if a motorist fails to slow down or stop at a railroad crossing, that driver will incur four points on his or her driver’s license, which will remain there indefinitely.
Accumulating points on your license can lead to problems down the road, especially since a person could lose their driver’s license if they accumulate enough points on their driving record. Speeding might not seem too serious, but it can affect a person for many years to come. Those who have received a ticket for a traffic offense and wish to fight it may want to make sure they understand what their legal options are so that they can make informed decisions.