Home / Code Sections / § 18.2-388 — Public Intoxication

§ 18.2-388 — Public Intoxication

Court outcome data from 20,833 cases across 123 jurisdictions · 2025

Source. Virginia District + Circuit Court Information Systems, 2025 Methodology Report a correction Last refreshed July 8, 2026

Of 20,833 cases filed in 2025 under § 18.2-388, 16,277 reached an outcome — 34.8% were dismissed or dropped and 63.3% resulted in conviction, across 123 Virginia jurisdictions.

This page provides statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. This is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.

Penalties Under § 18.2-388

Section 18.2-388 addresses being intoxicated in public in Virginia. Public intoxication is a Class 4 misdemeanor, the lowest level criminal offense, carrying a fine of up to $250 with no jail time.

Of 20,833 § 18.2-388 cases filed in 2025 across 123 Virginia jurisdictions, 16,277 reached an outcome — an average dismissal rate of 34.8% and an average conviction rate of 63.3%.

Court Outcomes Across Virginia

Across 123 Virginia jurisdictions (2025):

20,833
Total Cases
34.8%
Avg Dismissal Rate
63.3%
Avg Conviction Rate

Top Jurisdictions

Courts with the most cases related to this statute.

Jurisdiction Cases Dismissal Rate Conviction Rate Median Duration
Fairfax County 2,195 42.1% 57.9% 2.4 months
Prince William County 1,471 33.3% 66.7% 2.1 months
Virginia Beach 1,171 22.4% 77.6% 1.8 months
Arlington County 966 46.8% 53.2% 1.5 months
Loudoun County 679 45.5% 54.5% 1.8 months
Rockingham County 629 48.5% 51.5% 1.8 months
Roanoke City 564 40.4% 59.6% 1.3 months
Montgomery County 556 45.9% 54.1% 2.1 months
Newport News 520 45.4% 54.6% 1.4 months
Chesterfield County 484 40.6% 59.4% 2.1 months
Spotsylvania County 482 40.6% 59.4% 1.7 months
Lynchburg 478 19.7% 80.3% 1.5 months
Henrico County 450 34.4% 65.6% 2.4 months
Stafford County 439 43.1% 56.9% 1.6 months
Norfolk 401 38.0% 62.0% 1.7 months

Source: Virginia public court records, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Explore Full Data

Public Intoxication — All Jurisdictions
16,277 resolved of 20,833 filed · 34.8% dismissed
Public Intoxication Guide
What the court data shows →

Common Questions

Of 20,833 cases filed in 2025 under § 18.2-388, 16,277 reached an outcome: an average dismissal rate of 34.8% and a conviction rate of 63.3% across 123 Virginia jurisdictions. Outcomes vary by court — view all jurisdictions for detailed data.
20,833 cases under § 18.2-388 were filed across 123 Virginia jurisdictions in 2025. For information about the current text and penalties of this statute, consult the Code of Virginia.

What's Next

Charged under this statute? An attorney can review what this means for your case — free, no obligation.

Ask a Virginia attorney — free