New York DMV Driver's License Points System FAQs

New York assesses points on a person’s driver’s license when they are convicted of certain moving violations. You can read more about the points system here. The number of points for a violation depends on how serious the New York Department of Motor Vehicle considers the violation. Many violations are only two points while some are three or four and serious violations such as passing a stopped school bus, reckless driving and cell phone tickets carry five points. Speeding tickets can range from between 3 points and 11 points depending on the speed over the speed limit. If you receive 11 points in an 18 month period your New York Driver’s license or your NY privilege to operate a motor vehicle may be suspended. At 6 points the DMV will assess a Driver Responsibility assessment.

At any time that you have 6 or more points on your license the NY DMV will assess a $300 fee for the first 6 points and $75 for each point over 6. For example, 9 points would result in a $525 Driver Responsibility Assessment. The Driver Responsibility Assessment can be paid out over a three-year period.

The short answer is between 3 and 11 points depending. If you are caught going between 1 and 10 miles per hour over the speed limit or you are convicted of driving at a speed that is not reasonable and prudent the DMV will assess 3 points. 11-20 miles per hour over the speed limit will result in 4 points. 21-30 miles per hour over the speed limit will result in 6 points. 31-40 miles per hour over the limit will result in 8 points. 41 or more miles per hour over the limit will result in 11 points and may result in a suspension of a driver’s license. See our New York Driver’s License Points page.

In New York a Driver can take an online defensive driver course and remove up to four points from a person’s driver’s license. See our New York Driver’s License Points page. The course will take points that are already assessed on your license but will not take off future points and cannot bring your point total below zero. The course can reduce points only once in an eighteen-month period. In addition, sometimes motions can be made to vacate please and attempt to negotiate a less serious violation as a way of reducing points. The point reduction course does not remove points for the purpose of calculating the Driver Responsibility Assessment.

Firstly, points are not assessed on your license until you are convicted. They are not assessed when the traffic violation is issued. Depending on the Court process it may take 1 year or more until the points are assessed on your license. However, the point total is calculated based upon the date of violation. In other words, if you fight the ticket it is possible that by the time the points go on your license, they will no longer be counted in the 18 month period.

No. Unless the violation occurred in Ontario or Quebec, Canada. NY does have a reciprocity agreement with those two Canadian provinces and points accrued in those provinces may be added to your New York license and be used to calculate a suspension or a The Driver Responsibility Assessment.