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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>78073</law_id><section_number>46.2-505</section_number><catch_line>Court may direct defendant to attend driver improvement clinic</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>46.2-498</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Titling, Registration and Licensure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Licensure of Drivers</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="19">Driver Improvement Program</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> or general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> or juvenile <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the Commonwealth, or any federal <span class="dictionary">court</span>, charged with the duty of <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> traffic cases for <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> committed in violation of any <span class="dictionary">law</span> of the Commonwealth, or any valid local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>, or any federal <span class="dictionary">law</span> regulating the movement or operation of a <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, may require any person found guilty, or in the case of a juvenile found not innocent, of a violation of any state <span class="dictionary">law</span>, local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>, or federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>, to attend a <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> or a mature driver <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> crash prevention course as provided for in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Reduction in rates for certain persons who attend mature driver motor vehicle crash prevention courses and driver improvement clinics" href="/38.2-2217/">38.2-2217</a>. The attendance requirement may be in lieu of or in addition to the penalties prescribed by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Violations of this title; penalties" href="/46.2-113/">46.2-113</a>, the <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>, or federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall determine if a person is to receive safe driving points upon satisfactory completion of a <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> conducted by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> or by any business, organization, governmental entity or individual certified by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> to provide <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> instruction. In the absence of such notification, no safe driving points shall be awarded by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>. <a id="paragraph-279937" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-505/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, no <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall, as a result of a person&#x2019;s attendance at a <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> or a mature driver <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> crash prevention course, reduce, dismiss, or defer the <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of a person charged with any <span class="dictionary">offense</span> committed while operating a commercial <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> as defined in the Virginia Commercial Driver&#x2019;s License Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Title" href="/46.2-341.1/">46.2-341.1</a> et seq.) or any holder of a commercial driver&#x2019;s license charged with any <span class="dictionary">offense</span> committed while operating a noncommercial <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>. <a id="paragraph-279938" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-505/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Persons required by the court to attend a <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> or a mature driver <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> crash prevention course shall notify the court if the <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> or mature driver <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> crash prevention course has or has not been attended and satisfactorily completed, in compliance with the <span class="dictionary">court order</span>. Failure of the person to attend and satisfactorily complete a <span class="dictionary">driver improvement clinic</span> or mature driver <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> crash prevention course, in compliance with the <span class="dictionary">court order</span>, may be punished as <span class="dictionary">contempt</span> of such court. <a id="paragraph-279939" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-505/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1974, c. 453, &#xA7; 46.1-514.18; 1989, c. 727; 1995, c. 672; 2002, c. 724; 2008, c. 190; 2014, c. 282.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
