If you are charged with a traffic violation in Virginia, part of the penalty associated with your citation is a minus point that can result in a suspended or revoked license. To learn more about the demerit points system and discuss the potential impact on your case, call a lawyer or make an appointment. Reckless driving lawyers in Richmond are debating what motorists should know when faced with such charges.
The Demerit Uniform Points System is a score and value system issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for traffic and administrative offenses. The DMV assesses points for offences found guilty or paid in advance.
Points are awarded for a specific offence, depending on the severity of the offence. The scores are somewhere between 3 and 6 points, whereby the more difficult the case, the higher the score. For example, a simple speeding offence is punishable by 3 points, while reckless driving is punishable by 6 points.
Until the day of the offence, one minus point remains on the logbook. During this period, it can be removed, but the conviction will remain on file for the rest of your life.
If you accumulate too many points over a certain period of time, this can lead to a license revocation. If you have accumulated more than one minus point in your logbook in a month, your license will be automatically suspended for one year.
If you earn 18 points within one month or 24 points within twelve to twenty-four months, your license will be automatically revoked. If you do not complete the driving school within the period required by the DMV, it will be automatically suspended for one year. To get your driver’s license back or a new one for a certain period of time, you must contact DMV and ask them to take you to a “driving school.”
The uniform Demerit points system applies to drivers who drive outside the state and how they are registered. If you receive a ticket in another part of the state, it will be applied to your ticket with the points. Richmond, Virginia, has points for violations across all Commonwealth jurisdictions.
If you are convicted of a violation in Virginia, the Virginia DMV will report the matter to your home state motor vehicle office. Within the framework of the Interstate Compact, the points that are applied to you are then evaluated. If you are convicted in your own state, your points will be reassessed.
There are few ways to challenge your points. Unfortunately, the only way to really question the points assessed by the DMV is if you can prove that there was an error in the application of the points. If you don’t like a point, you can challenge it in court.
If you can prove that there was an error in the reporting of points or fees, you can apply to the DMV for an administrative hearing. At the hearing, you would have to submit documents showing that there were errors in your application to apply your points and the applications for your indictment. The DMV reports on the charges for which you have not been convicted.
A lawyer can help you to apply for a restricted work permit. The DMV allows you to call this a “hardship permit” if you are suspended. This license is for driving to school or doctor’s appointments from work, things you can’t do on a regular basis due to point accumulation. A lawyer can assist you if your driving license is compromised by points supporting an administrative hearing. If you suffer a traffic violation and receive future charges, an attorney can help you avoid future damage to your record and try to reduce or change the matter to something that may not affect your record as much, or to forget about it.