How does the Driver Violation Point System work?

In New York, the Department of Motor Vehicles uses a point system to determine when someone should lose their license and when they are not safe on the roads. Different violations lead to different citations and points.

The state uses the Driver Violation Point System to determine that anyone who gets 11 points on their driving record during a period of 18 months will have their license suspended and must have it reinstated before they can drive legally.

Determining points for violations

There are different points for speeding citations, based on how far over the speed limit a person is traveling. The following ranges are in place:

• 1-10 miles over the speed limit: 3 points
• 11-20 miles over the speed limit: 4 points
• 21-30 miles over the speed limit: 6 points
• 31-40 miles over the speed limit: 8 points
• Over 40 miles over the speed limit: 11 points

Failure to stop for a school bus, reckless driving, running a red light, failure to stop for a bus and ignoring traffic signals are all violations that put between three to five points on a driving record.

Any out-of-state violations do not show up on a New York driving record, except those that occur in Quebec or Ontario.

Reduce points quickly

In many situations, it simply takes time for the infractions to come off the driving record, but there are things drivers can do to speed up to process. Taking a Point and Insurance Reduction Program course approved by the DMV can help reduce insurance premiums that went up because of citations and subtract a small number of points from the driving record.