Virginia court guide
Anger Management in Virginia: Local Probation, Deferred Cases and Your Class
Will a Virginia court take an online class?
There is no state list for anger management in Virginia. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your officer decides, and you get a full refund if your certificate isn't accepted.
In Virginia, most misdemeanor cases are watched by "local probation," run by a city, county or regional community corrections agency. Whoever supervises you says yes or no to a class. Here is what to ask them first.
Virginia at a glance
- Provider list
- No anger management list. Virginia lists BIPs only.
- Typical length
- Set case by case; 8 to 12 hours is common for first cases.
- Family violence
- A BIP: at least 36 hours over 18 weeks. This class doesn’t satisfy it.
On this page
How Virginia courts put anger management on your list
Virginia judges can suspend a sentence or defer a case and set conditions. "Anger management" isn't written into the probation law; judges and agencies pick it case by case. You'll see it in:
- A suspended sentence with local probation. The most common path for misdemeanors in General District Court. A local community corrections agency checks your conditions.
- Deferred disposition. The judge defers the case on "reasonable" terms. Meet them, and it can end in dismissal or a lesser charge.
- Felony probation. Circuit Court cases usually go to a state Probation & Parole district.
- Juvenile & Domestic Relations (JDR) District Court. JDR probation offices may refer people to anger management or to a domestic violence program.
- Work and school. Employers and campuses sometimes ask for a class after an incident. They make their own call.
Your court order or conditions sheet is what counts: the class, the hours and the deadline.
Is there a Virginia list of anger management providers?
No. Virginia keeps a list for batterer intervention programs, but not for anger management. What you will run into is local practice:
- Some local probation agencies run their own class. Prince William County's Criminal Justice Services runs a free in-house group: 10 weeks, 1.5 hours a week.
- Some agencies refer to one partner. New River Community Corrections, which serves the Pulaski and Montgomery area, lists a one-day, in-person anger class with a local counseling office. Its page says online classes are offered for JDR referrals, and tells you to ask your officer.
- Some agencies just refer you out. Fairfax County's JDR community corrections refers people to anger management with no public provider list.
If your agency runs its own class or names one provider, ask whether an outside online class can count. Good Standing Courses is not on any Virginia state, locality, agency or court list.
Not for domestic violence orders
Family violence cases: BIP, not anger management
For a first charge of assault and battery against a family or household member, Va. Code § 18.2-57.3 lets the judge defer the case. You are placed with local probation and must finish the programs an assessment calls for, plus two years of good behavior. Meet the terms, and the charge is dismissed.
The program is often a Batterer Intervention Program (BIP), certified by the Virginia Batterer Intervention Program Certification Board. Virginia standards call for at least 36 hours of group work over at least 18 weeks.
When a BIP is ordered, an online anger management class does not satisfy it. Good Standing Courses is not a Batterer Intervention Program. If your paperwork lists both, ask which provider your officer will take for each part.
How long Virginia anger classes usually are
Virginia sets the length case by case; we found no state standard. A rough guide:
- 8 to 12 hours: common for first misdemeanors and deferred cases.
- About 15 hours: Prince William County's in-house group runs 10 weeks of 1.5-hour sessions.
- One full day: some agency-linked classes run as a single Saturday.
- 16 hours or more: less common.
If your order says "anger management" with no hours, call your probation officer before you buy.
Choose your hours
$29
Warning signs, cooling down, your anger control plan
Enroll · $29 for the 4-hour class$49
+ hot thoughts, assertive talk, conflict, stress and alcohol
Enroll · $49 for the 8-hour class12 hours: see the 12-hour class
$65
+ anger at home, at work, on the road and online
Enroll · $65 for the 12-hour class16 hours: see the 16-hour class
$79
+ resentment, shame and guilt, mindfulness, staying on track
Enroll · $79 for the 16-hour class
Paperwork says "impulse control" or "decision making"? That's our Impulse Control & Decision Making class.
Court-accepted in most jurisdictions. Educational course, not therapy. Acceptance is decided by your court or officer. See a sample certificate
Ask before you buy
What to ask your Virginia probation officer
- "Does local probation run its own anger class, or can I use an online, self-paced class?"
- "How many hours, and what is my deadline before my next court date?"
- "Is my case under 18.2-57.3? Do I need a certified BIP instead of anger management?"
- "Do you need the certificate emailed to you, uploaded, or brought to my next office visit?"
- If your case is deferred: "Will finishing this class count toward my terms so the case can be dismissed?" (Ask your lawyer this one too.)
Your officer can read our page for probation officers and check your certificate at /verify.
If your court says no
If your court, judge or probation officer doesn't accept your certificate, we refund 100% of the course fee. Send the written rejection within 60 days of finishing; the class you bought must match the type and hours in your order. Read the refund terms.
We never ask for your case number, court or date of birth. If you need them on the certificate, you type them into your own copy of the PDF.
Virginia: questions and answers
Is there a court approved anger management list in Virginia?
There is no state list for anger management in Virginia. The state certifies batterer intervention programs only. Some local probation agencies run their own classes or refer to one provider. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your officer decides, and you get a full refund if your certificate isn't accepted.
What is "local probation"?
Probation run by a city, county or regional community corrections agency instead of the state. It mostly covers misdemeanors.
What's the difference between anger management and a BIP?
A BIP is a long group program for family violence cases, certified by a state board, with at least 18 weeks of groups. Anger management is a shorter class for anger problems that didn't involve a partner or family member. We only offer anger management.
Can my officer see that I actually did the hours?
Yes. Our timer only counts active time and logs every session on our server. Your officer enters the certificate ID and your last name at our verify page and sees the same hours and dates.