How to Pay My Court Costs & Fines

Pre-Court Payments (if paying BEFORE your court date):

Payments for certain traffic tickets and certain other offenses are accepted by the general district court until 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the last business day before your court date. Please allow sufficient time to complete your online payment transaction before 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Eligible offenses will display “Mark for Payment” in the online system as explained below.

Note: Pre-court payments have deemed a waiver of a court hearing and entry of a guilty plea.

Post-Court Payments (if paying AFTER your court date):

Payments must be received within 30-days following your court date to prevent the suspension of your operator’s/driver’s license for failure to pay. Payments made in accordance with “time to pay” or deferred payment agreements are due on the agreed-upon date. If the court has not received your payment within 40-days following your court date, your account will begin to accrue interest and will be sent to collection.

Note: Post-court payments cannot be made on the trial date. The system is updated nightly and payments can be made as of 6:00 a.m. the day after the trial date.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRE-COURT AND POST-COURT PAYMENTS

1. There is a 4% convenience fee assessed per transaction when payment is made by credit/debit card.
2. Payments are made using the following link: General District Court Online Case Information System.
3. Once you access the General District Courts Online Case Information System, click the down arrow under the Court tab on the left to view a listing of courts. Click on the name of the court, which corresponds to the name of the court on the top of your summons.
4. You can search for cases using your name, the case number, or the hearing date. Use the links under the tabs below the court drop-down menu to select the search method. When searching by name, enter your last name, first name, and middle name (if any), and then click the “Search” button. For best results, enter the name as it appears on your court summons or warrants.
5. Upon locating your case, a “Mark For Payment” link will be displayed in the “Action” column if the case is eligible to be paid online.
6. Click on “Mark for Payment” and the case will display “Unmark for Payment” in the “Action” column. After all, cases to be paid have been selected, click the “Process Payment” button at the bottom of the screen.
   

   Note: A maximum of five cases may be paid on one receipt.

7. Verify that only your cases have been marked for payment, and then click the “Continue Payment Process” button.
8. The next screen will ask for your credit card and contact information. All fields, except e-mail address, are required. Once completed, click the “Submit Payment” button at the bottom of the screen.
9. Print a copy of the screen as your receipt confirming your payment. If you provided an e-mail address, a receipt will be e-mailed to you as confirmation of payment.

RECEIPT REPRINT

Reprint a copy of your on-line payment receipt. You will be required to enter select information from the original payment.

A copy of the receipt can also be received via e-mail if an e-mail address is provided.

REFUNDS

For assistance regarding the processing of a refund, please contact the general district court to which payment was made.

PRE-COURT PAYMENTS

GENERAL DISTRICT AND JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURTS ONLY:

To provide for timely delivery by mail, payment should be mailed to the court that is named on the top of your summons at least 7 days before your court date. Please allow sufficient time to complete your online system as explained below. The address for each general district court and juvenile and domestic relations district court is available through the following links:  General District Court – Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

Note: Do NOT mail your payment to the Office of the Executive Secretary for the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Prepayment of the fine(s) and fee(s) is effective only upon receipt by the applicable general district or juvenile and domestic relations district court; not on the date that you mail it.  An additional fee will be added if payment is received after the court date.

1. Read the “NOTICE” on the back of your summons.
2. Read the description of your alleged violation, which follows “DESCRIBE CHARGE” on your summons.
3. If you were given a “VIRGINIA PREPAYABLE OFFENSES INFORMATION SHEET” by the arresting officer, examine the “Brief Description” portion of the Table on the right side of the page for a charge description that matches or very closely matches the charge description on your summons.
   • If your violation is described in the Table, calculate the total fine(s) and fee(s) by adding all applicable fines, inserting the total in the total fines blank, and then adding the applicable fees to determine the total prepayment due. You must also follow all the instructions on the summons in the “PRETRIAL WAIVER AND PREPAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS” section.
4. If your violation is not described in the Table or you were NOT given a “VIRGINIA PREPAYABLE OFFENSES INFORMATION SHEET” by the arresting officer, please call the telephone number listed on your summons for instructions.
5. District courts accept personal checks, money orders, certified checks, and credit cards. Make your check payable to the applicable district court.
   Example: “Chesterfield County General District Court.”
   • Credit Card Payments: Confirm with the court which credit cards are accepted. If you were given the “VIRGINIA PREPAYABLE OFFENSES INFORMATION SHEET” by the arresting officer, complete the back of the sheet where it says “Credit Card Authorization.” If you were not given the “VIRGINIA PREPAYABLE OFFENSES INFORMATION SHEET,” you may call the court and provide the clerk with your credit card information.
6. Mail your payment to the general district or juvenile and domestic relations district court named on the top of your summons. The address for each general district court and juvenile and domestic relations district court is available through the following links:   General District Court – Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
   

   Note: Do NOT mail your payment to the Office of the Executive Secretary for the Supreme Court of Virginia.

7. YOU MAY NOT PREPAY if the charge is for reckless driving.
8. If you are a juvenile under the age of 18 and are charged with a motor vehicle offense, you must also complete the section on the summons entitled “PROCEDURE IF MOTORIST IS A JUVENILE.”

This section requires a notarized signature of a parent or guardian if the form is mailed to the court.

POST-COURT PAYMENTS

1. Call the general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, or circuit court where your case was heard.  Ask the clerk to provide you with the amount you owe, your “reference case number” and the court’s mailing address.
2. Courts accept personal checks, money orders, certified checks, and credit cards. Make your check payable to the applicable court.
   Example: “Chesterfield County General District Court.”
   • Credit Card Payments: Confirm with the court which credit cards are accepted. You may call the court and provide the clerk your credit card information.

   Note: Some circuit courts do not accept credit card payments.

3. Write the reference case number on your check, and send your payment to the general district, juvenile and domestic relations district, or circuit court where your case was heard. The address for each general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit court is available through the following links: General District Court, Juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit Court.

Note: Do NOT mail your payment to the Office of the Executive Secretary for the Supreme Court of Virginia.

If you have lost your summons, call the general district court or juvenile and domestic relations district court of the jurisdiction in which you received your summons for further instructions.

Source: Virginia’s Judicial System

CIRCUIT COURT PAYMENT

If you appeal your case, you may make a payment through the Virginia Judiciary Online Payment System.  Use the following link to access the Circuit Court Payment Name Search (make sure to accept the terms and conditions to access the screen depicted below):

Pay your appeal online through the Virginia Judiciary Online Payment System.  Search by Name or Case Number and/or by Court Location.