Points remain on your New York driving record for 18 months from the date of conviction, but the impact on your license and insurance extends beyond that window
New York uses a point system to track traffic violations. When you are convicted of a moving violation, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) assigns points to your record. These points affect your driving privileges, insurance rates, and license status. The 18-month clock starts from the date the court enters the conviction, not the date you received the ticket or paid the fine.
Understanding how long points stay on your record matters because accumulating too many points in a short period can result in license suspension. New York suspends your license if you accumulate 11 or more points within 18 months. Points also influence your insurance premiums for years after they are assigned, even though the DMV stops counting them toward suspension after 18 months.
Key Takeaways
- Points assigned by New York DMV remain on your driving record for 18 months from the conviction date, after which they no longer count toward license suspension.
- Accumulating 11 or more points within any 18-month period triggers a mandatory license suspension, even if some points are older than 18 months.
- Insurance companies may continue to see and use points on your record for three to five years, so points affect your premiums longer than they affect your license status.
- You can request a point reduction through traffic school (5-hour course) once every 18 months, which removes up to four points from your record.
- The 18-month period resets with each new conviction, so a violation committed 17 months after a previous one restarts the clock for both violations.
How the 18-Month Point Window Works
The 18-month period is measured from the date of conviction, which is when the court formally finds you guilty or you plead guilty to the violation. This date appears on your court documents and your DMV record. If you received a ticket on March 15 but were not convicted until June 10, the 18 months begins on June 10, not March 15.
During those 18 months, every point you accumulate counts toward the 11-point suspension threshold. Once 18 months have passed since a conviction, that violation's points no longer count toward suspension, but they remain visible on your record. This distinction is important: the points do not disappear from your record after 18 months; they straightforward stop being used to calculate whether you should lose your license.
If you receive multiple violations, each one has its own 18-month window. A speeding ticket from January 2023 and a failure-to-stop ticket from December 2023 each have separate 18-month periods. The system looks at all points assigned within the most recent 18-month period to determine your suspension status.
Point Values for Common New York Violations
Different violations carry different point values. Speeding violations range from 3 to 11 points depending on how far over the limit you were driving. Failure to yield, improper lane change, and following too closely each carry 3 points. Reckless driving carries 5 points. Driving with a suspended or revoked license carries 6 points.
The point value is set by state law and does not change based on your driving history or the circumstances of the violation. A 20-miles-over-the-limit ticket always carries 6 points in New York, whether it is your first violation or your tenth. The court cannot reduce the points assigned to a conviction, though you can reduce points through traffic school or by having a conviction vacated.
| Violation Type | Points Assigned |
|---|---|
| Speeding 1–10 mph over limit | 3 points |
| Speeding 11–20 mph over limit | 4 points |
| Speeding 21–30 mph over limit | 6 points |
| Speeding 31+ mph over limit | 11 points |
| Failure to yield | 3 points |
| Improper lane change | 3 points |
| Following too closely | 3 points |
| Reckless driving | 5 points |
| Driving with suspended license | 6 points |
License Suspension and the 11-Point Threshold
New York suspends your license automatically when you accumulate 11 or more points within 18 months. The DMV does not send a warning at 10 points; suspension is mandatory once you hit 11. The suspension period depends on how many points you have accumulated and how many times you have been suspended before.
For a first suspension, the license is typically suspended for 30 days if you have 11 to 13 points. If you have 14 to 16 points, the suspension is 60 days. If you have 17 or more points, the suspension is 90 days. These suspensions are not negotiable; the DMV applies them according to the point total on your record.
After your suspension period ends, you must pay a $100 suspension termination fee and visit an DMV office in person to have your license reinstated. You cannot drive during the suspension period, even with a restricted license. Driving while suspended is a separate criminal offense that carries fines, jail time, and additional license penalties.
How Traffic School Reduces Points
You can remove up to 4 points from your record by completing a 5-hour traffic safety course approved by the New York DMV. This is the only way to reduce points other than having a conviction vacated or overturned. You are allowed to take the course once every 18 months.
The course must be taken in person at a licensed traffic school; online courses are not accepted in New York. The cost varies by school but typically ranges from $50 to $100. After you complete the course, the school submits a certificate to the DMV, and the points are removed from your record within 30 days.
You can take the traffic school course even if you have already been suspended. If you are currently suspended and take the course, the points are removed, but your suspension period does not end early. You must still wait out the full suspension and pay the termination fee. However, removing points through traffic school can prevent a future suspension if you receive another violation after your current suspension ends.
How Insurance Companies View Points Beyond 18 Months
While New York DMV stops counting points toward suspension after 18 months, insurance companies operate under different rules. Most insurers can see violations on your driving record for three to five years, depending on the company and the state where you are insured. A violation that no longer counts toward your DMV suspension may still cause your insurance rates to increase.
Insurance companies use your driving record to calculate your premium, and they typically charge higher rates for drivers with recent violations. Even though the DMV no longer uses the points to determine your license status, the underlying conviction remains visible to insurers. A speeding ticket from two years ago may no longer affect your license, but it can still affect your insurance cost.
Some insurance companies offer accident forgiveness or safe driver discounts that can offset the impact of an older violation. Others may not renew your policy if you have too many violations within a certain period. The best way to reduce insurance costs is to avoid violations and maintain a clean driving record for as long as possible.
Checking Your Point Balance and Driving Record
You can view your current point balance and driving record through the New York DMV website or by visiting an DMV office in person. To check online, go to the DMV's "My DMV" portal, create an account, and log in with your driver's license number and date of birth. Your record shows all convictions, the points assigned to each, and the date each conviction will no longer count toward suspension.
You can also request a certified copy of your driving record by mail or in person. The certified record is useful if you need to show your record to an insurance company, an employer, or a court. There is a small fee for a certified record, typically $5 to $10.
If you see an error on your record—such as a violation you do not recognize or incorrect point values—you can dispute it by contacting the DMV or the court that issued the conviction. Errors are uncommon but do happen, especially if you were convicted in multiple jurisdictions or if court records were not properly transmitted to the DMV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do points ever completely disappear from my New York driving record?
Points stop counting toward suspension after 18 months, but the conviction itself remains on your record indefinitely. Insurance companies and employers can see the conviction for years. The only way to remove a conviction entirely is to have it vacated by a court, which requires filing a motion and proving grounds such as illegal stop or faulty evidence.
If I get a ticket in another state, do those points count in New York?
Yes. New York participates in the Driver License Compact, which means violations from other states are reported to the New York DMV and points are assigned according to New York law. A speeding ticket from Pennsylvania will appear on your New York record and count toward the 11-point suspension threshold.
Can I get my license back early if I take traffic school?
No. Traffic school removes points from your record, but it does not shorten a suspension that is already in effect. You must complete the full suspension period and pay the termination fee. However, removing points through traffic school can prevent future suspensions if you receive another violation after your current suspension ends.
What happens if I get 11 points and then one of those violations reaches 18 months?
Once a violation reaches 18 months, its points no longer count toward suspension. If you had 11 points from two violations—one at 17 months and one at 2 months—and the older one reaches 18 months, you would drop to the points from the newer violation only. However, if you are already suspended when this happens, you must still complete the suspension period.
Can I dispute the point value assigned to my conviction?
No. Point values are set by New York law and cannot be changed by the court or the DMV. However, you can dispute the conviction itself if you believe the ticket or court decision was issued in error. This requires filing a motion in the court that issued the conviction.