If you’ve ever gotten a speed camera ticket in Virginia and tossed it in a drawer, you weren’t alone. More than a third of those tickets went unpaid last year. Starting in January 2027, though, ignoring one could come back to bite you at the DMV.
A new state law lets the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles refuse to renew your vehicle registration until you pay up.
How It Works
The law, Senate Bill 219, was sponsored by Sen. Michael Jones of Richmond and signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger in April.
Here’s the new process. When a speed camera catches you, a summons goes to the registered owner. If you don’t respond, a second summons is mailed. If the fine still isn’t paid after that, the local court reports it to the DMV. At that point, the DMV won’t renew your plates or registration until the fine and fees are taken care of.
In other words, you can’t just wait it out anymore.
Why Virginia Did This
The numbers explain it. Virginia State Police data shows about 957,780 speed camera violations statewide in 2025, and roughly 350,000 of them were never paid.
Some places had it worse than others. In Petersburg, nearly 58% of camera tickets went unpaid. In Manassas Park, it was under 9%. Across the 47 localities using cameras, the average was 36.5%.
A Few Other Changes
The law also adds some protections for drivers. When a new speed camera goes up, police have to give out warnings, not tickets, for the first 30 days. And in highway work zones, a violation only counts if workers are actually there.
The Supreme Court of Virginia has also created a standard summons form, which explains how to pay the ticket or contest it.
Where You’ll Find These Cameras
Virginia has allowed speed cameras since 2020, but only in two places: school crossing zones and highway work zones. The fine is capped at $100.
If you drive I-64 between Richmond and Williamsburg, you’ve probably passed some. The work zone in New Kent County alone generated more than 106,000 violations in 2025.
What You Should Do
The simplest advice: don’t ignore the summons. Open it, read it, and either pay or contest it. And make sure the DMV has your current address. If the summons goes to an old one, you might not know about the ticket until your registration renewal gets blocked.
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