How Many Points Is Reckless Driving in Virginia?

Reckless driving in Virginia carries 6 demerit points on your DMV record. Virginia defines reckless driving as driving 20 mph or more over the posted limit, exceeding 85 mph regardless of the limit, or operating a vehicle in a manner that endangers life, limb, or property under Virginia Code 46.2-852. These 6 points stay on your Virginia DMV record for 2 years from the conviction date. If you accumulate 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months, Virginia suspends your license. A single reckless driving conviction puts you halfway to the 12-point threshold, meaning one additional speeding ticket of 10 mph or more over the limit within the same 12-month window triggers suspension. Virginia treats reckless driving as a Class 1 misdemeanor, not a traffic infraction. This means a criminal conviction on your record, potential jail time up to 12 months, and fines up to $2,500. Insurance carriers pull criminal records during underwriting, not just DMV abstracts, so the misdemeanor conviction surfaces even if you complete a driver improvement course that removes the points from your DMV record.

A reckless driving conviction typically increases your Virginia auto insurance premium by 40% to 70% at renewal. If you currently pay $140 per month for full coverage, expect your rate to climb to $195 to $240 per month after the conviction processes. This surcharge lasts 3 to 5 years on most carriers' rating schedules, even though the DMV points expire after 2 years. The rate impact depends on your carrier's underwriting tier and your violation history before the reckless driving charge. Preferred carriers like State Farm and Allstate typically move drivers with a reckless conviction out of their best rate tiers immediately. Some preferred carriers decline to renew policies entirely after a reckless driving conviction, forcing drivers into standard or non-standard markets where base rates start 30% to 50% higher. Virginia does not require SR-22 filing for reckless driving alone. SR-22 becomes mandatory only if the reckless driving conviction triggers a license suspension, you were uninsured at the time of the violation, or the court orders it as part of your sentencing. If you do face SR-22 requirements, Virginia mandates continuous filing for 3 years with fees of $50 to $100 per year depending on your carrier.

Virginia removes reckless driving points from your DMV record 2 years after the conviction date, not the violation date. If you were convicted on March 15, 2024, the 6 points expire on March 15, 2026. The conviction itself remains on your full DMV transcript for 11 years, visible to employers and background checks, but it no longer contributes to your point total for suspension calculation after the 2-year mark. Insurance carriers operate on a separate lookback window. Most carriers in Virginia surcharge reckless driving convictions for 3 to 5 years from the conviction date, pulling data from your motor vehicle record and criminal conviction records. Completing a Virginia driver improvement clinic removes 5 points from your DMV record but does not erase the underlying conviction, so carriers continue applying the surcharge based on the conviction itself. You can request a rate review at your policy renewal after the 2-year DMV point expiration, but carriers will not automatically reduce your premium until their internal surcharge period ends. If your carrier uses a 5-year lookback and you're in year 3, the conviction still prices into your rate even though the DMV shows zero active points.

Virginia allows drivers to complete a state-approved driver improvement clinic to remove 5 safe driving points, which offsets 5 of the 6 points assigned for reckless driving. You can take the clinic once every 24 months, and the DMV posts the point credit within 2 to 3 weeks of course completion. This drops your point total from 6 to 1, moving you further from the 12-point suspension threshold. Removing points from your DMV record does not remove the reckless driving conviction from your record, and it does not automatically reduce your insurance premium. Carriers surcharge based on the conviction event, not the current point balance. After completing the clinic, contact your carrier at renewal and request a rate review. Some carriers adjust premiums after point reduction, but most continue the surcharge until their internal violation lookback period expires. If your reckless driving charge is still pending in court, a traffic attorney can sometimes negotiate a reduction to improper driving under Virginia Code 46.2-869, which carries only 3 demerit points and is a traffic infraction rather than a criminal misdemeanor. Improper driving triggers a smaller insurance surcharge and avoids the criminal record, but this outcome depends on the specifics of your case and the prosecutor's willingness to amend the charge.

Most preferred carriers in Virginia either decline to renew policies after a reckless driving conviction or move the driver into a higher-risk tier with significantly increased premiums. State Farm, Allstate, and GEICO typically renew existing policies but apply surcharges of 45% to 65%. Progressive and Nationwide more frequently decline renewal for reckless convictions, especially if the driver has any prior violations in the preceding 3 years. Standard and non-standard carriers like Dairyland, The General, and Direct Auto specialize in insuring drivers with violations and often quote rates 20% to 40% lower than a preferred carrier's surcharged renewal. These carriers expect violations in their underwriting models and price accordingly. If your current carrier non-renews your policy after a reckless conviction, request quotes from at least three non-standard carriers before accepting the first offer. Virginia law requires all carriers to offer liability minimums of 25/50/20, but collision and comprehensive coverage become harder to qualify for after a reckless conviction. Some non-standard carriers decline physical damage coverage entirely or require higher deductibles of $1,000 or $1,500. If you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender requires comp and collision, so confirm coverage availability before switching carriers.

If you receive a second moving violation while the 6 reckless driving points are still active on your DMV record, Virginia calculates your total point balance and suspends your license if you cross the 12-point threshold within 12 months or 18 points within 24 months. A speeding ticket of 10-19 mph over the limit adds 4 points, pushing your total to 10 points. One additional ticket of the same severity within the same 12-month period triggers suspension. Virginia issues a suspension notice by mail to your address on file with the DMV, typically 30 to 45 days after the second conviction posts. You have 7 days from the notice date to request an administrative hearing. If you do not request a hearing or the DMV upholds the suspension, your license is suspended for 60 days for a first suspension, 90 days for a second suspension within 10 years. During the suspension, you cannot drive legally in Virginia, and driving on a suspended license is a Class 1 misdemeanor with additional points and criminal penalties. Carriers apply a second, larger surcharge when a policy has multiple violations in the lookback period. If your reckless driving conviction already increased your rate by 50%, a second speeding ticket typically adds another 20% to 30% surcharge on top of the existing increase. Some carriers non-renew policies automatically after a second chargeable violation within 3 years, regardless of point totals.

Most carriers in Virginia surcharge reckless driving convictions for 3 to 5 years from the conviction date. Preferred carriers like State Farm and GEICO typically use a 5-year lookback, meaning the conviction affects your rate for the full 5 years even though the DMV removes the points after 2 years. Non-standard carriers like Dairyland and The General often use a 3-year lookback, so your rate begins dropping at the 3-year renewal. Your rate does not drop immediately when the surcharge period expires. Carriers recalculate your premium at each policy renewal, so the surcharge falls off at your first renewal after the lookback period ends. If your conviction date was March 15, 2022, and your carrier uses a 5-year lookback, your rate begins recovering at your renewal on or after March 15, 2027. Request a rate review or shop competing carriers 60 days before that renewal to capture the cleanest available rate. Once the conviction ages beyond your carrier's lookback period, your rate returns to the base tier for your current driving record and vehicle profile. If you incurred no additional violations during the surcharge period, you requalify for preferred rates and multi-policy discounts. If you switched to a non-standard carrier after the conviction, shop preferred carriers again once the violation ages out — the rate difference between non-standard and preferred tiers can exceed 40% for clean-record drivers.