The Florida DMV Point System: How to Avoid Suspension and Eliminate Points on Your Record
“How do I know if I am considered a good driver?” “Will the DMV ever suspend or revoke my license if I break too many laws or get in too many accidents?” These are important questions for every driver in Florida to ask. Knowing the answers will help keep your driving privileges active and perhaps make you a safer driver, too.
The DMV point system in Florida is a way to keep track of how many major or minor violations a driver has committed in the recent past and evaluates whether or not they are fit to continue driving safely. Points are placed on your record for any laws you break while driving, and if enough of these points accumulate in a certain amount of time, you could face a suspension of your license. Everyone should be aware of the way the point system works in Florida… or you could inadvertently rack up more points than you realized and face a suspension of your license!
How We Get Points on Our Record
The state of Florida can put points on your license for a number of different driving violations. Speeding less than 15 mph over the speed limit will earn you 3 points. Speeding more than 15 mph over the speed limit will increase the number of points to 4. If you crash while speeding, it jumps up to 6 points!
Other “moving violations,” such as disobeying a traffic signal, hitting another car, not properly restraining a child in a car seat, and even littering while driving, generally result in a 3- or 4-point penalty to your record. More major offenses like leaving the scene of a crash will confer 6 points to your record. As you can see, these points can quickly add up for a careless and uninformed driver.
What Happens If I Get Too Many Points On My Record?
The Sunshine State penalizes drivers if they get too many points on their record within a certain period of time by temporarily suspending their licenses. The first penalty is a 30-day suspension if 12 points are gained during any 12-month period. It moves up to a 90-day suspension if another 6 points are accrued within another 6 months (18 points within 18 months total). If a Florida driver still has not changed his ways and has a total of 24 points within any 3-year period, license suspension time is extended to a whole year!
If you are worried about how many points are on your driving record, it’s always a good idea to check. You can purchase a copy of your driving record from the DMV to see how many points you currently have.
What Can I Do to Eliminate the Points On My Record?
The simplest way to prevent points from going on your record is to contest a ticket, or hire an attorney to attempt to have your penalty either totally eliminated or reduced to a simple fine. Attending traffic school either in person or online will get you a certificate of completion which can, in many cases, be used to nullify some of the point impact on your driving record. The Florida Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDI) is usually the first and simplest traffic school course required by the state. Repeat and/or more serious traffic offenses may require completion of the longer and more intensive Florida Advanced Driver Improvement Course (ADI).
The Florida DHSMV point system is designed to incentivize drivers to learn from their mistakes and stop making them as quickly as possible so that the roads will be safer for everyone. The more frequently you make a mistake, the more severe the punishment becomes. Be aware of the DMV point system in Florida works, so you never have to worry about a suspended license!
