State-by-state Guide to Removing Points From Your Driver’s License

Alabama

The state of Alabama does not currently have a point reduction program. Two years after a traffic conviction, the point count for that conviction will no longer count towards suspension purposes, but the points will still remain on your record.

Arizona

The state of Arizona does not currently have a point reduction program. If you are convicted of a moving traffic violation, or forfeit bail, points will be assessed against your permanent driving record. If you have received a traffic ticket, but have not yet been convicted, you may be eligible to take a defensive driving course and avoid having the points assessed against your license altogether.

California

The state of California does not currently have a point reduction program. Points will remain on your driving record for 36 months or longer, depending on the type of violation. California license holders who have received a violation but have not yet been convicted may opt to attend traffic school in order to have the points “masked” from insurance companies, assuming they have not already done so within the previous 18 months.

Connecticut

The state of Connecticut does not currently have a point reduction program. Points will remain on your driving record for 24 months from the date that they were assessed.

District of Columbia

If you hold a Washington, DC driver’s license and have received a moving violation, you may be eligible to attend a DMV-approved online defensive driving course in order to remove the points from your record. Before taking the course, you must have prior approval from a DC DMV Hearing Examiner.

Georgia

Georgia driver’s license holders may request that the Department of Driver Services reduce the number of points assessed against their driving record, up to 7 points once every 5 years. In order to receive a point reduction, you must successfully complete an approved driver improvement course and present your certificate of completion to the Georgia DDS.

Idaho

Once every 3 years, Idaho drivers may reduce their point total by three points if they complete an approved defensive driving course. In order to avoid an impending driver’s license suspension for point accumulation, the course must be taken and completed prior to when the suspension takes place.

Indiana

Indiana driver’s license holders may elect to take a Driver Safety Program course in order to receive a 4-point credit to their driving record. This credit may be applied once every three years. If you take an additional DSP course within the three-year timeframe, the time period for the credit will be extended to three years from the date you completed the additional course.

Kansas

The Kansas DMV does not use a point system to track traffic violations, but they do maintain a record of past convictions on your driving history. Serious and/or repeated violations can lead to license revocation or suspension. If your driving record is the cause of insurance rate increases, you may want to take a traffic school course in order to be eligible for an insurance discount.

Louisiana

The Louisiana OMV does not use a point system to track traffic violations, but they do maintain a record of past convictions on your driving history. Serious and/or repeated violations can lead to license revocation or suspension. If your driving record is the cause of insurance rate increases, you may want to take a driver improvement course in order to be eligible for an insurance discount.

Maryland

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration will automatically expunge your driving record (meaning they will remove points and violations) 3 years after your conviction if you meet the following criteria:

• You haven’t been convicted of another moving violation or criminal offense involving a vehicle within the previous 3 years
• Your driver’s license has not ever been revoked or suspended
• You have never been convicted of:
  • Failing to remain at the scene of a fatal or injury accident
  • DUI
  • A violation identical or substantially similar to the above

If you do not meet the above criteria, you may still request that the MVA manually expunge your record, depending on the type of violation you committed.

Michigan

The state of Michigan does not currently have a point reduction program. Points from traffic violations will remain on your driving record for 2 years from the date of the conviction. Michigan license holders who have received a violation but have not yet been convicted may be eligible to attend a basic driver improvement course in order to have the points hidden from insurance companies. If you are eligible to attend basic driver improvement, you will be notified by the MI Secretary of State.

Mississippi

The Mississippi DPS does not use a point system to track traffic violations, but they do maintain a record of past convictions on your driving history. Serious and/or repeated violations can lead to license revocation or suspension.

Montana

The state of Montana does not currently have a point reduction program. Points from traffic violation convictions will remain on your driving record for 3 years from the date of the conviction. After 3 years, although the points will be removed, the conviction will remain on your permanent driving record. While convictions older than 3 years may not affect insurance rates, convictions for second or subsequent DUI will affect your record for five years between the date of the prior offense and the most recent offense.

Nevada

Nevada driver’s license holders who have 3 or more points but less than 12 points on their driving record may attend Traffic School to receive a 3-point credit on their driving record. Drivers may not take the 3-point credit Traffic School course at the same time that they have traffic violations pending.

New Jersey

Once every 5 years, New Jersey driver’s license holders may reduce their point total by 2 points if they complete an approved Defensive Driving course.

New York

New York driver’s license holders may reduce their point total by 4 points once every 18 months, by completing an approved Defensive Driving course. There are a few restrictions to the point reduction program, including:

• The point reduction will only apply to points assessed for violations that occurred within the last 18 months (prior to the course completion date). Points for earlier violations will not be removed.
• Point reduction cannot be used as “credit” toward future violation points.
• Your total point count will not be reduced below zero.
• If your license has already been revoked or suspended, point reduction will not affect that action.
• Point reduction will not cancel or prevent a mandatory suspension or revocation for violations such as DWI, DWAI, or 3 speeding violations within 18 months.

North Dakota

Once every 12 months, North Dakota license holders may have 3 points removed from their driving record by completing an approved Traffic School course. Completion of this course only reduces points already on the driving record - "credit" will not be applied to future violations.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma drivers may receive a 2-point credit to their driving record after completing an approved Defensive Driving course. The course may be taken once every 24 months. The points will automatically be reduced by 2 if a driver goes 12 consecutive months without any traffic convictions that carry points. If a driver goes 3 consecutive years without being convicted of any pointable violation, the points on the driving record will be reduced to zero.

Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania does not currently allow point removal for completion of a Driver Improvement course. 3 points will be removed from a driving record for every 12 consecutive months in which a person’s license is not suspended or revoked and they have not committed any violation which results in points, suspension, or revocation. Once a driving record is reduced to zero points and remains at zero points for 12 consecutive months, any further accumulation of points will be regarded as the first accumulation of points.

South Carolina

Any South Carolina driver who has had points assessed against their license may take a Driver Training course in order to have their total point count reduced by 4 points. The course is 8 hours long and must be taken in person, in the state of South Carolina. Drivers are eligible for the 4-point reduction course once every 3 years.

Tennessee

The state of Tennessee does not currently have a point reduction program. If you accumulate 12 or more points within a 12-month period, you will be sent a notice of proposed suspension and given an opportunity to attend an administrative hearing. In most cases, when a driver requests a hearing, they are given the opportunity to attend a Defensive Driving class in lieu of suspension, or for a reduction in the length of the suspension.

Utah

Utah drivers may have 50 points deleted from their driving record by completing an approved Driver Improvement course. The course may be taken for a point reduction once every three years. You can also improve your driving record over time by driving safely. After one full year without any traffic violation convictions, the number of points on your record will be reduced by half, and after two years without a conviction the points will be deleted entirely.

Virginia

Once every 24 months, Virginia license holders may voluntarily attend a DMV-approved Driver Improvement Clinic in order to receive 5 safe driving points added to their driving record.

West Virginia

Once every 12 months, West Virginia drivers may voluntarily attend a DMV-approved Defensive Driving course in order to remove 3 points from their driving record. The course must be taken in person; online courses are not permitted. The point reduction only applies to points already on the driving record, and cannot be applied as a “credit” toward future traffic convictions.

Wyoming

The Wyoming DOT does not use a point system to track traffic violations, but they do maintain a record of past convictions on your driving record. Serious and/or repeated violations can lead to license revocation or suspension.