Is Reckless Driving Prepayable?

It’s a common question: “Is reckless driving prepayable?”

After all, most traffic tickets are prepayable. You get your ticket. You get home, go online, and rather than deal with the headache of a court appearance, simply “pay your ticket” with the fine posted at the court, and move on with your life. That’s how most traffic tickets are handled by the majority of people.

Reckless driving is different. It is not a prepayable offense.

The fine for reckless driving differs from judge to judge in Virginia. Some courts might give you a $80 fine for reckless driving. Others, a $500 or $1,000 fine! The Virginia legislature has not assigned a standard fine for reckless driving. Since reckless driving is a Class 1 Misdemeanor, i.e. a criminal offense, the fine can be as low as $0 and as high as $2,500, which is the punishment range for a misdemeanor.

So how do you find out whether your reckless driving case is a prepayable fine?

Wait until your court hearing. So long as you do not need to appear in court – and, so long as the prosecutor is not seeking jail time, you will not need to be in court – the clerk’s office will mail you an invoice for the fine and court costs after the court date has passed. You will get 30 days to pay your fine, and at that time, it will be “prepayable” online through the court clerk website.

For more information about your question, including whether you need to appear in court and the likely range of outcomes, feel free to contact my office for a free consultation at (540) 585-1776.