Greensville County Courthouse, 315 South Main Street, Emporia, VA 23847.

• Clerk’s Office: (434) 634-5400
• Clerk’s office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Contact the Clerk’s Office for traffic court scheduling and case inquiries. The date and time printed on your summons is what controls.

One building, two separate courts. This catches people out. Emporia is an independent city surrounded by Greensville County, and each has its own General District Court. Both sit in the Greensville County Courthouse on South Main Street, and they run on different docket days. Which court hears your case depends on where you were stopped, not on which building you walk into.

Check the court named on your summons. If it is unclear, call the clerk before your date rather than guessing.

The Circuit Court, which handles felony trials, jury trials, and appeals from General District Court, is also at the courthouse, but its clerk’s office is a separate address at 337 South Main Street, reachable at (434) 348-4215.

On continuances: the first continuance is granted by the clerk. Anything after that requires the judge.

Consequences depend on how fast you were driving:

• Simple speeding (under the thresholds): traffic infraction with a fine plus court costs, 3 demerit points for 1 to 9 mph over or 4 points for 10 to 19 mph over, and potential insurance increases. No jail time, no criminal record.
• Reckless driving by speed: under Va. Code § 46.2-862, driving 20 mph or more over the limit, or any speed in excess of 85 mph regardless of the limit, is automatically a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal charge. Up to 12 months jail, a fine up to $2,500, 6 demerit points, a lasting criminal record, and a license suspension of 60 days to six months at the court’s discretion under Va. Code § 46.2-393.
• The I-95 factor: Greensville County sits along Interstate 95, a major north-south corridor where speed enforcement is heavy. Many drivers pick up reckless driving charges for speeds they consider normal highway driving but which cross Virginia’s threshold.

Two different record clocks. Demerit points stay active for 2 years from the date of the offense. A reckless driving conviction 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.

Hit and run, legally leaving the scene of an accident, is governed by Va. Code § 46.2-894 when the vehicle or property struck is attended. The dividing line is $1,000 in property damage, and it is the line between a misdemeanor and a felony.

• Damage of $1,000 or less, no injury: Class 1 misdemeanor. Up to 12 months jail, a fine up to $2,500, license suspension possible.
• Damage of more than $1,000, or any injury or death: Class 5 felony. Up to 10 years in prison, though the court or jury may instead impose up to 12 months in jail and a fine.

That threshold surprises people. A parking lot collision that looks minor can exceed $1,000 in damage without much effort, and at that point the charge is a felony rather than a traffic matter.

Unattended property is handled separately under Va. Code § 46.2-896 and is treated less severely, but the duty to act still applies. You must make a reasonable effort to find the owner, and if you cannot, leave your information and report the accident.

What the law requires after an accident:

• Stop immediately, as close to the scene as possible without obstructing traffic
• Provide your name, address, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration to the other driver, any injured person, and law enforcement
• Render reasonable assistance to anyone injured
• Report to police

Passengers have a duty too. Under Va. Code § 46.2-895, anyone 16 or older in the vehicle who knows the driver failed to report must report the accident within 24 hours, or face charges themselves.

Leaving the scene, even briefly, can be charged as hit and run in Greensville County if you do not return.

Underage possession of alcohol under Va. Code § 4.1-305 applies to anyone under 21 who possesses or consumes alcohol. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Criminal penalties:

• Up to 12 months in jail (rarely imposed for a first offense)
• A mandatory minimum $500 fine or a mandatory minimum 50 hours of community service
• Mandatory substance abuse education or treatment

License consequences:

• Driver’s license suspension of at least 6 months and not more than 1 year
• Applies even if you were not driving when cited

If you hold an out-of-state license, the Virginia court suspends your privilege to drive in Virginia. Whether your home state takes its own action depends on that state’s rules, and it varies. Ask about it rather than assuming either way.

First offense: courts may defer disposition and dismiss the charge upon completion of the required community service and substance abuse conditions. Eligibility and terms are up to the court.

Public intoxication, commonly called drunk in public, means appearing in public so intoxicated that you endanger yourself or others, or unreasonably interfere with others’ use of public spaces. It is a Class 4 misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $250 and no jail time.

Not required for conviction:

• You do not need to be visibly incapacitated
• You do not need to be disorderly or violent (that is a separate charge)
• You do not need to fail field sobriety tests
• Officer testimony about behavior and appearance is often sufficient

Where it is commonly charged: outside bars, at public events, at gas stations along I-95, at restaurants. Walking to your car intoxicated can trigger the charge even if you never drive.

Immigration concerns: any alcohol-related conviction can create immigration consequences for non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents. If you are not a citizen, raise that at the consultation before anything is resolved.

Yes. Commercial drivers face federal consequences on top of Virginia law, and those consequences do not care what the state court does with the fine.

Disqualifications for CDL holders:

• First serious traffic violation: no disqualification, but the violation goes on the record
• Second serious violation within 3 years: 60-day CDL disqualification
• Third serious violation within 3 years: 120-day CDL disqualification

Serious violations include: speeding 15 mph or more over the limit, reckless driving, following too closely, improper or erratic lane changes, and any violation connected to a fatal accident.

Lower BAC threshold: CDL holders can be charged with DUI at 0.04% BAC, half the 0.08% limit, when operating a commercial vehicle.

Out-of-service violations: operating while out of service carries a disqualification of at least 180 days.

Federal law prohibits masking. A state court cannot use a diversion or records arrangement to keep a CDL holder’s conviction off the commercial record. Options that work for a regular driver are not available the same way to a CDL holder, and a conviction in your personal vehicle can still count.

Greensville County’s location on I-95 means heavy commercial traffic and CDL cases in General District Court. A conviction that looks minor can end a trucking career.

Virginia’s marijuana laws changed substantially in 2021 and changed again in the 2026 legislative session. Adult possession of small amounts has not been a criminal offense in Virginia since July 1, 2021, and the older penalties many people still expect, a fine plus a license suspension under the former possession statute, no longer describe the law. The 2026 changes are recent enough that the precise state of the law is being actively disputed, and the regulatory framework does not come online until 2027.

What that means practically: do not rely on any published summary of Virginia marijuana penalties, including this one. Get current advice on the specific charge on your summons before you resolve anything.

What has not changed:

• Schedule I and II substances. Possession of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, or prescription drugs without a valid prescription remains a Class 5 felony in Virginia.
• Distribution and intent to distribute remain criminal in any amount, and quantity drives the charge.

I-95 corridor enforcement. Greensville County sits on Interstate 95, one of the East Coast’s major trafficking routes. Traffic stops along I-95 in Greensville frequently lead to vehicle searches and drug charges, often starting from a minor violation like following too closely or an improper lane change. Whether that search was lawful is often the whole case.

Federal exposure. Drug stops on I-95 can draw federal charges when quantity suggests distribution or the allegation involves moving substances across state lines. Federal court is a different system with different rules.

Two distinct charges with different severity:

• No operator’s license (Va. Code § 46.2-300): you never held a valid license from Virginia or any other state, or your license lapsed long ago. Class 2 misdemeanor for a first offense, up to 6 months jail and a $1,000 fine. A second or subsequent offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
• Driving on a suspended or revoked license (Va. Code § 46.2-301): you held a license but it was suspended or revoked for points, DUI, unpaid fines, or another reason, and you drove anyway. Class 1 misdemeanor, up to 12 months jail and a $2,500 fine, 6 demerit points, plus an added suspension generally matching the length of the original. A third or subsequent offense within 10 years carries a mandatory minimum 10 days in jail.

Why it matters: driving suspended is the more serious charge because it involves driving in the face of a known suspension, and the Commonwealth must prove you had notice of it. No operator’s license carries no such element.

Worth knowing: under Va. Code § 46.2-301(G), if you have no prior violations of that section in the past 10 years, the court has discretion to dismiss a suspended license charge if you show proof of compliance on or before your court date.

Greensville County contains a section of Interstate 95, the major north-south corridor along the East Coast, along with Route 1 and Route 58. That geography shapes the docket:

• Speed enforcement: Virginia’s reckless driving thresholds catch out-of-state drivers who consider 85 mph ordinary highway speed at home. In Virginia it is a criminal charge regardless of how normal it felt.
• Drug interdiction: I-95 is a known trafficking route. Stops for minor violations such as following too closely or an improper lane change frequently develop into vehicle searches.
• Commercial vehicle inspections: weigh stations and mobile inspection units target commercial trucks for equipment violations, overweight loads, and logbook issues.
• Out-of-state drivers: a large share of the traffic passing through Greensville County is from out of state, and drivers unfamiliar with Virginia’s thresholds make up a substantial part of the General District Court’s traffic docket.

Assault and battery under Va. Code § 18.2-57 is a Class 1 misdemeanor with penalties of up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. The charge covers any unwanted physical contact, from pushing someone in an argument to punching during a fight.

How the facts change the charge:

• Domestic assault and battery (§ 18.2-57.2): assault on a family or household member. The same Class 1 misdemeanor for a first or second offense, not a higher class. What differs is everything around it: protective orders, mandatory arrest of the predominant aggressor, firearm consequences, and the fact that the Commonwealth controls the prosecution rather than the complaining witness. A third offense within 20 years becomes a Class 6 felony.
• Assault on law enforcement: Class 6 felony with a six-month mandatory minimum.
• Malicious wounding (§ 18.2-51): wounding with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill. A Class 3 felony carrying 5 to 20 years. This is a separate and far more serious offense than assault and battery.
• Self-defense: Virginia recognizes it, but you must show a reasonable fear of imminent harm and a proportional response. “He started it” is not a legal defense.

Schedule a free case evaluation with Weiland Button to hear all your options in Greensville County.