Chesterfield County General District Court runs traffic sessions every weekday, morning and afternoon. It is one of the busiest traffic dockets in Central Virginia, which is what you would expect from a county of over 360,000 people sitting on I-95 and Route 288.

• Chesterfield County Courthouse, 9500 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 144, Chesterfield, VA 23832
• General District Court Clerk: (804) 748-1231
• Clerk’s office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed state holidays

The date and time printed on your summons is what controls. Session times change, so confirm with the clerk rather than relying on any published schedule.

Finding it: the courthouse is at the intersection of Ironbridge Road (Route 10) and Courthouse Road. Large brick building, white columns, circular drive. Parking is free except in gated, reserved, or juror-designated areas. General District Court posts its docket boards in the main lobby on the first floor.

In many Virginia courts, the clerk can grant your first continuance. Not here. Chesterfield’s General District Court clerk’s office cannot continue any case. Continuance requests are attached to the case papers and reviewed by a judge on the hearing date, and the court discourages them. They are granted only for good cause.

Practically, that means you cannot call the clerk the day before and move your date. Requests go by fax to (804) 748-1757, or call (804) 748-1231 for help, and the answer comes from the bench.

Weiland Button focuses exclusively on traffic law and minor criminal defense. Unlike general practice attorneys who handle divorces, real estate, contracts, and occasional traffic cases, this firm’s practice is limited to:

• Traffic violations (reckless driving, speeding, DUI)
• License-related offenses
• Minor criminal misdemeanors

That focus means the attorneys handle these case types in Chesterfield County courts daily rather than occasionally.

Yes, automatically under Virginia law.

Reckless driving thresholds under Va. Code § 46.2-862:

• 20 mph or more over the posted limit
• Any speed in excess of 85 mph, regardless of the posted limit

Why it matters in Chesterfield. The county carries I-95, Route 288, Route 10, and Route 1. On a road posted at 70, the line between a traffic ticket and a criminal charge is 89 versus 90 mph. Drivers cross it without noticing.

What arrives looking like a speeding ticket is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying:

• Up to 12 months in jail
• Fine up to $2,500
• 6 DMV demerit points
• Lasting criminal record
• License suspension of 60 days to six months, at the court’s discretion under Va. Code § 46.2-393

Two different record clocks. Demerit points stay active for 2 years from the date of the offense. The conviction itself stays on your Virginia driving record for 11 years.

New as of July 1, 2026: on a reckless driving by speed conviction, the court may order enrollment in Virginia’s Intelligent Speed Assistance Program instead of suspending your license. That means a speed-limiting device on any vehicle you own or operate, at your expense, for 60 days to six months. Over 100 mph, the court must order it unless it suspends your license instead.

It is a real statutory option. Under Va. Code § 46.2-869, a court may reduce reckless driving to improper driving where the defendant’s culpability is slight based on the facts of the case.

A police officer cannot write a ticket for improper driving. It only happens as a reduction, through the court or by agreement. Whether it happens depends on the speed, the driving record, the conditions, and how the case is presented.

Results depend on the specific facts of each case. Prior outcomes do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any other matter.

Weiland Button provides consultations at no cost for Chesterfield County traffic and criminal cases. Most consultations can be scheduled immediately rather than waiting weeks.

This allows drivers to:

• Understand their legal situation without financial commitment
• Get a realistic assessment before hiring
• Compare options before making decisions

We will tell you what the charge is, what it carries, what the realistic range of outcomes looks like on facts like yours, and what we would need to move it. That is the point of the consultation.

What we will not do is predict a result. Nobody can tell you in advance what a court will do with your case, and any lawyer who does is selling you something. Virginia’s rules for attorneys prohibit guaranteeing outcomes, for good reason.

Alcohol-related misdemeanors:

• Underage possession of alcohol
• Drunk in public
• Public intoxication

Property crimes:

• Petty larceny (theft under $1,000)
• Shoplifting (retail theft)

Violent misdemeanors:

• Assault and battery (Class 1 misdemeanor)

Most of these carry potential jail time, fines, and a criminal record that affects employment, education, and professional licenses. Drunk in public is the exception: it is a Class 4 misdemeanor carrying a fine only, with no jail exposure.

• Population: over 360,000 residents, one of Virginia’s largest counties
• Traffic volume: major interstates and highways generating high citation rates
• I-95, the north-south corridor
• Route 288, the western bypass
• Route 10 (Ironbridge Road) and Route 1
• Enforcement: active Virginia State Police and Chesterfield County Police traffic enforcement

It depends on the charge.

For prepayable traffic infractions such as most speeding tickets, you may enter a written appearance and waive the court hearing under Va. Code § 19.2-254.1, and an attorney can handle the matter without you present.

Reckless driving is different. It cannot be prepaid and it requires a court appearance. Some Virginia courts will grant a waiver of appearance for out-of-state defendants, but that is at the judge’s discretion and cannot be promised in advance. DUI and other criminal misdemeanors generally require you to appear in person.

If you cannot easily return to Virginia, raise it at the consultation. It is the fact that supports asking for a waiver, and it needs to be raised well before your court date, particularly in a court that discourages continuances.

Schedule a free consultation with Weiland Button to discuss your Chesterfield County case.