“What happens if I don’t pay my Virginia traffic fines and court costs?” If you do not pay your fines and court costs on the day of your trial (or prepay then) the court will suspend your Virginia Driver’s license. If you have an out of state license then the court will merely suspend your right to drive in Virginia, but not anywhere else.
If you ever want to drive in Virginia again you must pay off 100% of the fines and the court costs and then pay a license reinstatement fee to the DMV. Before you drive again, get a Virginia DMV compliance summary at any Virginia DMV or call the Virginia DMV to request a copy. A DMV compliance summary will state whether your license is suspended and if it is suspended the compliance summary will give you a check list of things to do in order to get your driving privileges reinstated.
Failure to pay fines can also violate your probation. If you were found guilty of a criminal traffic charges like reckless driving or DUI, you may be on inactive probation. The judge will sentence you to serve jail time or pay fines and then suspend that sentence conditional on your being on “good behavior” and paying all fines and court costs. Failure to pay fines and court costs may violate or extend your probation.
If you do not have a license or if your license is already suspended you will not be able to get it back until you pay all your fines and court costs and reinstatement fees. If you want to get a restricted license, you may not be able to get or keep your restricted license if you do not pay all your fines and court costs.
For any questions about your license suspension get a copy of your Virginia Compliance summary and contact a local traffic attorney. To find out how much you owe to any one particular court look up your case online at the Virginia Supreme Court website.
Luke J. Nichols.
www.spectrum-legal.com
