Virginia · demerit points · deadlines
Reading Your Virginia DMV Letter or Court Order
Court orders and DMV letters do not require the same things, and they do not carry the same consequences. Find the one you are holding.
01 · DMV thresholds
If the letter came from the DMV
Virginia sends these at set thresholds. Find your number.
8 demerit points in 12 months, or 12 in 24 months.
You get an advisory letter. Nothing is required. It is a warning that you are getting close.
12 demerit points in 12 months, or 18 in 24 months.
The clinic is required, within 90 days.
18 demerit points in 12 months, or 24 in 24 months.
Your driving privilege is suspended for 90 days. You must complete the clinic before it is restored. Then you are on probation for six months.
Any demerit point conviction if you are 18 or 19.
The clinic is required.
Your first demerit point violation if you are under 18.
The clinic is required. A second violation means a 90-day suspension. A third means revocation until you turn 18.
02 · Court orders
If the order came from a court
Court orders vary more, and yours is the only one that matters. Read it for three things.
Your deadline
It is usually shorter than you expect.
Whether it says anything about safe driving points
If it does, bring us that paperwork.
Whether it specifies in-person
Some orders do. If yours is silent, call and ask whether online is acceptable.
03 · Deadlines
What happens if you miss the deadline
For a DMV requirement, missing the 90 days generally leads to suspension.
For a court order, it depends on the court and on what the clinic was tied to. If the course was the condition of a reduced charge, missing it can undo the reduction.
Either way, calling is better than waiting. Both the DMV and the courts deal with this constantly and neither is surprised by the question.
04 · Demerit points
Demerit points, in plain terms
Points are added when you are convicted, not when you are ticketed. They count against you for two years from the date of the offense.
Speeding 20 or more over the limit is automatically reckless driving in Virginia. That is 6 points and a criminal charge, not a traffic ticket.
The conviction stays on your record longer than the points count: three years for many 3-point offenses, five for speeding and aggressive driving, eleven for reckless driving.