King George County runs its General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts as combined courts sharing one clerk’s office, at 9483 Kings Highway, King George, VA 22485.

• Mailing address: P.O. Box 279, King George, VA 22485
• Clerk’s Office: (540) 775-2390
• Fax: (540) 775-0813
• Clerk’s office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

On continuances, King George has a rule worth knowing before you need it.

• Traffic cases: the first continuance may be granted by the clerk
• Criminal cases: a continuance requires the agreement of the Commonwealth’s Attorney
• Anything after the first goes to the judge on motion
• Any continuance that lands more than 60 days from the date of the offense is granted by the judge only

That last rule is the one that catches people. The 60-day clock runs from the offense, not from your court date, so the room to move a case shrinks while you are deciding what to do. Acting early is not a slogan here. It is the difference between a clerk handling it and needing a judge.

The date and time printed on your summons is what controls. Confirm the docket with the clerk rather than relying on any published schedule including this one.

The Circuit Court, which handles felony trials, jury trials, and appeals from General District Court, is at the same Kings Highway address, Suite 3, with its own clerk at (540) 775-3322.

Under Va. Code § 46.2-862, reckless driving by speed is charged when you drive 20 mph or more over the posted limit, or any speed in excess of 85 mph regardless of the limit. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor, not a traffic ticket.

Penalties on conviction:

• Up to 12 months in jail
• Fine up to $2,500
• 6 DMV demerit points
• Lasting criminal record that appears on background checks affecting employment and professional licenses
• License suspension of 60 days to six months, at the court’s discretion under Va. Code § 46.2-393
• It cannot be prepaid. The case requires a court appearance.

Two different record clocks. The 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.

Where these charges come from here. Route 301 runs north to south through the county toward the Potomac crossing, and Route 3 (Kings Highway) runs east to west. Both carry commuter and base-bound traffic through a rural county where posted limits change as you pass through settled areas, and the reckless threshold drops with them.

First offense:

• Class 1 misdemeanor
• Mandatory minimum $250 fine (up to $2,500)
• License revoked for one year (mandatory, not discretionary)
• 7-day administrative suspension at the time of arrest
• Mandatory ASAP (Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program)
• Ignition interlock required for a restricted license
• Additional mandatory jail: 5 days if BAC is 0.15 to 0.20, 10 days if BAC is above 0.20

Second offense within 10 years, under Va. Code § 18.2-270:

• Within less than 5 years: jail of not less than one month, with 20 days as a mandatory minimum the court cannot suspend
• Within 5 to 10 years: jail of not less than one month, with 10 days as a mandatory minimum
• Mandatory minimum $500 fine either way
• Three-year license revocation
• Ignition interlock required

No diversion. Virginia has no first-offender program for DUI. ASAP is not an alternative to a conviction. It is a requirement that follows one, and completing it is a condition of getting a restricted license.

Yes, and also no one can tell you in advance whether yours will be.

A charge can be dismissed on insufficient evidence or a procedural failure, and a dismissal means no conviction, no fine, and no DMV points. Dismissal is not automatic and not guaranteed. Some cases end in a reduction to a lesser charge rather than a dismissal, which avoids the criminal conviction while still carrying a penalty.

What the case actually turns on:

• How the speed was measured, and whether the device was calibrated and the officer trained on it
• Whether the right vehicle was identified
• What the posted limit was where the stop occurred
• Whether the officer appears
• Your driving record

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

Improper driving is a traffic infraction carrying a fine up to $500 and 3 DMV demerit points, with no jail time and no criminal record. On a reckless driving charge it is the outcome that matters most, because it is the difference between a driving record entry and a criminal one.

Under Va. Code § 46.2-869, a court may reduce a reckless driving charge to improper driving where the defendant’s culpability is slight based on the facts of the case. It can also arrive by agreement with the Commonwealth.

A police officer cannot write a ticket for improper driving. It exists only as a reduction. Whether it is available depends on the speed, the driving record, the conditions, and how the case is presented. Higher speeds, an accident, or prior convictions make it less likely.

For anyone holding a clearance or a position of trust, this distinction is frequently the whole case.

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 separates a misdemeanor from 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 collision that looks minor can pass $1,000 in damage easily, and at that point the charge is a felony rather than a traffic matter.

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

What Virginia 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 and to law enforcement, render reasonable assistance to anyone injured, and report to police.

Passengers have their own duty. 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 support the charge. Knowledge is frequently the contested element.

Reckless driving and DUI convictions can affect security clearances for Dahlgren personnel and contractors, because both are criminal convictions rather than traffic tickets.

Where the concerns come from:

• Criminal conduct, as a misdemeanor conviction that goes to judgment
• Alcohol consumption, on a DUI, under the adjudicative guidelines
• Personal conduct, including how you handled any reporting obligation

Simple speeding tickets are traffic infractions and generally do not raise clearance issues. The line is criminal versus infraction, which is exactly why a reduction from reckless driving to improper driving matters so much for base personnel.

On reporting. Cleared personnel generally have an obligation to self-report arrests and charges. Failing to report is treated as a personal conduct issue in its own right, sometimes a more serious one than the underlying charge. A single first offense does not automatically cost a clearance. Adjudication weighs the whole person: the circumstances, whether there is a pattern, whether you reported it, and what you did afterward.

If you hold a clearance, say so at the consultation. The collateral consequence can outweigh anything the court imposes.

Eluding under Va. Code § 46.2-817 is driving in willful and wanton disregard of a law enforcement officer’s signal to stop, or attempting to escape or elude the officer.

• Misdemeanor eluding (§ 46.2-817(A)): Class 2 misdemeanor, up to 6 months jail and a $1,000 fine
• Felony eluding (§ 46.2-817(B)): Class 6 felony where the driving interferes with or endangers the operation of the law enforcement vehicle, or endangers a person. One to five years, though the court or jury may impose up to 12 months in jail and a fine instead.
• If a pursuing officer is killed as a direct and proximate result of felony eluding: Class 4 felony

High speed alone does not make eluding a felony. The trigger is interference or endangerment, not speed. That distinction is the line between a misdemeanor and a felony conviction, and it is often where the real fight in these cases is.

There is a statutory affirmative defense. Under § 46.2-817, it is a defense if you reasonably believed you were being pursued by someone other than a law enforcement officer. That comes up more than people expect on rural roads at night and with unmarked vehicles.

A conviction also carries a mandatory license suspension. Eluding cases frequently arrive with additional charges attached, such as reckless driving or driving on a suspended license.

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

You do not need to be disorderly or aggressive. Being visibly intoxicated in a public place such as a parking lot, gas station, restaurant, or street is sufficient. Officer testimony about slurred speech, unsteady gait, and the odor of alcohol commonly supports a conviction.

Yes. Shoplifting merchandise under $1,000 is prosecuted as petty larceny, a Class 1 misdemeanor with up to 12 months jail, a fine up to $2,500, and restitution to the retailer.

Theft of $1,000 or more is grand larceny, a felony carrying 1 to 20 years, though the court or jury may instead impose up to 12 months in jail and a fine. Theft of a firearm is grand larceny regardless of value.

Retail areas: the Route 301 corridor and shopping centers near Dahlgren.

One thing people do not expect. Under Va. Code § 8.01-44.4, a retailer can pursue you civilly regardless of what happens in criminal court. The demand can be twice the unpaid retail value with a $50 minimum, or $350 in liquidated damages if the merchandise was recovered in sellable condition, plus up to $150 in fees. Paying that letter does not resolve your criminal charge. The two proceed separately.

Why it lands harder here. Larceny is treated as a crime of dishonesty. For Dahlgren personnel and anyone holding a clearance or a position of trust, that characterization does more damage than the sentence does.

Schedule a free consultation with Weiland Button to talk over your King George County case.