If your points on your driver’s license or driving record will be removed, and if so, how often will depend upon your state’s laws. You should be able to get specific information from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or like state agency on how points are accumulated and removed from a person’s driving history.
For examples of how some states handle DMV points, see below:
Pennsylvania allows points to be removed from your driving record for safe driving. You can get 3 points removed from your driving history every 12 consecutive months (from the date of the last violation) if you go without a violation, which results in points, license suspension, or revocation.
Furthermore, in PA, once a driving record is reduced to zero and remains at zero points for 12 consecutive months, any further accumulation of points is treated as the first accumulation of points.
Utah’s points system allows for when you drive one full year without a moving traffic violation conviction, one-half of your accumulated points to be removed from your driving record. All points are deleted if you drive for two straight years without a conviction. Otherwise, individual convictions are automatically removed 3 years after the date of the violation.
In New York State, the DMV computer system automatically calculates your point total when you are assigned points on your license for a moving violation. Your point total is the number of driver violation points you received during the 18 previous months.
Points are counted from the dates of your traffic violations, not the dates of your traffic convictions. A traffic conviction is required for the points to appear on your driver’s record. Eighteen (18) months after the date of the violation, the points for that violation are removed from your point total. The convictions remain on your record.
— Michelle Megna contributed to this story.
Resources & Methodology
Sources
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. “The Pennsylvania point fact sheet.” Accessed January 2023.
Utah Point System. “Utah Department of Public Safety.” Accessed January 2023.
New York Department of Motor Vehicles. “New York State driver point system.” Accessed January 2023.
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