How Long Do Points Stay On My Driving Record?

Many drivers receive a ticket in Georgia and ask this question when considering representation for a speeding ticket or other moving violation. Each state has their own rules regarding points and how long they stay on your driving record. In Georgia a driver’s points will stay on for 2 years, however since that is based on 2 years from the date the points are added to your driving record/history you can look at that as a rolling average of sorts. The point system may cause different consequences for driver’s under 21 years of age and Commericial Driver’s License (CDL) holders.

Georgia law/code states that a driver over 21 years of age will incur license suspension if 15 or more points are accumulated in a 24 month period. If you are an out of state driver and wonder how your ticket received in Georgia will affect your driving record in your own state, you can review the list below to see the time it takes for points to come off your driving record. Its always best to check with the DMV or DDS in your own state to confirm any information especially when you are on the receiving end of a ticket from a state outside of where you acquired your driver’s license.

The list below shows how long each state keeps points on your driving record before they drop off, always check with your state to confirm the information is indeed still correct as laws change.

• Alabama: Two years.
• Alaska: Two points are taken off for every year of violation-free driving.
• Arizona: Three years.
• Arkansas: Three years.
• California: Three years.
• Colorado: Two years.
• Connecticut: Two years.
• Delaware: Two years.
• Florida: Three years.
• Georgia: Two years.
• Hawaii: Has no point system.
• Idaho: Three years.
• Illinois: Has no point system.
• Indiana: Two years.
• Iowa: Has no point system.
• Kansas: Has no point system.
• Kentucky: Two years.
• Louisiana: Has no point system.
• Maine: One year.
• Maryland: Three years.
• Massachusetts: Six years.
• Michigan: Two Years.
• Minnesota: Has no point system.
• Mississippi: No point system.
• Missouri: Eighteen months.
• Montana: Three years.
• Nebraska: Two years.
• Nevada: One year.
• New Hampshire: Three years.
• New Jersey: Three points deducted for every year of violation- free driving.
• New Mexico: One year.
• New York: 18 months.
• North Carolina: Three years.
• North Dakota: Three years; however, one point is deducted for each three-month period of violation-free driving.
• Ohio: Three years.
• Oklahoma: Points reduced to zero if you drive three-consecutive years without a violation.
• Oregon: No point system.
• Pennsylvania: Every 12 months of violation-free driving get you 3 points off.
• Rhode Island: Has no official point system.
• South Dakota:  Points do start to fall off after 12 months but it is complicated, contact the South Dakota DMV for more information.
• Tennessee: Two years.
• Texas: Three years.
• Utah: Two years, if you maintain a clean driving record.
• Vermont: Two years.
• Virginia: Two years
• Washington: Has no point system.
• Washington D.C.: Two years.
• West Virginia: Two years.
• Wisconsin: Five years.
• Wyoming: Has no point system.

Be forewarned that though points recycle over a period of time, a violation on your driving record DOES NOT go away or roll off. Once its there it stays. Some insurance companies look at points on a driver’s record, others look at the history and there are those that look at BOTH when a policy is up for renewal.