Find Virginia DWI Records

Virginia DWI or driving while intoxicated is more widely known as driving under influence or DUI. Virginia DWI laws, like the laws in all the other states, declare a legal blood alcohol concentration limit for all drivers, minors (below 21) and for commercial drivers. All drivers in Virginia are prohibited to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more. For drivers under 21 years of age, the legal BAC limit is 0.02 percent or more while for commercial drivers the limit is 0.04 percent or higher.

The Implied Consent Law in the state of Virginia declares that any driver in the state must submit to a blood test, urine test or breathalyzer test if his or her car is stopped by the police suspecting drunken driving or driving under the influence of drugs. If the driver refuses to comply with this, his or her driver’s license will be suspended and the driver will also be charged for refusal.

For the first DUI conviction in Virginia, the penalties are

•    A minimum fine of $250. The amount of fine is doubled if the offender was driving with a child passenger below eighteen years of age
•    A minimum of five days of jail if the offender was driving with a child under eighteen
•    If the blood alcohol concentration of the offender was between 0.15 percent to 0.20 percent, the offender is sentenced to jail for five days
•    The jail sentence is of a duration of ten days in case the alcohol level in the blood stream of the individual was more than 0.20 percent
•    A DUI conviction in the state of Virginia requires revocation of driving privileges. The driver’s license is suspended for one year
•    The offender has to participate in a alcohol safety action program
•    The court may also order the convicted to install an ignition interlock device in the car. This device is used to prevent drunken driving. Upon installation of this device, the driver is required to breathe in to the device before driving. If the device registers a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit in the state, the car does not start.

For a second DUI conviction in Virginia, the jail sentence is for a minimum of 20 days and does not exceed duration of one year. If the offender is convicted for the second DUI offense within five to ten years of the first offense, the penalties are

•    A jail sentence of at least ten days and no more than one month
•    Ten days are added to the jail sentence if the offender was arrested with a alcohol content of 0.15 percent to 0.20 percent in the blood
•    20 days are added to the jail term if the offender had a BAC of 0.20 percent or more
•    The driver’s license is suspended for three years
•    The offender has to pay a minimum of $500 fine and it can go up to $1,000

For a third consecutive DUI offense in Virginia, the punishments are similar but harsher. The offender’s driving privileges are suspended for an indefinite period and the offender also has to pay a hefty fine. The offender must install an ignition interlock device in his or her car before reinstatement of his or her driver’s license. For more information on Virginia DUI laws and penalties visit http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-270.

Obtaining Virginia DWI Records

Driver’s records are privileged information in the state of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles maintains a record of the DUI cases taking place in the state. You may access this information but the law allows you to access your own information only and not that on someone else, as governed by the Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. You may obtain the records for purposes authorized by the state law.

Access to driver information is not allowed without a written consent from the concerned subject.  Personal information such as name, driver’s license number, social security number etc. are released only to law enforcement agencies, business entities and authorized personnel.

You may ask for your own driver’s records for making any changes in them.  You may want to change your address or your mailing address. In order to contact the department, you may call (804) 497-7100 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays the phone line will be available from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Mail can be sent to the department at Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 27412, Richmond, VA 23269.

You may request to view your own records online by visiting the official website of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Virginia. You need to register to receive your DMV PIN and you may proceed to access your records. For further assistance regarding driving records in Virginia, visit the Department of Motor Vehicle website at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/dmvnet/common/pin_option_ques.asp.