John Adams (R), who is in a heated attorney general's race in Virginia this fall, makes an appearance at the 15th KORUS (Korean/United States) Festival at Sully Historic Site on September 23 in Chantilly, VA. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

John Adams, the Republican candidate for Virginia attorney general, briefly had his law license suspended in 2011 for failure to pay annual fees to the state bar, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post from Democrats.

Letters from the state bar show that Adams was warned on Sept. 16, 2011, that his failure to pay dues and assessments could lead to suspension. That suspension was invoked Oct. 7, 2011. He paid the costs within two weeks, and his license was reinstated.

"John is a member of both the Washington, D.C. and Virginia Bars. Due to an oversight, John was late paying his Virginia annual dues and it was quickly rectified," said Taylor Thorney Keeney, the Adams' campaign's communications director.

Adams is running against incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring (D) in the Nov. 7 election.