When you are convicted of a traffic violation, the court notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  

 DMV does the following:  

·         Posts the conviction to your driving record 

·         Assigns demerit points to you according to the severity of the offense 

·         Assesses unsafe driving fees ordered by the court  

·         Issues an order of suspension, if applicable 

·         Issues an order requiring the successful completion of a driver improvement clinic, if applicable 

·         Notifies your insurance company upon request 

Below, you will find Virginia DMV traffic violations and the demerit points assigned to them. These violations are grouped according to the number of DMV demerit points assigned to each violation. The number of years that the conviction stays on your DMV record is in parentheses beside each violation. 

An asterisk (*) indicates that the conviction remains on your record permanently. DMV also posts to your record traffic violations that do not carry demerit points. Demerit points will also be assigned to your record for traffic convictions incurred in other states. 

The length of time that a conviction stays on your record depends on the severity of the violation. If you receive an order or notice of revocation, suspension, disqualification or cancellation, your convictions could remain on your record even longer than specified. 

DMV demerit points remain on your record for two years from the date that you commit the offense. The dates that demerit points are removed from your driving record are not related to the dates that convictions are removed from your record. 

Your insurance company may also assign points on your insurance record; however, DMV demerit points are not related to insurance company points. Insurance company points are developed by individual companies.  

Demerit points are assigned when you commit a traffic violation and will remain valid for two years from the date you commit the offense. Different violations carry different demerit point values, depending on the seriousness of the offense. More information on Virginia DMV points is available on www.dmvNOW.com.

Virginia DMV Demerit Point System