DUI / DWI in Virginia
23,250 cases across 113 jurisdictions · 2025
Charge statistics were restated in July 2026 — cases are now grouped by the Virginia Code section charged. What changed and why
Of 23,250 dui / dwi cases filed in 2025 across 113 Virginia jurisdictions, 18,715 reached an outcome — an average dismissal rate of 11.9% and an average conviction rate of 86.4%. Statewide, 26.2% of DUI / DWI charges are reduced to a lesser offense. The average fine is $376.
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: July 8, 2026
Key takeaways
- Across 113 Virginia jurisdictions, DUI / DWI cases had an average dismissal rate of 11.9% and conviction rate of 86.4% in 2025 (23,250 cases).
- Dismissal rates ranged from 0.0% in Essex County to 33.3% in Lee County among jurisdictions with dui / dwi data.
- Statewide, 26.2% of DUI / DWI charges were reduced to a lesser offense.
Exhibit · Outcomes vary by court
Where DUI / DWI cases are dismissed or dropped, by jurisdiction
Across the 10 busiest courts23.7% 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 | 2,106 | 15.7% | 82.7% | 4.2 months | $334 | 1.8 months |
| Virginia Beach | 1,606 | 5.5% | 93.6% | 3.9 months | $370 | 1.1 years |
| Chesterfield County | 1,281 | 10.5% | 88.3% | 4.0 months | $331 | 10.0 months |
| Prince William County | 1,254 | 23.7% | 73.1% | 4.9 months | $362 | 3.4 months |
| Henrico County | 934 | 9.8% | 89.8% | 3.7 months | $370 | 1.1 years |
| Loudoun County | 768 | 13.3% | 84.5% | 7.4 months | $355 | 4.9 months |
| Newport News | 673 | 21.7% | 76.1% | 4.3 months | $337 | 8.3 months |
| Stafford County | 670 | 13.8% | 81.9% | 3.7 months | $435 | 8.7 months |
| Montgomery County | 562 | 8.9% | 90.6% | 3.4 months | $362 | 4.8 months |
| Arlington County | 554 | 11.9% | 85.9% | 4.8 months | $296 | 4.1 months |
| Chesapeake | 525 | 11.8% | 86.1% | 4.7 months | $342 | 5.6 months |
| Rockingham County | 470 | 5.9% | 91.8% | 3.6 months | $380 | 5.5 months |
| Norfolk | 432 | 10.8% | 88.0% | 4.5 months | $334 | 1.0 years |
| Spotsylvania County | 424 | 10.1% | 87.2% | 3.6 months | $444 | 8.5 months |
| Richmond City | 389 | 11.6% | 85.7% | 3.4 months | $337 | 8.3 months |
| Frederick County | 367 | 6.1% | 93.2% | 3.5 months | $418 | 6.9 months |
| Hanover County | 358 | 11.7% | 85.8% | 3.9 months | $628 | 8.9 months |
| Suffolk | 332 | 14.5% | 84.7% | 5.0 months | $333 | 9.4 months |
| Lynchburg | 299 | 14.7% | 81.5% | 4.4 months | $379 | 6.4 months |
| Fauquier County | 296 | 13.3% | 81.2% | 4.0 months | $530 | 6.1 months |
| Culpeper County | 296 | 8.5% | 89.4% | 3.2 months | $574 | 6.2 months |
| Albemarle County | 273 | 8.8% | 90.0% | 2.9 months | $282 | 3.5 months |
| Gloucester County | 256 | 7.5% | 89.5% | 3.2 months | $418 | 5.5 months |
| Hampton | 252 | 13.0% | 82.8% | 3.7 months | $334 | 5.8 months |
| Roanoke City | 245 | 13.5% | 85.5% | 2.2 months | $336 | 4.8 months |
| Roanoke County | 215 | 13.7% | 84.6% | 3.5 months | $333 | 4.7 months |
| Williamsburg | 214 | 11.9% | 86.4% | 3.4 months | $355 | 7.9 months |
| Henry County | 207 | 12.4% | 86.3% | 3.5 months | $381 | 6.7 months |
| York County | 206 | 16.7% | 80.6% | 3.6 months | $293 | 3.9 months |
| Fredericksburg | 203 | 10.3% | 86.1% | 2.9 months | $441 | 5.6 months |
| Warren County | 195 | 1.9% | 96.9% | 4.2 months | $457 | 7.2 months |
| Franklin County | 189 | 9.2% | 90.8% | 3.1 months | $333 | 4.2 months |
| Augusta County | 181 | 4.1% | 95.9% | 3.5 months | $370 | 6.0 months |
| Bedford County | 178 | 10.6% | 88.7% | 3.5 months | $374 | 6.5 months |
| Alexandria | 175 | 11.5% | 86.3% | 4.3 months | $319 | 5.4 months |
| Portsmouth | 167 | 14.3% | 85.7% | 4.8 months | $336 | 8.6 months |
| New Kent County | 157 | 21.2% | 77.3% | 3.7 months | $562 | 4.7 months |
| Isle of Wight County | 148 | 13.5% | 86.5% | 4.1 months | $344 | 5.8 months |
| Prince George County | 145 | 12.8% | 87.2% | 4.8 months | $356 | 1.1 years |
| Shenandoah County | 143 | 8.7% | 90.4% | 4.8 months | $351 | 7.1 months |
| Wise County | 140 | 9.1% | 90.0% | 4.3 months | $463 | 4.9 months |
| Halifax County | 140 | 10.7% | 86.3% | 3.2 months | $391 | 9.5 months |
| Mecklenburg County | 136 | 17.9% | 82.1% | 4.0 months | $314 | 1.0 years |
| Tazewell County | 133 | 18.6% | 81.4% | 4.7 months | $642 | 8.6 months |
| King George County | 128 | 13.3% | 86.7% | 3.2 months | $382 | 5.9 months |
| Danville | 127 | 8.5% | 87.8% | 3.4 months | $448 | 8.6 months |
| Washington County | 117 | 6.4% | 93.6% | 5.1 months | $546 | 2.9 months |
| Accomack County | 116 | 8.6% | 91.4% | 3.3 months | $514 | 1.4 months |
| Campbell County | 113 | 2.4% | 95.0% | 3.6 months | $440 | 6.3 months |
| Amherst County | 110 | 8.6% | 88.2% | 3.5 months | $366 | 2.8 months |
| Louisa County | 108 | 7.8% | 91.1% | 4.2 months | $316 | 3.5 months |
| Charlottesville | 106 | 16.5% | 83.5% | 2.7 months | $272 | 3.3 months |
| Goochland County | 106 | 10.3% | 89.7% | 4.9 months | $281 | 3.0 months |
| Westmoreland County | 102 | 30.8% | 67.9% | 5.5 months | $296 | 3.7 months |
| Winchester | 98 | 1.2% | 98.8% | 3.5 months | $327 | 5.1 months |
| Botetourt County | 96 | 6.0% | 92.9% | 2.0 months | $288 | 6.5 months |
| Russell County | 96 | 14.3% | 85.7% | 4.5 months | $469 | 9.4 months |
| Prince Edward County | 95 | 15.7% | 83.1% | 3.2 months | $367 | 1.0 years |
| Wythe County | 95 | 11.4% | 88.6% | 3.5 months | $633 | 4.3 months |
| Waynesboro | 92 | 3.0% | 97.0% | 2.5 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% | 4.5 months | $328 | 2.7 months |
| Martinsville | 87 | 20.6% | 77.8% | 3.9 months | $348 | 10.8 months |
| Petersburg | 84 | 13.6% | 75.8% | 4.3 months | $299 | 11.6 months |
| Smyth County | 83 | 9.5% | 90.5% | 4.2 months | $600 | 4.7 months |
| Powhatan County | 81 | 4.3% | 95.7% | 3.4 months | $311 | 11.6 months |
| Salem | 75 | 1.6% | 98.4% | 3.0 months | $337 | 4.3 months |
| Sussex County | 74 | 8.3% | 91.7% | 4.3 months | $340 | 10.4 months |
| Colonial Heights | 72 | 11.7% | 88.3% | 3.9 months | $317 | 11.0 months |
| Bristol | 71 | 8.9% | 88.9% | 5.6 months | $414 | 3.5 months |
| Southampton County | 71 | 4.7% | 95.3% | 4.2 months | $337 | 1.3 years |
| Clarke County | 69 | 6.7% | 93.3% | 4.0 months | $464 | 5.0 months |
| Dinwiddie County | 68 | 3.6% | 96.4% | 3.9 months | $348 | 11.7 months |
| Radford | 65 | 5.1% | 94.9% | 4.0 months | $877 | 6.1 months |
| Carroll County | 64 | 10.5% | 89.5% | 2.9 months | $662 | 11.7 months |
| Fairfax City | 62 | 14.8% | 85.2% | 3.8 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% | 3.5 months | $390 | 3.5 months |
| Greene County | 57 | 12.2% | 85.7% | 4.4 months | $280 | 5.2 months |
| Scott County | 55 | 5.6% | 94.4% | 5.2 months | $585 | 2.5 months |
| Lancaster County | 52 | 20.0% | 62.2% | 3.5 months | $352 | 3.8 months |
| Northampton County | 52 | 9.1% | 84.1% | 3.0 months | $508 | 3.1 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% | 3.5 months | $414 | 6.3 months |
| Page County | 46 | 3.2% | 96.8% | 4.2 months | $328 | 4.1 months |
| Floyd County | 44 | 15.8% | 84.2% | 2.9 months | $352 | 2.4 months |
| Nottoway County | 44 | 3.2% | 96.8% | 3.5 months | $302 | 11.5 months |
| Giles County | 42 | 13.2% | 86.8% | 3.7 months | $276 | 2.9 months |
| Buchanan County | 39 | 10.7% | 89.3% | 4.2 months | $510 | 6.0 months |
| Buckingham County | 39 | 7.7% | 92.3% | 4.3 months | $466 | 2.0 months |
| Emporia | 37 | 13.3% | 86.7% | 4.0 months | $358 | 11.9 months |
| Pittsylvania County | 37 | 15.6% | 84.4% | 3.4 months | $404 | 4.4 months |
| Franklin City | 35 | 20.0% | 80.0% | 5.5 months | $312 | 6.0 months |
| Galax | 34 | 21.4% | 78.6% | 2.5 months | $307 | 11.4 months |
| Amelia County | 33 | 6.5% | 90.3% | 2.2 months | $330 | 11.2 months |
| Bland County | 33 | 30.0% | 70.0% | 3.8 months | $842 | 4.3 months |
| Madison County | 33 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 2.9 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% | 3.9 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% | 3.7 months | $334 | 3.5 months |
| Grayson County | 26 | 20.0% | 75.0% | 3.5 months | $267 | 1.0 years |
| Lee County | 25 | 33.3% | 66.7% | 4.0 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% | 3.8 months | $375 | 8.5 months |
| Dickenson County | 23 | 21.1% | 78.9% | 5.1 months | $617 | 5.1 months |
| Fluvanna County | 21 | 15.4% | 84.6% | 2.9 months | $318 | 4.4 months |
| Lunenburg County | 21 | 12.5% | 87.5% | 3.0 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.
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. 23,250 cases analyzed across 113 jurisdictions. Last updated July 8, 2026. — 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 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