DUI / DWI in Virginia
23,966 cases across 113 jurisdictions · 2025
According to 23,966 public court records from 2025, DUI / DWI cases across 113 Virginia jurisdictions have an average dismissal rate of 12.6% and an average conviction rate of 85.7%. Statewide, 25.7% of DUI / DWI charges are reduced to a lesser offense. The average fine is $380.
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 113 jurisdictions with available data. Data covers 2025 public court records. Last updated: May 2, 2026
Key takeaways
- Across 113 Virginia jurisdictions, DUI / DWI cases had an average dismissal rate of 12.6% and conviction rate of 85.7% in 2025 (23,966 cases).
- Dismissal rates ranged from 0.0% in Essex County to 33.3% in Lee County among jurisdictions with dui / dwi data.
- Statewide, 25.7% of DUI / DWI charges were reduced to a lesser offense.
23,966
Total Cases
12.6%
Avg Dismissal Rate
▼ vs 40.5% all charges
85.7%
Avg Conviction Rate
▲ vs 58.1% all charges
$380
Avg Fine
7.2 months
Avg Sentence
25.7%
Charge Reduction Rate
Exhibit · Outcomes vary by court
Where DUI / DWI cases are dismissed or dropped, by jurisdiction
Across the 10 busiest courts24.3% in Prince William County to 5.5% in Virginia Beach — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 2,107 | 15.7% | 82.7% | 4.7 months | $334 | 1.8 months |
| Virginia Beach | 1,607 | 5.5% | 93.6% | 4.0 months | $370 | 1.1 years |
| Chesterfield County | 1,349 | 12.3% | 86.4% | 4.1 months | $342 | 10.9 months |
| Prince William County | 1,283 | 24.3% | 72.6% | 5.2 months | $370 | 3.9 months |
| Henrico County | 1,001 | 13.0% | 86.1% | 3.7 months | $368 | 1.0 years |
| Loudoun County | 769 | 13.3% | 84.5% | 1.1 years | $355 | 4.9 months |
| Newport News | 741 | 22.1% | 75.4% | 4.2 months | $347 | 9.0 months |
| Stafford County | 684 | 14.0% | 81.8% | 3.8 months | $442 | 9.1 months |
| Montgomery County | 580 | 9.2% | 90.4% | 3.5 months | $369 | 5.1 months |
| Arlington County | 554 | 11.9% | 85.9% | 5.2 months | $296 | 4.1 months |
| Chesapeake | 552 | 12.8% | 85.2% | 4.9 months | $352 | 6.2 months |
| Norfolk | 472 | 12.9% | 85.8% | 4.9 months | $327 | 11.8 months |
| Rockingham County | 470 | 5.9% | 91.8% | 3.6 months | $380 | 5.5 months |
| Spotsylvania County | 424 | 10.1% | 87.2% | 3.8 months | $444 | 8.5 months |
| Richmond City | 417 | 13.6% | 84.0% | 3.5 months | $332 | 8.2 months |
| Frederick County | 400 | 6.6% | 92.8% | 3.6 months | $458 | 7.8 months |
| Hanover County | 361 | 12.2% | 85.3% | 4.0 months | $627 | 8.9 months |
| Suffolk | 343 | 15.3% | 83.9% | 5.1 months | $339 | 10.0 months |
| Fauquier County | 324 | 16.4% | 77.7% | 4.0 months | $544 | 8.1 months |
| Culpeper County | 307 | 8.2% | 89.8% | 3.2 months | $569 | 6.2 months |
| Lynchburg | 299 | 14.7% | 81.5% | 4.4 months | $379 | 6.4 months |
| Hampton | 288 | 15.9% | 80.4% | 3.6 months | $352 | 6.7 months |
| Albemarle County | 273 | 8.8% | 90.0% | 3.1 months | $282 | 3.5 months |
| Gloucester County | 257 | 7.4% | 89.5% | 3.2 months | $416 | 5.5 months |
| Roanoke City | 253 | 15.3% | 83.7% | 2.3 months | $343 | 5.2 months |
| Roanoke County | 237 | 14.5% | 84.0% | 3.5 months | $345 | 5.2 months |
| Warren County | 218 | 4.4% | 94.6% | 4.1 months | $492 | 8.9 months |
| New Kent County | 215 | 28.1% | 70.8% | 3.4 months | $554 | 4.6 months |
| Williamsburg | 214 | 11.9% | 86.4% | 3.4 months | $355 | 7.9 months |
| Fredericksburg | 212 | 9.9% | 86.7% | 3.1 months | $442 | 5.9 months |
| Henry County | 211 | 12.2% | 86.6% | 3.5 months | $387 | 6.7 months |
| York County | 207 | 16.6% | 80.7% | 3.6 months | $293 | 3.9 months |
| Franklin County | 189 | 9.2% | 90.8% | 3.1 months | $333 | 4.2 months |
| Bedford County | 185 | 10.2% | 89.1% | 3.5 months | $379 | 7.0 months |
| Augusta County | 181 | 4.1% | 95.9% | 3.5 months | $370 | 6.0 months |
| Alexandria | 175 | 11.5% | 86.3% | 4.7 months | $319 | 5.4 months |
| Portsmouth | 167 | 14.3% | 85.7% | 4.9 months | $336 | 8.6 months |
| Isle of Wight County | 158 | 12.6% | 87.4% | 4.2 months | $364 | 7.1 months |
| Tazewell County | 147 | 22.5% | 77.5% | 5.1 months | $628 | 10.0 months |
| Prince George County | 146 | 12.6% | 87.4% | 5.9 months | $354 | 1.1 years |
| Shenandoah County | 143 | 8.7% | 90.4% | 5.3 months | $351 | 7.1 months |
| Wise County | 142 | 8.9% | 90.1% | 4.5 months | $462 | 4.9 months |
| Halifax County | 142 | 10.5% | 86.5% | 3.4 months | $388 | 9.3 months |
| Mecklenburg County | 136 | 17.9% | 82.1% | 4.1 months | $314 | 1.0 years |
| Danville | 133 | 8.5% | 88.0% | 3.3 months | $465 | 9.5 months |
| King George County | 128 | 13.3% | 86.7% | 3.3 months | $382 | 5.9 months |
| Campbell County | 119 | 2.3% | 95.3% | 3.7 months | $423 | 6.1 months |
| Washington County | 117 | 6.4% | 93.6% | 5.4 months | $546 | 2.9 months |
| Accomack County | 116 | 8.6% | 91.4% | 3.3 months | $514 | 1.4 months |
| Wythe County | 115 | 11.0% | 89.0% | 3.8 months | $586 | 6.1 months |
| Amherst County | 110 | 8.6% | 88.2% | 3.6 months | $366 | 2.8 months |
| Louisa County | 109 | 7.7% | 91.2% | 4.2 months | $314 | 3.5 months |
| Charlottesville | 106 | 16.5% | 83.5% | 2.7 months | $272 | 3.3 months |
| Goochland County | 106 | 10.3% | 89.7% | 5.2 months | $281 | 3.0 months |
| Westmoreland County | 102 | 30.8% | 67.9% | 6.8 months | $296 | 3.7 months |
| Russell County | 102 | 14.0% | 86.0% | 4.9 months | $462 | 10.0 months |
| Winchester | 98 | 1.2% | 98.8% | 3.9 months | $327 | 5.1 months |
| Botetourt County | 97 | 5.9% | 92.9% | 2.0 months | $291 | 6.5 months |
| Prince Edward County | 95 | 15.7% | 83.1% | 3.4 months | $367 | 1.0 years |
| Waynesboro | 92 | 3.0% | 97.0% | 2.6 months | $391 | 8.1 months |
| Orange County | 91 | 7.6% | 86.1% | 3.3 months | $266 | 3.3 months |
| Caroline County | 90 | 9.6% | 90.4% | 4.1 months | $319 | 3.5 months |
| Rockbridge County | 90 | 5.3% | 92.1% | 4.6 months | $328 | 2.7 months |
| Martinsville | 87 | 20.6% | 77.8% | 4.3 months | $348 | 10.8 months |
| Petersburg | 84 | 13.6% | 75.8% | 4.8 months | $299 | 11.6 months |
| Smyth County | 84 | 9.4% | 90.6% | 4.9 months | $596 | 4.7 months |
| Powhatan County | 81 | 4.3% | 95.7% | 3.5 months | $311 | 11.6 months |
| Southampton County | 76 | 6.6% | 93.4% | 4.4 months | $345 | 1.4 years |
| Salem | 75 | 1.6% | 98.4% | 3.2 months | $337 | 4.3 months |
| Scott County | 75 | 4.1% | 95.9% | 5.7 months | $579 | 5.5 months |
| Sussex County | 74 | 8.3% | 91.7% | 4.5 months | $340 | 10.4 months |
| Colonial Heights | 72 | 11.7% | 88.3% | 4.2 months | $317 | 11.0 months |
| Bristol | 71 | 8.9% | 88.9% | 5.6 months | $414 | 3.5 months |
| Clarke County | 69 | 6.7% | 93.3% | 4.7 months | $464 | 5.0 months |
| Dinwiddie County | 68 | 3.6% | 96.4% | 4.0 months | $348 | 11.7 months |
| Radford | 65 | 5.1% | 94.9% | 4.2 months | $877 | 6.1 months |
| Carroll County | 64 | 10.5% | 89.5% | 3.0 months | $662 | 11.7 months |
| Fairfax City | 62 | 14.8% | 85.2% | 4.2 months | $291 | 2.3 months |
| Staunton | 62 | 9.6% | 90.4% | 3.4 months | $277 | 2.3 months |
| Pulaski County | 58 | 7.0% | 93.0% | 3.7 months | $390 | 3.5 months |
| Greene County | 57 | 12.2% | 85.7% | 4.5 months | $280 | 5.2 months |
| Northampton County | 53 | 8.9% | 84.4% | 3.0 months | $500 | 3.0 months |
| Lancaster County | 52 | 20.0% | 62.2% | 3.7 months | $352 | 3.8 months |
| King William County | 50 | 9.8% | 90.2% | 3.3 months | $298 | 4.3 months |
| Brunswick County | 48 | 7.5% | 92.5% | 3.7 months | $297 | 6.5 months |
| Alleghany County | 47 | 2.7% | 94.6% | 3.5 months | $282 | 2.8 months |
| Essex County | 47 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.6 months | $414 | 6.3 months |
| Page County | 46 | 3.2% | 96.8% | 4.9 months | $328 | 4.1 months |
| Nottoway County | 45 | 3.1% | 96.9% | 4.0 months | $302 | 11.2 months |
| Floyd County | 44 | 15.8% | 84.2% | 3.0 months | $352 | 2.4 months |
| Giles County | 42 | 13.2% | 86.8% | 3.7 months | $276 | 2.9 months |
| Buchanan County | 39 | 10.7% | 89.3% | 4.8 months | $510 | 6.0 months |
| Buckingham County | 39 | 7.7% | 92.3% | 4.7 months | $466 | 2.0 months |
| Pittsylvania County | 38 | 15.2% | 84.8% | 3.7 months | $391 | 4.4 months |
| Emporia | 37 | 13.3% | 86.7% | 4.1 months | $358 | 11.9 months |
| Franklin City | 35 | 20.0% | 80.0% | 6.7 months | $312 | 6.0 months |
| Bland County | 34 | 29.0% | 71.0% | 4.2 months | $825 | 4.3 months |
| Galax | 34 | 21.4% | 78.6% | 2.5 months | $307 | 11.4 months |
| Amelia County | 33 | 6.5% | 90.3% | 2.3 months | $330 | 11.2 months |
| Madison County | 33 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.3 months | $300 | 3.7 months |
| Appomattox County | 31 | 4.0% | 96.0% | 2.3 months | $355 | 2.5 months |
| Hopewell | 29 | 11.5% | 88.5% | 4.1 months | $557 | 11.7 months |
| Nelson County | 29 | 0.0% | 91.7% | 4.5 months | $303 | 1.9 months |
| Richmond County | 29 | 4.3% | 95.7% | 4.5 months | $370 | 5.6 months |
| Rappahannock County | 27 | 8.3% | 83.3% | 3.8 months | $334 | 3.5 months |
| Grayson County | 26 | 20.0% | 75.0% | 3.8 months | $267 | 1.0 years |
| Lee County | 25 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 4.5 months | $528 | 2.0 months |
| Patrick County | 25 | 9.5% | 90.5% | 4.0 months | $290 | 10.9 months |
| Charlotte County | 24 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 4.1 months | $375 | 8.5 months |
| Dickenson County | 23 | 21.1% | 78.9% | 6.7 months | $617 | 5.1 months |
| Fluvanna County | 21 | 15.4% | 84.6% | 3.6 months | $318 | 4.4 months |
| Lunenburg County | 21 | 12.5% | 87.5% | 3.5 months | $333 | 10.5 months |
| King and Queen County | 20 | 17.6% | 82.4% | 2.7 months | $304 | 4.0 months |
Source: Virginia public court records, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com
Understanding the Data
What these numbers mean for someone facing DUI charges in Virginia.
113
Jurisdictions with DUI Data
12 months
Data Period (2025)
12.6%
Statewide Avg Dismissal
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.
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
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, 2025. 23,966 cases analyzed across 113 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.
Lee County has the highest dismissal rate for DUI / DWI at 33.3%. Use the comparison table above to see how all Virginia jurisdictions compare for dismissal rates, conviction rates, and case timelines.
A total of 23,966 DUI / DWI cases were filed across 113 Virginia jurisdictions in 2025, with an average dismissal rate of 12.6%. Click on any jurisdiction above to see detailed statistics for that court.
The average conviction rate for DUI / DWI across Virginia is 85.7%, 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
DUI / DWI dismissal rates range from 0% 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