The Florida Point System Explained: How to Keep Your License Safe

When you get your Florida driver's license, you also receive a clean driving record. Keeping it that way is one of your most important responsibilities. To encourage safe driving and track drivers who repeatedly violate traffic laws, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) uses a demerit point system.

Understanding this system from the moment you get your license is crucial. Every time you are convicted of a moving violation, points are added to your record. Accumulate too many points in a set period, and you will face mandatory license suspension.

How the Florida Point System Works

The concept is simple: the state assigns a point value to different moving violations. The more serious the offense, the more points you receive. When you pay a ticket or are found guilty in court, that conviction is reported to the FLHSMV, and the corresponding points are added to your driving record.

Point Values for Common Florida Traffic Violations

It's essential to know which actions carry the most weight. Here are the point values for some of the most common violations in Florida:

• 3 Point Violations:

  • Speeding (15 mph or less over the speed limit)
  • Running a red light (if no accident occurs)
  • Failure to yield right-of-way
  • Most other minor moving violations

• 4 Point Violations:

  • Speeding (16 mph or more over the speed limit)
  • Passing a stopped school bus
  • Reckless driving
  • Violation of a traffic control device resulting in a crash

• 6 Point Violations:

  • Leaving the scene of an accident (Hit and Run) with property damage over $50
  • Speeding resulting in a crash

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI): A conviction for DUI results in an immediate and lengthy administrative and criminal license revocation that operates outside the standard point system.

The Point Suspension Thresholds

The FLHSMV will suspend your driving privilege automatically if you accumulate too many points within a specific timeframe. The thresholds are:

• 12 points within 12 months: Results in a 30-day suspension.
• 18 points within 18 months: Results in a 3-month suspension.
• 24 points within 36 months: Results in a 1-year suspension.

Reinstating your license after a suspension involves paying significant fees and may require you to take additional courses or exams.

A Powerful Tool: Electing to Attend Traffic School

For most minor violations, Florida law gives you a powerful tool to protect your record: the option to elect to attend a driver improvement course, commonly known as traffic school.

• How it Works: If you receive a non-criminal moving violation and are eligible, you can inform the clerk of court in the county where you got the ticket that you are choosing to attend traffic school. You must make this election and pay the ticket fine within 30 days.
• The Benefit: Upon successful completion of a state-approved 4-hour Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course, you will receive a certificate. When you submit this to the clerk of court, the conviction is "withheld." This means no points are assessed to your license for that violation, and your insurance company will not be notified.
• Eligibility and Limitations:
  • You can use this option to avoid points only once in any 12-month period.
  • You can only use this option a total of five times in your lifetime.
  • You are not eligible if you hold a Commercial Driver's License (CDL).

Choosing to attend traffic school for an eligible ticket is the single smartest way to keep points off your record, protect your license from suspension, and keep your insurance rates from increasing.

How to Keep Your Record Clean

1. Drive Safely: The best strategy is prevention. Obey all traffic laws, drive defensively, and avoid distractions.
2. Elect Traffic School: If you get a ticket, check your eligibility and choose the traffic school option. The cost of the course is a small price to pay for a clean record.
3. Know Your Status: You can order a copy of your driving record from the FLHSMV to stay informed about your point total and the status of your license.

Your driver's license is a privilege. By understanding and respecting the Florida point system, you can make informed decisions that will protect that privilege for years to come.