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Florida puts points on your driver license for moving traffic convictions, and FLHSMV can suspend your license once you reach 12 points in 12 months, 18 points in 18 months or 24 points in 36 months. This page covers the point values in Florida Statutes s. 322.27, the stricter 6 point rule for drivers aged 15 to 17, the “three crashes” course requirement, and how to keep points off your record.
Key facts
- Most moving violations: 3 points. Speeding more than 15 mph over: 4 points. Leaving the scene of a property damage crash: 6 points.
- Suspension: 12 points in 12 months (up to 30 days), 18 in 18 months (up to 3 months), 24 in 36 months (up to 1 year).
- Drivers aged 15 to 17 with 6 or more points in 12 months are restricted to business purposes only for at least 1 year.
- A third crash within 36 months, where you are convicted of the offense that caused it, means a course with a behind-the-wheel test or your license is canceled.
- You can usually elect a basic driver improvement course to avoid points, once in any 12 months and up to eight times in your life.
How many points is each offense in Florida?
These values come from s. 322.27(3)(d), Florida Statutes (2026 edition).
| Conviction | Points |
|---|---|
| Any moving violation not listed below (including a second texting offense and handheld phone use in a school or work zone) | 3 |
| Speeding up to 15 mph over the limit | 3 |
| Speeding more than 15 mph over the limit | 4 |
| Violating a traffic control signal device, such as running a red light (officer-issued ticket) | 4 |
| Passing a stopped school bus | 4 |
| Reckless driving | 4 |
| Any other moving violation that results in a crash | 4 |
| Speeding or unlawful phone use that results in a crash | 6 |
| Leaving the scene of a crash with property damage over $50 | 6 |
| Unlawfully driving through a railroad crossing | 6 |
| Passing a stopped school bus causing serious bodily injury or death | 6 |
| A moving violation committed while unlawfully using a phone in a school safety zone | +2 on top of the points for the violation |
Not every ticket carries points:
- Camera tickets: red light camera, school zone speed camera and school bus camera tickets carry no points and cannot be used to set insurance rates.
- Nonmoving violations: parking and paperwork offenses, and a first texting offense, are not on the point schedule.
- Out-of-state tickets: a conviction in another state for something that would be a Florida traffic offense can be recorded with the same points.
FLHSMV counts the time periods using the offense date of each conviction, not the court date.
When does Florida suspend your license for points?
| Points | Within | Maximum suspension |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 12 months | 30 days |
| 18 | 18 months | 3 months |
| 24 | 36 months | 1 year |
Points used for an earlier suspension still count toward the 18 and 24 point thresholds. FLHSMV may send a warning letter when you get close. If you have been suspended for points only once and are reinstated, 3 points are deducted from your record.
Before a points suspension can be lifted, you must show proof of enrollment in an FLHSMV-approved advanced driver improvement (ADI) course (s. 322.291). If you do not complete it within 90 days of reinstatement, your license is canceled.
The 6 point rule for Florida drivers under 18
Under s. 322.161, if you hold a Class E license, are aged 15 to 17 and build up 6 or more points in 12 months (parking excluded):
- FLHSMV notifies you, and you must appear within 10 days to have a business-purposes-only restriction applied.
- The restriction lasts at least 1 year from the date it is applied.
- Each additional point adds 90 days.
- It is withdrawn after 1 year with no new points, or on your 18th birthday if there are no other grounds.
There is no administrative hearing to challenge this restriction. “Business purposes” means driving needed to keep a livelihood: work, education, church and medical trips (s. 322.271).
Points matter before you even get your license. Under s. 322.05(2), a learner’s license holder under 18 needs 12 months with no moving traffic convictions before moving up to a Class E license, unless they elected a driving course and adjudication was withheld. See Florida learner’s license rules and the Florida teen curfew.
How to keep points off your Florida record
For most tickets, s. 318.14(9) lets you elect a basic driver improvement course instead of going to court. If you do:
- adjudication is withheld
- no points are assessed
- the civil penalty is reduced by 18 percent
Limits:
- You cannot elect again if you elected in the previous 12 months.
- You can elect no more than eight times in your lifetime.
- The course option is not available for speeding 30 mph or more over the limit, and some license and registration offenses are also excluded.
- Commercial license holders cannot use it.
Some offenses require a court hearing whatever you choose (s. 318.19). These include a crash causing death or serious bodily injury, passing a school bus on the side children enter and exit, and speeding 30 mph or more over the limit.
Florida’s three crashes in three years law
FLHSMV screens crash reports under s. 322.0261. If you are convicted of, or plead no contest to, the traffic offense behind a crash in one of these situations, you must take an FLHSMV-approved driver improvement course:
| Crash | What is required |
|---|---|
| A crash causing death, or injury needing transport to a medical facility | Driver improvement course |
| A second crash within 2 years with at least $500 in property damage | Driver improvement course |
| A third crash within 36 months of the first | Course with behind-the-wheel instruction, a driving assessment and a behind-the-wheel exam you must pass |
If you do not finish the course within 90 days of FLHSMV’s notice, your license is canceled until you complete it.
The same 90 day course rule applies after a conviction for running a red light, passing a stopped school bus, racing or reckless driving. For a school bus offense, the course is required even if the court withholds adjudication.
Other ways to lose your Florida driving privilege
- Without a hearing: FLHSMV may suspend you for a conviction that caused a crash with death, injury or over $500 of property damage, for license fraud, or for a second school bus stop violation within 5 years (s. 322.27(1)). A court can also direct a suspension.
- Habitual traffic offender: 15 point-carrying moving convictions in 5 years, or 3 serious convictions such as DUI, driving while suspended, leaving an injury crash or (from July 1, 2026) driving without a valid license in 5 years, leads to revocation for at least 5 years (ss. 322.264 and 322.27(5)).
- DUI and test refusal: an administrative suspension of 6 months for a first 0.08 BAC offense, or 1 year for a first refusal and 18 months for a second, which is also a misdemeanor (s. 322.2615). A first DUI conviction brings a $500 to $1,000 fine, up to 6 months in jail and license revocation of at least 180 days, with higher minimums at a 0.15 BAC or with a minor in the car (s. 316.193). A DUI conviction stays on your record for 75 years, according to the handbook.
- Zero tolerance, under 21: driving with a breath or blood alcohol level of 0.02 or more means an on-the-spot suspension of 6 months (1 year if you have been suspended under this rule before). Refusing the test means 1 year, or 18 months for a second refusal. At 0.05 or more, the suspension lasts until you finish a substance abuse course from a licensed DUI program (s. 322.2616). More: zero tolerance laws.
- No insurance: your license and registration can be suspended. See Florida no-fault insurance.
Administrative hearings and hardship licenses
- Most suspensions: FLHSMV must offer a hearing on request, held within 30 days of the request in your county of residence (s. 322.271(1)). At the hearing you can ask for a restricted business or employment purpose license by showing serious hardship. For a points suspension, you need proof of enrollment in the approved course.
- DUI and refusal suspensions: you have 10 days from the notice of suspension to request a formal or informal review. The temporary permit expires at midnight on the 10th day (s. 322.2615).
Penalties for passing a stopped school bus in Florida
| Offense | Minimum penalty | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Failing to stop for a school bus | $200 plus $65 | 4 |
| Passing on the side children enter and exit | $400 plus $65, mandatory hearing | 4 |
| Second offense within 5 years | License suspended 180 days to 1 year | 4 |
| Causing serious bodily injury or death | $1,500, suspension of at least 1 year, 120 hours of hospital community service, victim impact panel or course | 6 |
Fines are from s. 318.18(5), as of November 2026. The stopping rules themselves are in Florida move over and school bus rules.
Common questions
How long do points stay on a Florida license?
The statute counts points in rolling windows of 12, 18 and 36 months for suspensions, and 5 years for habitual offender status. How long a conviction stays visible on your driving record is set by FLHSMV; check the current rule with FLHSMV.
Is a speeding ticket 3 or 4 points in Florida?
3 points if you were 15 mph or less over the limit, 4 points if more than 15 mph over, and 6 points if the speeding caused a crash.
Do red light camera tickets give points in Florida?
No. Points are not imposed when the violation is enforced by a traffic infraction enforcement officer from camera evidence. An officer-issued red light ticket is 4 points.
Can a 16 year old lose their license for points in Florida?
At 6 points in 12 months, the license is restricted to business purposes only for at least a year. At 12 points in 12 months, the general suspension rules also apply.
How many times can I take traffic school in Florida?
Once in any 12 month period, and no more than eight times in your lifetime, under s. 318.14(9).
Do other states use the same points?
No. Each state sets its own schedule. See US points systems and license suspensions.
Back to the Florida learning to drive guide.
Sources
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.27, Authority of department to suspend or revoke driver license or identification card” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.161, High-risk drivers; restricted licenses” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.0261, Driver improvement course; requirement to maintain driving privileges” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.291, Driver improvement schools or DUI programs; required in certain suspension and revocation cases” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.264, Habitual traffic offender defined” (leg.state.fl.us), as amended by ch. 2026-53 (CS/HB 35, 2026)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.2616, Suspension of license; persons under 21 years of age” and “s. 316.193, Driving under the influence; penalties” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.271, Authority to modify revocation, cancellation, or suspension order” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.2615, Suspension of license; right to review” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.05, Persons not to be licensed” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 318.14, Noncriminal traffic infractions” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 318.18, Amount of penalties” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 318.19, Infractions requiring a mandatory hearing” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 316.027, Crash involving death or personal injuries” (leg.state.fl.us)