Drug Possession in Virginia
26,203 cases across 99 jurisdictions · 2025
According to 26,203 public court records from 2025, Drug Possession cases across 99 Virginia jurisdictions have an average dismissal rate of 53.5% and an average conviction rate of 45.8%. Statewide, 11.4% of Drug Possession charges are reduced to a lesser offense. The average fine is $205.
Dismissal rate includes judicial dismissals and nolle prosequi (prosecutor-dropped cases). Conviction rate includes guilty pleas and findings of guilt at trial. Rates are averaged across 99 jurisdictions with available data. Data covers 2025 public court records. Last updated: May 2, 2026
Key takeaways
- Across 99 Virginia jurisdictions, Drug Possession cases had an average dismissal rate of 53.5% and conviction rate of 45.8% in 2025 (26,203 cases).
- Dismissal rates ranged from 7.4% in Grayson County to 92.3% in Botetourt County among jurisdictions with drug possession data.
- Statewide, 11.4% of Drug Possession charges were reduced to a lesser offense.
26,203
Total Cases
53.5%
Avg Dismissal Rate
▲ vs 40.5% all charges
45.8%
Avg Conviction Rate
▼ vs 58.1% all charges
$205
Avg Fine
1.7 years
Avg Sentence
11.4%
Charge Reduction Rate
Exhibit · Outcomes vary by court
Where Drug Possession cases are dismissed or dropped, by jurisdiction
Across the 10 busiest courts88.2% in Chesapeake to 37.8% in Lynchburg — same charge, different result by court.
Select Your Jurisdiction
Outcomes vary significantly by court. Type your county or city below to find it quickly.
Comparison by Court
| Jurisdiction | Cases | Dismissal Rate | Conviction Rate | Median Duration | Avg Fine | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henrico County | 1,909 | 52.1% | 47.7% | 3.0 months | $191 | 2.3 years |
| Prince William County | 1,367 | 42.0% | 57.6% | 5.1 months | $315 | 7.4 months |
| Fairfax County | 1,287 | 71.2% | 28.5% | 6.2 months | $173 | 3.2 months |
| Chesterfield County | 1,281 | 53.4% | 46.6% | 4.7 months | $235 | 1.5 years |
| Newport News | 1,043 | 61.9% | 37.5% | 4.7 months | $150 | 1.8 years |
| Montgomery County | 892 | 46.2% | 52.6% | 4.2 months | $244 | 1.9 years |
| Virginia Beach | 889 | 73.9% | 25.6% | 4.0 months | $130 | 10.0 months |
| Chesapeake | 666 | 88.2% | 11.8% | 3.7 months | $114 | 6.5 months |
| Rockingham County | 633 | 41.9% | 57.9% | 3.6 months | $198 | 1.6 years |
| Lynchburg | 565 | 37.8% | 61.4% | 4.8 months | $152 | 1.3 years |
| Warren County | 554 | 52.9% | 47.1% | 4.0 months | $147 | 2.1 years |
| Stafford County | 548 | 49.9% | 50.1% | 3.8 months | $228 | 2.0 years |
| Tazewell County | 482 | 71.9% | 27.2% | 5.7 months | $150 | 1.3 years |
| Franklin County | 479 | 44.0% | 55.7% | 3.2 months | $189 | 1.9 years |
| Hanover County | 469 | 42.5% | 55.2% | 3.9 months | $149 | 2.0 years |
| Fredericksburg | 400 | 37.0% | 61.4% | 3.3 months | $300 | 2.1 years |
| Roanoke City | 397 | 37.7% | 62.3% | 1.8 months | $109 | 11.3 months |
| Wythe County | 389 | 39.5% | 59.4% | 5.2 months | $433 | 3.2 years |
| Augusta County | 380 | 53.5% | 46.5% | 3.7 months | $244 | 1.6 years |
| Pulaski County | 354 | 48.7% | 51.3% | 3.8 months | $241 | 1.8 years |
| Washington County | 351 | 50.2% | 49.8% | 3.7 months | $365 | 2.8 years |
| Norfolk | 349 | 23.6% | 75.6% | 2.4 months | $172 | 1.2 years |
| Hampton | 347 | 29.5% | 69.2% | 4.0 months | $160 | 1.2 years |
| Spotsylvania County | 344 | 64.1% | 34.1% | 3.5 months | $50 | 1.2 years |
| Bristol | 314 | 70.5% | 29.5% | 3.5 months | $125 | 5.7 months |
| Culpeper County | 310 | 49.1% | 50.9% | 3.4 months | $838 | 2.9 years |
| Richmond City | 301 | 59.1% | 40.3% | 3.4 months | $25 | 1.1 years |
| Loudoun County | 295 | 60.3% | 39.7% | 4.4 months | $168 | 10.4 months |
| Arlington County | 293 | 68.5% | 31.0% | 3.4 months | $205 | 5.2 months |
| Page County | 291 | 56.9% | 42.5% | 3.2 months | $100 | 1.9 years |
| Portsmouth | 261 | 44.3% | 55.7% | 3.2 months | $100 | 1.3 years |
| Frederick County | 248 | 53.0% | 47.0% | 2.9 months | $94 | 1.4 years |
| Roanoke County | 233 | 84.7% | 13.4% | 2.7 months | $25 | 6.8 months |
| Carroll County | 224 | 40.3% | 59.7% | 4.3 months | $344 | 2.6 years |
| Russell County | 212 | 43.0% | 57.0% | 3.8 months | $250 | 4.0 years |
| Halifax County | 212 | 45.0% | 55.0% | 5.0 months | $260 | 5.3 years |
| Suffolk | 211 | 66.2% | 33.8% | 3.8 months | $100 | 1.4 years |
| Wise County | 208 | 39.1% | 60.1% | 5.5 months | $337 | 3.3 years |
| Prince George County | 199 | 64.7% | 33.4% | 5.2 months | $250 | 2.9 years |
| Winchester | 198 | 50.9% | 47.2% | 2.9 months | $65 | 1.2 years |
| Danville | 195 | 41.5% | 58.5% | 2.8 months | $207 | 2.3 years |
| Lee County | 188 | 55.3% | 44.1% | 4.0 months | $590 | 2.7 years |
| Fauquier County | 185 | 47.3% | 51.9% | 4.4 months | $192 | 1.2 years |
| Staunton | 184 | 35.4% | 64.6% | 3.4 months | — | 1.5 years |
| Petersburg | 183 | 50.2% | 49.8% | 4.3 months | $67 | 4.0 years |
| York County | 178 | 62.9% | 35.7% | 3.8 months | — | 1.6 years |
| Shenandoah County | 176 | 45.5% | 54.5% | 3.8 months | $140 | 1.8 years |
| Scott County | 174 | 27.4% | 72.6% | 4.8 months | $569 | 2.0 years |
| Campbell County | 162 | 56.3% | 43.7% | 5.0 months | $183 | 2.6 years |
| Waynesboro | 161 | 35.3% | 64.7% | 2.7 months | — | 2.3 years |
| Amherst County | 151 | 48.8% | 47.1% | 4.0 months | $227 | 2.3 years |
| Rockbridge County | 146 | 58.4% | 41.6% | 3.8 months | $72 | 3.8 years |
| Gloucester County | 145 | 38.4% | 60.8% | 2.5 months | — | 2.9 years |
| Dickenson County | 142 | 54.0% | 46.0% | 4.5 months | $100 | 1.8 years |
| Alleghany County | 141 | 58.8% | 41.2% | 2.5 months | $25 | 3.4 years |
| Bedford County | 140 | 66.7% | 31.6% | 3.1 months | $62 | 3.8 months |
| Williamsburg | 131 | 61.9% | 38.1% | 3.5 months | $100 | 3.0 years |
| Hopewell | 129 | 57.3% | 42.7% | 4.8 months | — | 3.5 years |
| Colonial Heights | 126 | 58.4% | 41.6% | 4.8 months | — | 3.4 years |
| Smyth County | 124 | 38.9% | 61.1% | 4.1 months | $380 | 8.6 months |
| New Kent County | 116 | 70.1% | 29.9% | 4.1 months | $417 | 9.2 years |
| Buchanan County | 115 | 69.8% | 30.2% | 3.6 months | $100 | 2.1 years |
| Accomack County | 114 | 59.2% | 37.3% | 3.7 months | $1,000 | 3.6 years |
| Isle of Wight County | 107 | 59.8% | 40.2% | 4.2 months | $179 | 1.5 years |
| Bland County | 99 | 54.9% | 45.1% | 5.0 months | $175 | 1.5 years |
| Caroline County | 98 | 53.4% | 46.6% | 3.7 months | — | 2.7 years |
| Mecklenburg County | 94 | 70.8% | 29.2% | 5.3 months | $90 | 4.0 years |
| Albemarle County | 91 | 63.4% | 36.6% | 3.5 months | $100 | 3.2 months |
| King George County | 91 | 52.8% | 45.5% | 3.4 months | $149 | 1.5 years |
| Henry County | 89 | 83.3% | 16.7% | 2.9 months | $100 | 6.6 months |
| Salem | 89 | 61.5% | 38.5% | 1.3 months | — | 3.0 months |
| Martinsville | 83 | 83.3% | 16.7% | 3.5 months | $25 | — |
| Grayson County | 83 | 7.4% | 64.8% | 5.2 months | — | 4.7 years |
| Alexandria | 81 | 62.7% | 37.3% | 4.3 months | $60 | 5.7 months |
| Nelson County | 80 | 47.5% | 50.3% | 4.7 months | $150 | 2.0 years |
| Buckingham County | 79 | 65.0% | 35.0% | 4.6 months | — | 9.2 years |
| Radford | 78 | 21.4% | 78.6% | 8.2 months | $152 | 8.0 years |
| Nottoway County | 74 | 67.0% | 33.0% | 5.6 months | — | 5.3 years |
| Floyd County | 74 | 68.5% | 29.1% | 6.2 months | — | 3.4 years |
| Goochland County | 69 | 74.9% | 25.1% | 4.9 months | $1,000 | 3.3 years |
| Patrick County | 67 | 19.6% | 77.2% | 4.6 months | $100 | 2.7 years |
| Clarke County | 66 | 78.7% | 21.3% | 2.5 months | $191 | 1.3 years |
| Prince Edward County | 62 | 9.4% | 53.5% | 4.0 months | — | 6.0 years |
| Louisa County | 59 | 80.0% | 20.0% | 3.9 months | — | 6.0 months |
| Galax | 58 | 52.9% | 47.1% | 3.7 months | $125 | 9.7 months |
| Orange County | 58 | 27.7% | 72.3% | 3.7 months | — | 2.4 years |
| Dinwiddie County | 53 | 39.8% | 60.2% | 3.4 months | $25 | 6.1 years |
| Botetourt County | 50 | 92.3% | 7.7% | 2.1 months | — | 1.0 months |
| Franklin City | 49 | 83.3% | 16.7% | 4.6 months | — | 6.0 months |
| Appomattox County | 48 | 11.8% | 85.3% | 5.1 months | — | 4.4 years |
| Powhatan County | 47 | 61.0% | 39.0% | 4.2 months | — | 2.8 years |
| Charlottesville | 45 | 53.8% | 46.2% | 7.5 months | — | 8.1 months |
| Greene County | 33 | 31.6% | 68.4% | 5.5 months | $250 | 3.0 years |
| Charlotte County | 31 | 38.1% | 61.9% | 6.8 months | — | 3.6 years |
| Fluvanna County | 28 | 75.0% | 25.0% | 3.1 months | — | — |
| Sussex County | 27 | 53.8% | 46.2% | 4.1 months | $133 | 1.0 years |
| Greensville County | 26 | 27.8% | 72.2% | 2.8 months | $562 | 8.9 years |
| Southampton County | 25 | 84.6% | 15.4% | 3.1 months | $250 | 1.0 years |
| Northampton County | 21 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 3.8 months | $144 | — |
Source: Virginia public court records, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Compare Drug Possession to Related Charges
See how Drug Possession outcomes compare side-by-side with related charges across Virginia.
Related Virginia Statutes
Virginia Code sections associated with Drug Possession charges.
Case Dismissed?
If your Drug Possession case was dismissed or dropped, you may be eligible to have it sealed from your record.
Data source: Virginia public court records, 2025. 26,203 cases analyzed across 99 jurisdictions. Last updated May 2, 2026. — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Common Questions
Statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. Past outcomes do not predict future results.
Botetourt County has the highest dismissal rate for Drug Possession at 92.3%. Use the comparison table above to see how all Virginia jurisdictions compare for dismissal rates, conviction rates, and case timelines.
A total of 26,203 Drug Possession cases were filed across 99 Virginia jurisdictions in 2025, with an average dismissal rate of 53.5%. Click on any jurisdiction above to see detailed statistics for that court.
The average conviction rate for Drug Possession across Virginia is 45.8%, based on 2025 public court records. Rates vary by jurisdiction — use the comparison table above to see how each court differs. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.
What's Next
Drug Possession dismissal rates range from 7% to 92% across Virginia. Your court matters. An attorney who handles Drug Possession cases in your court can review your case — free.
Want data specific to your court and situation? Check your case