Demerit Point System in Prince William County

The Uniform Demerit Point System in Virginia is a system for assessing penalties to drivers in Virginia through an assigned number of points that corresponds to a certain infraction. Anyone with a license in Virginia is subject to the Uniform Demerit Point System and if you get too may demerit points your license can be suspended or revoked. Due to this penalty and the fact that they remain on your license for 2 years, it is imperative you call a Prince William speeding ticket lawyer and do everything you can to avoid getting them in the first place.

Consequences of Demerit Points

The consequence of accumulating points too quickly are that somebody’s driver’s license could possibly be suspended. When someone gets 18 points within one year or 24 points within 2 years, this qualifies as accumulating points too soon. In order for someone to remove the points from their records they have to remain on good behavior for one year for one positive point, which means no new conviction for the person. Every single state has its own system that they use so Virginia doesn’t include points for infractions from other jurisdictions, nor does our point system apply to any out of state drivers.

Can You Challenge Points Assessed To Your License?

The points are not able to be challenged. You may challenge the conviction that ultimately caused the points. If you feel that you received these points in error because you didn’t deserve that conviction then you can appeal the case within 10 days of receiving a conviction.

How to Get Points Removed From Your License

The only way that you can remove points from your license is by voluntarily taking a driver improvement course, which is available every two years. This will give 5 positive points, which are automatically added up the second you report your certificate of completion of the driver improvement class to the DMV. There is no hearing involved; it is all automatic.

The other way is by having a year of good behavior with no new charges or convictions. This will result in one point for every positive year. There is no other way other than having the conviction removed that caused the points in the first place.

How a Virginia Speeding Lawyer Can Help

A Virginia traffic lawyer can help you if you are facing a charge which may jeopardize your driving privileges due to the points that may come up with the charge. It is important to speak with a Virginia traffic lawyer as soon as you receive another charge so that they can go to the court with you to try to prevent the charge from becoming a conviction which ultimately results in demerit points that may jeopardize your driving privileges. If it is too late and you have already received the demerit points and your driving privileges are suspended, a Virginia traffic lawyer can help you to obtain a restricted license so that your privileges are not completely revoked.