Out of State Drivers and Speeding Tickets in Virginia Beach
If an out-of-state driver has received a speeding ticket in Virginia Beach, the first thing they should do is verify that they have actually been issued a speeding ticket and not a reckless driving summons. It is important for out-of-state drivers to know the difference because it changes their options going forward. If they face a speeding ticket and they do not want to come back to Virginia, then they have the option to prepay the fine online and accept the guilty plea with that. But, if an out-of-state driver gets a reckless driving ticket, they are required to come back to court and appear in person to answer to that charge.
If it is reckless driving, but it is not a very egregious speed, then sometimes it is possible to have an attorney in Virginia appear in person for that defendant so that the driver doesn’t have to come back. Regardless, the best thing an out-of-state driver can do is get a Virginia Beach speeding ticket attorney either way, because then they know that all their bases are covered and they more than likely won’t have to come back to Virginia unless it was an extremely high speed.
Consequences For Speeding
If an out-of-state driver does not pay a ticket by the due date, then they suffer the same types of consequences that an in-state driver would suffer if they did not pay the ticket by the due date. Virginia will send the driver’s home state the information regarding any in-state offenses that they incurred out-of-state. Therefore, the driver’s home state gets this information and then they can take whatever action they deem necessary. This differs from state to state.
Severity of Speeding in Virginia
Out-of-state drivers should know how seriously Virginia takes speeding tickets. Virginia is extremely proud of their low accident rate on the highways. Judges are not generally very lenient with speeders, because they are speeding is so common and judges have already heard every possible excuse. Out-of-state drivers should be aware that speeding tickets in Virginia can also escalate to reckless driving summonses, which are criminal misdemeanors. Many out-of-state drivers are shocked to know that when they were driving too fast they were charged with a criminal offense.
It is not a defense in Virginia to be unaware of Virginia’s traffic laws. Virginia presumes that any drivers on the road have the responsibility of knowing what the laws are. These laws have been put in place for safety reasons, so it’s not an excuse that someone wasn’t aware of what the rules were.
If someone did not know that driving 80 miles per hour or more is excessive speeding and considered reckless driving, then it makes no difference at all. They are still going to be charged with reckless driving, regardless of whether they knew this or not. This is a really common way that out-of-state drivers are ticketed in Virginia.
Impact on An Out of State Driver’s License
Many states participate in what’s called the Driver’s License Compact, which is a group of states that have all agreed to communicate with each other about any in-state violations that happen to out-of-state drivers. That means that Virginia will forward any information to the driver’s home state if the out-of-state driver gets a ticket in Virginia.
In the driver’s home state, it is usually treated the same exact way as if that ticket had happened in the driver’s home state. If a driver has non-payment issues and Virginia notifies the other state, it is possible for the home state to start the proceeding for license suspension against the driver.
Benefit of An Attorney
If an out-of-state driver wants to contest their ticket in Virginia, their Virginia Beach area speeding lawyer can actually go to court on their behalf without them having to come back to Virginia at all. This is really convenient for out-of-state drivers, because that way they do not have to plead guilty to avoid coming back. They also have the possibility of having the ticket dismissed altogether or reduced to something better without leaving their home state.
A speeding ticket lawyer can also explain what the laws in Virginia are and help an out-of-state driver figure out what their best course of action is. In general, a Virginia Beach speeding attorney is going to save the driver time and money because they won’t have to come back to Virginia.