How can I remove points from my driving record? This question is about Points on Driver’s License

How can I remove points from my driving record?

Answer Question Report Abuse

This question is about Points on Driver’s License

Delaney Simchuk, Car Insurance Writer

@delaney_simchuk • 06/14/22 This answer was first published on 06/14/22. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

Permalink Report Abuse

You can remove points from your driving record by completing traffic school or a defensive driving course, if your state allows it. Removing points by taking a defensive driving course may keep you from a license suspension, reduce penalties for a moving violation, and lower your insurance rates.

If your state does not allow point removal with driving classes or your violation is not eligible, you can wait for your points to expire. Most points stop counting against you after 2-5 years. However, if your points were from a serious violation such as a DUI, they may stay on your record for much longer and you may not be able to remove them.

How to Remove Points From Your Driving Record

1. Determine If You Are Eligible

Eligibility for point reduction depends on whether your state allows defensive driving courses to remove points. Even if your state allows this option, your violation may not be eligible if it was a felony, substance-related or not in a private vehicle. In addition, you won’t be eligible if you’ve benefited from traffic school in the past 1-2 years, depending on your state. For instance, in New York, you may remove points by taking a defensive driving course every 18 months.

2. Take a Defensive Driving Course

Most state DMVs offer online or in-person traffic school to remove points from your license. Classes typically take 4-12 hours, and you are required to attend the full session in order to pass.

3. Wait for Points to Expire

If your state does not have a point-reduction system, or your violation was not eligible, you can wait for the points to expire. Points for minor violations can stay on your driving record for anywhere from 1 year to indefinitely, depending on your state’s laws. However, most points stop affecting you after 2-5 years, depending on the severity of your violation.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to driver’s license points.

Answer Question

How can I get points off my license in California?

You can get points off your license in California by waiting for them to expire. In California, points stop counting towards a license suspension after 36 months, and you cannot do anything to remove points otherwise.

Even though you cannot remove points from your license in California, there are other ways you can try to lower your car insurance premiums. For instance, some insurance companies give discounts to policyholders who take an approved … read full answer defensive driving course. You can also address other risk factors, such as by improving your auto insurance score.

For more information, check out WalletHub’s guide to license points.

show less

What are good points on a driving record?

What happens if you get 6 points on your license?

If you get 6 points on your license, your car insurance premiums will likely increase and you might have your license restricted, suspended, or revoked, depending on your state. Driver’s license points are used to track violations, so accumulating 6 points is a sign of increased risk for insurers.

Each state has a different threshold for how many license points lead to a specific penalty, but accumulating points is never good. The table below shows the consequences of having 6 points in the five most populous states.… read full answer

Penalties for 6 License Points by State

State	Consequences
California	License suspension (if points accrued within 24 months)
Texas	$100 surcharge on your license
Florida	Halfway to a license suspension
New York	Driver responsibility fee (if points accrued within 18 months)
Pennsylvania	License suspension unless driver takes written safety examination

Car Insurance Premiums for Drivers with 6 Points

The exact amount that your premium increases after accumulating 6 points will depend on your state, insurance company, and individual driving record. For example, one speeding ticket will increase your rate by 25% on average, whereas a DUI conviction will generally raise your premium by 79%.

Since each insurer treats violations differently, it’s a good idea to compare quotes if you recently had points added to your license. Given the change in your risk factors, it might be cheaper to switch insurers rather than stick with your current company.

To learn more about how license points work in your state, check out WalletHub’s complete guide.

show less

WalletHub Answers is a free service that helps consumers access financial information. Information on WalletHub Answers is provided “as is” and should not be considered financial, legal or investment advice. WalletHub is not a financial advisor, law firm, “lawyer referral service,” or a substitute for a financial advisor, attorney, or law firm. You may want to hire a professional before making any decision. WalletHub does not endorse any particular contributors and cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of any information posted. The helpfulness of a financial advisor's answer is not indicative of future advisor performance.

WalletHub members have a wealth of knowledge to share, and we encourage everyone to do so while respecting our content guidelines. This question was posted by WalletHub. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on an offer’s details page using the designation "Sponsored", where applicable. Advertising may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Ask a Question

140

Ask Question

Ask Your Question

WalletHub Transparency

We are committed to being fully transparent with our readers. Opinions expressed here are the author’s and/or WalletHub editors'. WalletHub editorial content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. In addition, it is not any company’s responsibility to ensure all questions are answered.