How To Get Points Off Your License: A Step-by-Step Guide

You may be able to get points off your license by taking a driver training course, going an extended period of time without any traffic violations or simply waiting for the points to expire on their own, depending on your state. If you accumulate too many driver’s license points, your license may be suspended. In addition, the infractions that led to the points will likely cause an increase in your car insurance costs.

Read further for more details on how license points work and how to get points off your license.

On This Page

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  How Do Driver’s License Points Work?

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  How To Get Points Off Your License

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  Can Points on Your Driver’s License Affect Car Insurance Rates?

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  Tips To Reduce Points on Your License

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  FAQs

How Do Driver’s License Points Work?

In most states, a certain number of demerit points are assessed to your driver’s license whenever you commit a moving violation. More severe offenses generally result in more points being added to your license. For example, drivers in New York are issued two points for turning without using their turn signal, five points for texting and driving, eight points for failing to stop for a school bus and 11 points for driving while intoxicated.^[1]

If you rack up too many license points within a certain amount of time, your license will usually be suspended. For example, people in North Carolina lose their driving privileges if they accumulate 12 points within three years — or eight points within three years of having their license reinstated following a prior mandatory suspension. In the event that your license is suspended multiple times, the subsequent suspensions may last longer than the first one.^[2]

Some states, like Utah, require fewer points to suspend the license of a driver under the age of 21.^[3] However, not all states use a license point system. You will not accrue points for committing moving violations in the following 10 states:^[4]

Even if your state doesn’t have a point system, you will still face penalties for committing moving violations and could eventually have your license suspended for repeat offenses.

How To Get Points Off Your License

The following sections go over point reduction strategies that may help you prevent points from being added to your license or remove points that have already been added.

Contest the Ticket

If you believe a police officer has issued you a citation incorrectly or unfairly, you may be able to avoid license points altogether by successfully contesting the ticket in court. Be sure to collect any evidence that shows you weren’t committing a crime, such as dashcam footage, GPS records or eyewitness statements. In some cases, a judge may reduce your ticket, meaning you must still pay a small fine but won’t have points added to your driving record.^[5]

Attend Traffic School

You can often avoid major consequences due to driving infractions by attending traffic school, where you will receive a refresher on traffic laws and basic driver safety protocols.^[6] Depending on your state, a driving school certificate may not remove existing points, so you may need to attend traffic school before you are convicted to keep points off your record. That said, some states offer a traffic school credit that automatically removes points for future violations.^[7]

Take a Defensive Driving Course

Multiple states allow you to remove points from your license by taking a defensive driving course — which differs from regular traffic school in that it focuses on advanced driving techniques intended to minimize your odds of getting into a car accident.^[6] Some states limit the number of times you can get rid of license points by taking a defensive driving class. Idaho, for example, only allows one defensive driving point removal every three years.^[7]

Keep in mind that many driving schools offer mature driver improvement courses or other defensive driving programs specifically designed for seniors.

Wait for Expiration

License points generally don’t last forever, so you may be able to simply wait for your points to expire organically. The duration of a point may vary based on your state and the severity of the offense, but points generally continue to affect your record for one to six years.^[7] In some states, your points may disappear more quickly if you meet certain eligibility criteria.

For example, if you avoid getting any further points, the Missouri Department of Public Safety will deduct your existing points once per year — with all of your points being eliminated by the end of your third year with a clean driving record. Meanwhile, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration will clear your driving record three years after a conviction if you meet the following standards:^[7]

• You haven’t been convicted of another moving violation or crime in the past three years
• Your driver’s license has never been suspended or revoked
• You have never been convicted of a DUI, a fatal or injuring hit-and-run or any similar crime

Can Points on Your Driver’s License Affect Car Insurance Rates?

Your driving record is one of the main factors impacting your car insurance premiums.^[8] As a result, if you have committed a major infraction resulting in license points, you can often expect to see an increase in your car insurance rates. However, the method for calculating rate increases may be separate from your state’s point system, depending on your insurance company and where you live.

For example, the North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan establishes a standard 30% auto insurance rate hike for drivers who commit a minor speeding violation and a 340% increase for individuals who are caught driving while impaired.^[9] Based on the average cost of full coverage car insurance in North Carolina, these come out to average rate hikes of $549.30 per year for speeding and $6,225.40 per year for driving under the influence.^[10]

How To Check How Many Points Are on Your License

While the exact process may vary by state, you can generally check how many points are on your license for free by visiting the website for your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, calling the DMV, submitting a written request by mail or visiting your local DMV office in person. Some third-party companies may also be able to produce a motor vehicle report that includes this information, but you may have to pay for this service.^[11]

Tips To Reduce Points on Your License

Following tips like these can help you prevent license points from piling up on your driving record:

1. Practice safe driving habits: Driving safely is the best way to avoid the accidents and traffic violations that commonly lead to license points in the first place, and it may help you improve your record in order to get rid of existing points. Important safe driving tips include obeying traffic laws, staying alert behind the wheel and leaving plenty of space between yourself and other vehicles.
2. Contact a lawyer: If you get a traffic ticket that you would like to challenge in court, you need to get in touch with an attorney. Your lawyer may be able to give you clear guidance on how you can successfully contest your citation or whether it would be more effective to simply plead guilty and try to remove the subsequent points by taking a defensive driving course.
3. Request a ticket deferral: In some cases, you may be able to get your ticket deferred, meaning the judge does not immediately issue a ruling in your case. If you avoid any further violations before your deferred court date, then the judge may automatically deem you not guilty, meaning any potential license points from your offense will be waived.
4. Look into your state’s driver training options: There may be several accredited driver’s education classes in your state that can be taken to remove points from your license. Be sure to evaluate multiple programs so you can figure out which eligible course requires the lowest fees and can be completed in the shortest amount of time.
5. Research your state’s laws: Studying your state’s traffic laws, point system and judicial procedures can help you determine whether it makes sense to contest your ticket in court — or whether it would be simpler to accept the penalties now and aim to drive safer going forward so your points will eventually expire.