Can a driving course take points off?

Alaska

Credits may be earned for violation-free driving and/or completion of a defensive driver course (DDC). A DDC may be taken once every 12 months for a point reduction.

Unless you are challenging the ticket in court, you will want to pay the ticket before you take the defensive driving course. If you do not, the points from the defensive driving course may not apply to your points total and reduce your total number of points.

Colorado

If a person receives a penalty assessment notice for a violation under section 42-41701 (5) and such person pays the fine and surcharge for the violation on or before the date the payment is due, the points assessed for the violation are reduced as follows:

For a violation having an assessment of three or more points under subsection (5) of this section, the points are reduced by two points;

For a violation having an assessment of two points under subsection (5) of this section, the points are reduced by one point.

Delaware

The licensee shall have a 3-point credit entered on the licensee’s driving record following satisfactory completion of the course.

DDC credit is effective on the date of course completion. DDC credit will not be applied retroactively once an action item is in effect.

A licensee who is convicted of a speeding violation from 1 – 14 miles per hour over the posted speed limit will not be assessed points for the first violation within any three (3) year period

District of Columbia

If you have received a moving violation in Washington, DC, then you may be eligible to attend a DC DMV approved online defensive driving course to have the points removed from your driving record.

Prior approval from a DC Department of Motor Vehicles' Hearing Examiner is required before taking the course to have points removed.

Once you complete traffic school, the violation will appear on your driver record, but the points will not appear.

Florida

Three points shall be deducted from the driver history record of any person whose driving privilege has been suspended only once pursuant to this subsection and has been reinstated, if such person has complied with all other requirements of this chapter.

Georgia

Up to 7 points can be reduced once every 5 years.

To qualify for a Points Reduction, you must successfully complete a certified Driver Improvement (defensive driving) course.

Idaho

Three (3) points may be removed from an Idaho driving record upon the driver’s completion of an approved defensive driving class

Points may only be removed from a driver’s record once every three (3) years. The three-year period begins on the completion date of either a defensive driving class or traffic safety education program.

Once the department has suspended a driver for excessive points, that driver may not have the suspension action rescinded by attending a defensive driving class or traffic safety education program.

Indiana

The BMV will apply a 4 point credit to an Indiana Official Driver Record for successful completion of a BMV-approved DSP. The credit may only be applied once every three years.

However, if an additional course is completed, the time period of the credit will be extended for three years from the new course completion date.

Each driver is allowed one four-point credit during a three-year period.

Completion of the Driver Safety Program will not remove a citation from your driver history.

Iowa

The completion of a driver improvement course, probation period, or a suspension does not clear your driving record of any entries showing violations or accidents.

Maryland

Points are not removed upon request. They remain on your driving record according to Maryland law and established timeframes. Safe driving over time is the best way to prevent additional points from accumulating.

Michigan

the secretary of state shall not enter the points corresponding to a moving violation committed in this state by an individual the secretary of state determines to be eligible under this section on the individual's driving record or make information concerning that violation available to any insurance company if the individual attends and successfully completes a basic driver improvement course under this section

The violation is a violation for which 4 or more points may be assessed under section 320a.

The individual previously successfully completed a basic driver improvement course.

The individual has 3 or more points on the individual's driving record.

Missouri

For the first full year of operation without conviction for a moving violation, the total accumulated point value charged against an operator shall be reduced by one-third.

For the second consecutive full year of operation without conviction of a moving violation, the remaining total accumulated point value charged against an operator shall be reduced by one-half.

shall be accepted by the director in lieu of the assessment of points for a violation pursuant to subdivision (1), (2) or (4) of subsection 1 of this section or pursuant to subsection 3 of this section.

The completion of a driver-improvement program or a motorcycle-rider training course shall not be accepted in lieu of points more than one time in any thirty-six-month period and shall be completed within sixty days of the date of conviction in order to be accepted in lieu of the assessment of points.

When your driving privilege is reinstated following a Point Suspension or Revocation, the Department of Revenue reduces your total points to 4.

Nebraska

Any person who has fewer than twelve points assessed against his or her driving record under section 60-4,182 may voluntarily enroll in a driver improvement course approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Upon notification of successful completion of such a course by the conducting organization, the department shall reduce by two the number of points assessed against such person's driving record within the previous two years.

Such reduction shall be allowed only once within a five-year period.

Nevada

If you have 3 to 11 points, you may be eligible to remove 3 points by completing a DMV-approved traffic safety course. This option is not available if the course was part of a plea bargain with the court.

A person may attend a course only once in 12 months for the purpose of reducing demerit points.

New Hampshire

Any person who has accumulated at least 3 points under the provisions of these rules shall, only for suspension purposes pursuant to Saf -C 212.02, have the most recent point assessment total reduced by 3 points if s/he can prove to the division s/he has successfully completed a driver improvement course

No person shall have his point total reduced by more than 3 points during any 3 complete consecutive calendar year period.

New Jersey

Although the MVC keeps a permanent record of all the points you've earned, it is possible to earn point deductions by remaining violation and suspension-free for one year or by taking qualified driving courses approved by the MVC.

One year with no violations or suspensions -3 Year begins on date of violation or most recent restoration.

Defensive Driving Program -2 May be used to subtract points once every five years.

Driver Improvement Program -3 May only be used to subtract points once every two years in response to MVC proposed action.

Probationary Driver Program -3 May only be completed one time when ordered by MVC to attend.

New York

4 points are 'subtracted' to calculate a suspension if you have 11 or more points

the tickets/points do not physically come off your driving record

You can reduce your point total by up to four points and save up to 10 percent on your auto liability and collision insurance premiums by taking a DMV-approved Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention Course.

Completion of a point reduction course cannot prevent a mandatory suspension or revocation or be applied as a “credit” against future points, or prevent or reduce a Driver Responsibility Assessment by the DMV.

North Carolina

upon the successful completion of the course taken at the clinic, three points shall be deducted from the licensee's conviction record; provided, that only one deduction of points shall be made on behalf of any licensee within any five-year period.

Drivers may request to attend a driver improvement clinic if they accumulate four points (on the eight-point scale) or seven points (on the 12-point scale) on their driving record. To receive point credit, an individual must qualify and have a conference with an administrative hearings officer.

Drivers can attend driving improvement clinics once every five years.

North Dakota

Drivers are eligible to take a defensive driving course to reduce their total points by 3, once every 12 months.

A defensive driving course can also be taken "in lieu of points" being entered on your driving record for some violations with 5 or fewer points.

If an individual elects to attend the course, the point penalty of five points or fewer for the violation by section 39-06.1-10 may not be assessed if proof of completion of the course is presented to the department within thirty days after the individual notifies the court of the election.

If you are serving a suspension or cancelation related to point violations, points will not be reduced until the period of suspension is complete.

If a licensee completes a period of suspension ordered under section 39-06.1-10 or as ordered or recommended by a court of competent jurisdiction, the director shall reduce the point total shown on the licensee's driving record to eleven points. A suspension must be ordered if that licensee's point total again reaches twelve or more points.

Ohio

Upon the person's completion of an approved course of remedial driving instruction, the person may apply to the registrar on a form prescribed by the registrar for a credit of two points on the person's driving record.

In any three-year period, the registrar shall approve only one two-point credit on a person's driving record

Oklahoma

Two (2) points are deducted for successful completion of a Service Oklahoma-approved Driver Compliance or Defensive Driving Course. Credit for completing the course can be given once every 24 months. The point total cannot go below zero.

Two (2) points will be deducted from a person's driving record upon successful completion of an approved Driver Improvement/Defensive Driving Course. However, the two (2) point reduction will only be given one (1) time in a 24 month period.

Pennsylvania

(i) two points shall be removed from the person's record, if the person elected to take the special examination; or (ii) four points shall be removed from the person's record, if the person elected to attend a driver improvement school and completed the school's requirements.

Upon the restoration of any person's operating privilege which has been suspended or revoked pursuant to this subchapter or pursuant to Chapter 38 (relating to driving after imbibing alcohol or utilizing drugs), such person's record shall show five points

South Carolina

Any driver who has accumulated points under the provisions of this article shall have the number of his points reduced by four upon proving to the satisfaction of the Department of Motor Vehicles that he has completed the National Safety Council's "Defensive Driving Course" or its equivalent, if the course is completed after the points have been assessed.

No person's points may be reduced more than one time in any three-year period, pursuant to the provisions contained in this section.

The course must be taken after the points have been assessed (violation date). A reduction in points may only be made one time in a three-year period.

you must complete the course before the suspension begins. Once the suspension begins, the point reduction will not cancel the suspension.

Utah

A DDC approved by the Driver License Division may be used for point reduction. This DDC may only be used once every three years and will reduce the points on a record by a maximum of 50 points.

when you drive one full year without a moving traffic violation conviction, half the points acquired will be removed from your record. If you drive two successive years without conviction, all points will be removed.

The division may also delete points to reward violation-free driving for periods of time set by the division.

Virginia

One safe driving point shall be awarded for each calendar year of safe driving, but no person shall be permitted to accumulate more than five safe driving points. The Commissioner shall apply these points to offset an equivalent number of demerit points, if any, to the chronologically earliest offense conviction, or finding of not innocent in the case of a juvenile, for which demerit points have been assigned and are valid.

who satisfactorily completes the clinic shall have five demerit points subtracted from his total accumulation of demerit points, except in those instances where a person has not accumulated five demerit points, in which case a reduction in demerit points and/or the award of safe driving points will be made.

Safe driving points shall be awarded or reductions in premium charges, as set forth in § 38.2-2217, shall be received for the completion of a driver improvement clinic only once within a period of two years from the date a person satisfactorily completes the clinic.

A driver may accumulate a maximum of five safe driving points. You may earn five safe driving points by completing a driver improvement clinic.

West Virginia

Any driver who completes an approved Defensive Driving Course (DDC) will have three (3) points removed from their overall total, regardless of the amount of points currently on their record.

If a points suspension for 14 or more points has already been established on your record, the suspension will not be rescinded or affected by the DDC; the driver must serve the suspension and pay the reinstatement fee.

The Defensive Driving Course may only be taken once every 12 months for point reduction.

Online Defensive Driving Courses are NOT acceptable for point reduction and will NOT be considered by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.

the division may, upon completion of an approved defensive driving course, deduct three points from a licensee’s point accumulation provided the licensee has not reached 14points.

Wisconsin

You may reduce your point total by three points for attending an approved traffic safety course.

There are no approved online courses for point reduction. If you are already suspended for accumulating too many points, and if your point total is 12, 13 or 14 points, your suspension may be released after taking the course. Only one reduction is allowed in a three-year period.

the points assessed to a person’s driver record shall be reduced by 3 points or by the number of points accumulated up to 3, upon application for a demerit point reduction and satisfactory completion of any of the following:

Each person may seek only one point reduction under this section in a 3-year period.