DUI / DWI in Virginia
60,761 cases across 123 jurisdictions · 2023–2024
According to 60,761 public court records from 2023–2024, DUI / DWI cases across 123 Virginia jurisdictions have an average dismissal rate of 11.7% and an average conviction rate of 86.8%. Statewide, 25.2% of DUI / DWI charges are reduced to a lesser offense. The average fine is $380.
Facing DUI / DWI charges in Virginia? Dismissal rates range from 3.0% to 33.3% depending on the court. An attorney who knows your court can tell you what this means — free, no obligation.
Ask a Virginia attorney — freeDismissal 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 123 jurisdictions with available data. Data covers 2023–2024 public court records. Last updated: December 2024
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 4,578 | 16.1% | 82.3% | 4.6 months | $324 | 1.9 months |
| Virginia Beach | 4,457 | 4.6% | 94.8% | 4.3 months | $345 | 1.1 years |
| Prince William County | 3,712 | 24.0% | 74.1% | 5.2 months | $342 | 3.5 months |
| Chesterfield County | 3,468 | 10.4% | 88.7% | 3.8 months | $348 | 10.1 months |
| Henrico County | 2,365 | 9.8% | 88.6% | 3.7 months | $392 | 1.1 years |
| Newport News | 2,293 | 12.3% | 85.8% | 4.4 months | $325 | 7.9 months |
| Stafford County | 1,709 | 11.1% | 84.5% | 4.2 months | $407 | 8.6 months |
| Chesapeake | 1,662 | 8.9% | 89.5% | 5.2 months | $379 | 7.3 months |
| Loudoun County | 1,541 | 12.9% | 85.8% | 1.2 years | $381 | 4.1 months |
| Arlington County | 1,204 | 9.5% | 88.1% | 6.1 months | $308 | 4.1 months |
| Rockingham County | 1,122 | 5.7% | 91.8% | 4.1 months | $335 | 7.2 months |
| Montgomery County | 1,116 | 10.1% | 88.9% | 3.7 months | $378 | 4.4 months |
| Spotsylvania County | 1,084 | 11.5% | 87.3% | 4.4 months | $439 | 1.0 years |
| Norfolk | 1,054 | 13.0% | 85.8% | 4.8 months | $316 | 1.0 years |
| Hampton | 1,041 | 14.5% | 82.1% | 4.6 months | $362 | 6.7 months |
| Frederick County | 1,013 | 8.9% | 91.0% | 4.3 months | $473 | 8.1 months |
| Suffolk | 937 | 10.3% | 88.7% | 4.4 months | $366 | 10.8 months |
| Richmond City | 863 | 14.2% | 83.5% | 3.7 months | $317 | 7.3 months |
| Hanover County | 772 | 10.5% | 88.4% | 4.1 months | $604 | 10.4 months |
| Fauquier County | 771 | 11.4% | 86.0% | 4.1 months | $532 | 5.7 months |
| Lynchburg | 678 | 12.2% | 84.8% | 4.3 months | $350 | 6.0 months |
| Roanoke County | 646 | 15.0% | 83.2% | 4.5 months | $366 | 7.8 months |
| Culpeper County | 632 | 5.1% | 93.4% | 3.5 months | $463 | 8.1 months |
| Williamsburg | 623 | 7.9% | 91.2% | 3.8 months | $378 | 7.9 months |
| Roanoke City | 584 | 13.3% | 85.3% | 3.2 months | $355 | 4.4 months |
| Fredericksburg | 554 | 11.5% | 84.4% | 3.6 months | $417 | 5.4 months |
| Warren County | 545 | 5.3% | 94.2% | 4.7 months | $360 | 6.8 months |
| Albemarle County | 541 | 8.7% | 90.5% | 2.8 months | $291 | 3.7 months |
| Winchester | 524 | 3.9% | 95.9% | 3.8 months | $363 | 6.9 months |
| Alexandria | 506 | 12.8% | 86.1% | 4.9 months | $298 | 5.6 months |
| New Kent County | 494 | 11.0% | 88.0% | 3.8 months | $492 | 7.6 months |
| Gloucester County | 465 | 6.3% | 92.7% | 3.4 months | $387 | 8.2 months |
| York County | 462 | 8.9% | 90.1% | 3.7 months | $327 | 8.5 months |
| Wise County | 460 | 12.6% | 87.1% | 5.8 months | $511 | 4.2 months |
| Tazewell County | 441 | 18.2% | 80.3% | 6.0 months | $646 | 7.4 months |
| Portsmouth | 437 | 22.1% | 77.7% | 4.6 months | $324 | 7.8 months |
| Augusta County | 409 | 3.8% | 95.2% | 4.3 months | $338 | 6.4 months |
| King George County | 390 | 18.2% | 81.8% | 4.3 months | $361 | 5.6 months |
| Henry County | 384 | 12.7% | 85.0% | 4.1 months | $372 | 4.4 months |
| Isle of Wight County | 380 | 10.7% | 88.9% | 4.8 months | $373 | 6.4 months |
| Danville | 367 | 16.2% | 81.1% | 4.3 months | $411 | 7.0 months |
| Halifax County | 362 | 6.6% | 92.4% | 3.3 months | $443 | 11.0 months |
| Mecklenburg County | 357 | 10.2% | 89.8% | 3.4 months | $387 | 1.2 years |
| Franklin County | 353 | 15.3% | 82.0% | 4.0 months | $352 | 5.6 months |
| Shenandoah County | 325 | 10.2% | 89.0% | 5.6 months | $469 | 6.5 months |
| Bedford County | 317 | 10.8% | 89.2% | 4.3 months | $385 | 6.2 months |
| Goochland County | 316 | 11.7% | 87.9% | 4.9 months | $335 | 5.7 months |
| Louisa County | 304 | 9.8% | 84.3% | 4.3 months | $354 | 8.7 months |
| Prince Edward County | 293 | 9.2% | 89.6% | 3.8 months | $318 | 1.1 years |
| Colonial Heights | 289 | 11.2% | 88.0% | 3.9 months | $346 | 1.1 years |
| Campbell County | 286 | 8.7% | 90.9% | 4.2 months | $402 | 7.5 months |
| Orange County | 282 | 7.4% | 90.9% | 3.8 months | $363 | 7.2 months |
| Washington County | 282 | 7.6% | 92.0% | 5.3 months | $541 | 7.7 months |
| Prince George County | 272 | 14.9% | 85.1% | 6.3 months | $317 | 10.5 months |
| Accomack County | 271 | 7.7% | 92.3% | 3.2 months | $566 | 5.5 months |
| Botetourt County | 263 | 11.8% | 87.3% | 3.0 months | $365 | 10.7 months |
| Charlottesville | 261 | 11.2% | 85.3% | 2.9 months | $298 | 6.7 months |
| Radford | 255 | 5.8% | 94.2% | 4.8 months | $922 | 7.2 months |
| Caroline County | 246 | 12.2% | 86.2% | 3.8 months | $344 | 6.6 months |
| Westmoreland County | 245 | 18.8% | 80.6% | 6.3 months | $321 | 5.3 months |
| Salem | 242 | 9.7% | 90.3% | 3.3 months | $345 | 5.1 months |
| Martinsville | 234 | 22.1% | 75.9% | 4.5 months | $333 | 9.1 months |
| Bristol | 230 | 8.3% | 90.6% | 5.0 months | $383 | 5.7 months |
| Scott County | 227 | 15.0% | 83.2% | 5.4 months | $709 | 9.9 months |
| Pulaski County | 221 | 14.3% | 85.7% | 4.8 months | $478 | 5.8 months |
| Alleghany County | 216 | 8.0% | 89.8% | 3.3 months | $340 | 6.0 months |
| Wythe County | 216 | 15.9% | 83.4% | 4.7 months | $404 | 5.2 months |
| Amherst County | 210 | 10.3% | 86.3% | 4.3 months | $325 | 5.9 months |
| Northampton County | 210 | 6.9% | 90.8% | 4.5 months | $514 | 5.6 months |
| Petersburg | 209 | 14.1% | 84.7% | 4.2 months | $312 | 1.0 years |
| Clarke County | 205 | 8.0% | 92.0% | 4.7 months | $446 | 6.0 months |
| Buchanan County | 191 | 19.7% | 80.3% | 6.4 months | $512 | 8.0 months |
| Page County | 190 | 8.2% | 91.8% | 5.1 months | $316 | 6.0 months |
| Rockbridge County | 182 | 10.1% | 88.6% | 3.9 months | $372 | 6.8 months |
| Smyth County | 180 | 10.7% | 89.3% | 5.9 months | $689 | 4.7 months |
| Russell County | 175 | 12.1% | 87.9% | 7.0 months | $510 | 8.3 months |
| Southampton County | 171 | 8.8% | 89.6% | 4.9 months | $423 | 11.6 months |
| Lee County | 161 | 17.0% | 82.1% | 5.4 months | $717 | 7.7 months |
| Brunswick County | 154 | 10.4% | 87.8% | 6.0 months | $351 | 9.8 months |
| Greene County | 152 | 8.5% | 88.9% | 4.0 months | $327 | 5.9 months |
| Dinwiddie County | 151 | 12.6% | 85.7% | 3.7 months | $452 | 1.1 years |
| Powhatan County | 150 | 6.4% | 93.6% | 4.0 months | $369 | 10.9 months |
| Rappahannock County | 148 | 4.8% | 94.4% | 3.7 months | $357 | 5.8 months |
| Carroll County | 142 | 15.2% | 83.2% | 4.1 months | $607 | 1.1 years |
| Buckingham County | 128 | 10.7% | 87.4% | 5.7 months | $432 | 9.2 months |
| Waynesboro | 127 | 3.1% | 96.9% | 2.8 months | $317 | 6.8 months |
| Franklin City | 124 | 6.8% | 90.9% | 5.6 months | $318 | 3.2 months |
| Nelson County | 120 | 5.9% | 90.2% | 4.5 months | $318 | 7.3 months |
| Sussex County | 118 | 19.4% | 79.6% | 4.8 months | $305 | 8.5 months |
| Fairfax City | 117 | 10.8% | 88.3% | 5.1 months | $406 | 2.3 months |
| Lancaster County | 117 | 14.6% | 78.6% | 3.1 months | $311 | 7.5 months |
| Essex County | 116 | 14.9% | 83.9% | 3.1 months | $404 | 10.7 months |
| Floyd County | 116 | 11.1% | 86.9% | 3.7 months | $331 | 3.0 months |
| Amelia County | 113 | 6.2% | 92.8% | 3.5 months | $387 | 1.3 years |
| Fluvanna County | 113 | 22.5% | 77.5% | 3.6 months | $303 | 4.3 months |
| Hopewell | 110 | 16.1% | 83.9% | 4.0 months | $440 | 11.4 months |
| Giles County | 109 | 16.9% | 83.1% | 4.7 months | $270 | 4.7 months |
| Pittsylvania County | 109 | 10.0% | 81.1% | 4.8 months | $398 | 7.6 months |
| Nottoway County | 106 | 4.9% | 95.1% | 4.3 months | $347 | 1.3 years |
| Dickenson County | 103 | 13.3% | 86.7% | 6.3 months | $607 | 9.3 months |
| Appomattox County | 101 | 4.7% | 94.1% | 3.4 months | $477 | 6.1 months |
| Grayson County | 100 | 15.4% | 83.3% | 3.7 months | $297 | 1.3 years |
| Staunton | 98 | 9.6% | 89.2% | 3.9 months | $306 | 5.6 months |
| Galax | 94 | 10.1% | 89.9% | 3.4 months | $337 | 11.4 months |
| Bland County | 84 | 28.4% | 70.4% | 4.2 months | $906 | 4.6 months |
| Patrick County | 83 | 11.3% | 87.1% | 5.2 months | $297 | 1.1 years |
| Madison County | 81 | 3.0% | 97.0% | 3.8 months | $378 | 9.0 months |
| Northumberland County | 73 | 25.4% | 74.6% | 5.7 months | $392 | 1.0 years |
| Charlotte County | 72 | 7.8% | 92.2% | 3.9 months | $710 | 1.2 years |
| Richmond County | 68 | 25.9% | 74.1% | 5.0 months | $334 | 4.8 months |
| King William County | 67 | 9.1% | 89.1% | 3.4 months | $369 | 5.3 months |
| Middlesex County | 67 | 7.0% | 93.0% | 3.5 months | $406 | 7.4 months |
| Falls Church | 62 | 5.2% | 94.8% | 3.8 months | $324 | 3.9 months |
| Lunenburg County | 59 | 30.2% | 69.8% | 3.7 months | $414 | 2.1 years |
| Greensville County | 58 | 8.7% | 91.3% | 5.1 months | $349 | 10.7 months |
| King and Queen County | 58 | 16.7% | 83.3% | 4.2 months | $358 | 8.4 months |
| Mathews County | 53 | 20.8% | 77.1% | 3.5 months | $667 | 10.8 months |
| Emporia | 43 | 11.8% | 88.2% | 4.1 months | $347 | 10.3 months |
| Buena Vista | 41 | 5.3% | 94.7% | 3.1 months | $346 | 2.3 months |
| Bath County | 33 | 25.0% | 75.0% | 3.3 months | $243 | 3.8 months |
| Craig County | 32 | 12.0% | 88.0% | 3.6 months | $300 | 8.7 months |
| Surry County | 31 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 4.2 months | $462 | 11.9 months |
| Cumberland County | 27 | 3.7% | 96.3% | 5.7 months | $332 | 1.3 years |
Source: Virginia public court records, 2023–2024 — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Understanding the Data
What these numbers mean for someone facing DUI charges in Virginia.
DUI/DWI outcomes are shaped by structural factors that vary by jurisdiction — prosecutorial charging standards, local plea negotiation practices, court caseloads, and the defense bar's experience with these cases. Our two-year dataset captures these institutional patterns rather than short-term fluctuations.
Key patterns across Virginia:
- Dismissal rates range from under 5% to over 30% depending on jurisdiction
- Case timelines vary from under 100 days to over 400 days median
- Neighboring jurisdictions can have dramatically different outcomes
- These patterns are consistent across the full two-year dataset
DUI Guides by Jurisdiction
In-depth analysis of DUI outcomes in Northern Virginia's highest-volume courts.
Compare DUI / DWI to Related Charges
See how DUI / DWI outcomes compare side-by-side with related charges across Virginia.
Related Virginia Statutes
Virginia Code sections associated with DUI / DWI charges.
Case Dismissed?
If your DUI / DWI case was dismissed or dropped, you may be eligible to have it sealed from your record.
Data source: Virginia public court records, 2023–2024. 60,761 cases analyzed across 123 jurisdictions. Last updated December 2024. — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Common Questions
Statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. Past outcomes do not predict future results.
What's Next
DUI / DWI dismissal rates range from 3% to 33% across Virginia. Your court matters. An attorney who handles DUI / DWI cases in your court can review your case — free.
Want data specific to your court and situation? Check your case