Arlington Speeding Tickets for Out-of-State Drivers

If an out-of-state driver is facing a speeding ticket in Virginia, they generally have two options. Either they can prepay the ticket online and move on with their life accepting that they’re guilty of the offense or they can hire a local lawyer to help them with the charge.

Usually for speeding offenses, it is possible for someone’s Arlington speeding ticket lawyer to appear in place of the defendant so that the defendant will not have to return to Virginia to fight his case in court. This can save somebody a lot of hassle and can possibly prevent the conviction from happening.

It is definitely important for an out of state driver to be certain of what his charge is because if the charge is reckless driving, then there is a requirement of a court appearance. Sometimes it is still possible for an attorney to appear in place of the defendant, but this will depend on approval by the court which is typically based on the driver’s speed.

Uniform Demerit Point System

In Arlington, the uniform demerit point system is the way that the Commonwealth assesses demerit points on a driver’s driving record. Anyone who has a Virginia driver’s license is subject to the uniform demerit point system. The Department of Motor Vehicles determines what points will be assigned to particular offenses according to the uniform demerit point system. Each offense has a set amount of points assigned to it.

Demerit points last two years on somebody’s driving record. The length that the actual conviction will last on someone’s record varies depending on the violation and may add, three, four or six points to someone’s driving record.

In Virginia, accumulating too many points is cause for a license suspension, which is why one should not just pay a fine and should instead contact a speeding ticket attorney in Arlington to challenge the ticket. The definition of too many points typically means ether 18 points within one year or 24 points within two years.

Long Term Impact

The long term impact of accumulating too many points on your driving record causes someone’s insurance to go up as soon as they’re made aware of new convictions by the DMV. Having too many demerit points may result in an administrative license suspension from the DMV as well. Arlington, like the rest of the state, only includes points for infractions in Virginia.

Challenging Demerit Points in Arlington

It is not easy to challenge points assessed to your license because the points are a result of a conviction. You can, however, challenge the actual conviction which may result in having the points removed if the conviction is overturned.

In order to get points removed from your license, you either can voluntarily take a driver improvement class which results in five positive points every two years or you can just not get in any more trouble. For every year of good driving behavior, drivers may receive one positive point. Otherwise there’s no other way to have your points removed. There is no hearing and everything just automatically happens.

Role of an Arlington Speeding Ticket Lawyer

An Arlington speeding ticket lawyer can help you before demerit points jeopardize your driving privileges. If you are facing a charge which may result in a license suspension, it is really important to have a lawyer by your side that can possibly fight these charges to prevent this detrimental result.

Otherwise, if it is too late and your driving privileges have already been suspended, an experienced speeding ticket lawyer in Arlington may be able to help you obtain a restricted driver’s license.