If you are convicted of reckless driving, a criminal misdemeanor charge in Virginia, the associated fines can range depending on how harsh the judge wants to be. Under the Virginia Code, reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor, for which you can receive a fine of up to $2,500. However, the judge has considerable discretion on what fine to give you.

In cases where a driver is not able to get a reduced disposition such as speeding or improper driving and is convicted of reckless driving, I most regularly see fines in the range of $250 to $500 in the General District Courts in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Newport News. On top of that, there are court costs that are around $86.00, depending on the specific jurisdiction.

There is not necessarily a link between jail time and the fine amount. I have seen cases where there was a conviction for reckless driving with the driver’s speed at over 100 mph, where jail time is ordered and yet the fine was $250.00.  I have seen cases where no jail time was ordered, but the fine was $500.00. (See this link to read my blog about likely jail time sentences for reckless driving.) Again, every case is fact specific and your fine may depend on various factors such as the judge, the prosecutor, the facts of your case and your past driving record.

The best scenario monetarily for my clients come when they are not convicted of reckless driving. If your charge is reduced to speeding or improper driving, the combined total for the fine and court costs is usually under $200.00. For a speeding conviction, the court usually charges $6.00 per mile over the speed limit, so a conviction of 19 over the speed limit would give you a fine of $114.00.

Getting an attorney is money well spent to defend against a reckless driving charge.