New Kent General District Court is at 12001 Courthouse Circle, New Kent, VA 23124.

• Mailing address: P.O. Box 127, New Kent, VA 23124
• Clerk’s Office: (804) 966-9530
• Civil Division: (804) 966-9531
• Fax: (804) 966-9535
• Clerk’s office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

New Kent splits its traffic docket by the agency that wrote the ticket, and the call times move depending on the day of the week. Virginia State Police cases and New Kent Sheriff’s Office cases are heard at different times, with arraignments generally at 8:00 a.m. and criminal trials in the afternoon.

Check the date and time printed on your summons. That is what controls. Given that the schedule varies by day and by agency, confirm with the clerk rather than relying on any published list, including this one.

Dress code: proper dress is required and shorts are not permitted.

On continuances: the first motion to continue may be granted by the clerk. Anything after that goes to the judge.

The Circuit Court, which handles felony trials, jury trials, and appeals from General District Court, is at the same Courthouse Circle address with its own clerk at (804) 966-9520.

Interstate 64 runs east to west through New Kent County between Richmond and Williamsburg, and it is the primary source of the General District Court’s traffic docket. Much of that traffic is drivers passing through with no easy way to return for court.

The other corridors:

• Route 60, running parallel to I-64 through Bottoms Bridge, Providence Forge, and Toano
• Route 249 (New Kent Highway)
• Route 30 and Route 33, crossing the county toward West Point and the Middle Peninsula

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.

On I-64 the second number is what catches people. The interstate is posted at 70 through New Kent, so the 20-over line is 90 mph. But the 85 mph rule arrives first. At 86 mph you are charged with a criminal offense while doing 16 over the limit. Drivers who would never describe themselves as reckless cross that line without noticing.

Penalties on conviction:

• 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
• 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.

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 were passing through on I-64 and cannot easily return to Virginia, raise it early. That is the fact that supports asking for a waiver, and it needs raising well before your court date.

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
• Jail: no mandatory minimum below 0.15 BAC, but up to 12 months is possible. 5 days mandatory at 0.15 to 0.20. 10 days mandatory above 0.20.

Second offense within 10 years, under Va. Code § 18.2-270, with the mandatory minimum depending on how close the offenses are:

• 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.

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.

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.

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

Driving on a suspended or revoked license under Va. Code § 46.2-301 is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to 12 months jail, a fine up to $2,500, and 6 demerit points. On conviction the court will generally add a suspension matching the length of the original one. If the original had no fixed end date, the court may add up to 90 days.

A third or subsequent offense within 10 years carries a mandatory minimum 10 days in jail that cannot be suspended.

Why licenses get suspended:

• Too many DMV demerit points
• DUI conviction
• Failure to pay fines
• Failure to maintain auto insurance
• Refusing a breath test

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 the charge if you show proof of compliance on or before your court date. Getting reinstated before court can matter.

These come in alongside a traffic stop more often than any other charge, and they are handled differently from the moving violation that prompted the stop.

An expired inspection sticker under Va. Code § 46.2-1158 is a traffic infraction, not a crime. In practice, many Virginia courts will dismiss it on proof that the vehicle has since been inspected and brought into compliance, sometimes on payment of costs. That is discretionary rather than automatic, and it depends on the court and the facts.

The point worth understanding: the equipment charge and the reckless driving charge are separate matters with separate outcomes. What happens to one does not determine what happens to the other. Bring documentation of any repair or inspection completed after the stop.

Assault and battery under Va. Code § 18.2-57 is any unwanted physical contact. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor with up to 12 months jail and a $2,500 fine.

How the facts change the charge:

• Against a family or household member (§ 18.2-57.2): the same Class 1 misdemeanor for a first or second offense. What differs is everything around it: protective orders, mandatory arrest of the predominant aggressor, 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.
• Against a law enforcement officer: 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, not an enhanced assault charge.

On firearms. A misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault triggers a federal firearm prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). That is a lifetime federal consequence attached to a state misdemeanor. If you own firearms or your work requires carrying one, raise it at the consultation before anything is resolved.

Petty larceny is theft of property valued under $1,000. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor with up to 12 months jail, a fine up to $2,500, and restitution to the victim.

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.

A larceny conviction is treated as a crime of dishonesty, which carries weight on background checks well beyond the sentence itself, particularly for employment in retail, healthcare, education, and any position requiring bonding or a security clearance.

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.

If you have run afoul of law enforcement or traffic enforcement in New Kent County contact Weiland Button for a free consultation.