Points, tickets and licence suspension in District of Columbia
DC DMV adds points to your driving record for moving violations. Points are a warning system: build up too many and you lose your license for a time, or altogether until you are reinstated.
For new drivers, points matter even more, because a single pointable offense can delay the move from provisional license to full license.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can explain how the DC point system works and how long points last.
- You can name the point totals that lead to suspension and revocation.
- You can give point values for common offenses.
- You can describe the extra penalties for GRAD drivers.
- You can explain how traffic school may remove points from a DC ticket.
What you need to know and understand
- Points stay on your DC record for two years.
- 10 or 11 points means a 90-day suspension.
- 12 or more points means revocation, with reinstatement no sooner than 6 months later.
- Parking tickets and camera tickets do not carry points.
- Out-of-state moving violations are scored using DC's own point values.
- Breaking a GRAD restriction brings a 30, 60 or 90-day suspension for a first, second or third offense.
- The license reinstatement fee is $115.
Common point values
- Speeding 11 to 15 mph over: 3 points.
- Speeding 16 to 20 mph over: 4 points.
- Speeding 21 mph or more over: 5 points.
- Failing to yield to a pedestrian: 3 points.
- Failing to stop for a school bus with flashing lights: 4 points.
- Driving on a learner permit without a licensed driver: 5 points.
- Violating a license restriction: 4 points.
- Reckless driving: 6 points.
- Leaving the scene of a crash with no injury: 8 points.
- DUI, or any measurable alcohol under 21, or hit and run with injury: 12 points and automatic revocation.
Why points hit new drivers hardest
To move from a provisional license to a full license with conditions, you need 12 consecutive months with no offense that carries points. To get a provisional license you need 6 months clean. One speeding ticket can therefore push your next stage back by months. If you break a GRAD restriction, such as carrying too many passengers or driving after hours, you also face a suspension, the suspension time is added to the 6-month waiting period before your next license stage, and a parent or guardian of a driver under 18 is told in writing.
Traffic school for a DC ticket
- Contest the ticket by mail and ask specifically for the points to be waived.
- A DC DMV hearing examiner decides. Approval is not automatic.
- If approved as Liable Traffic School Approved, pay the fine within 15 calendar days.
- Complete the approved online defensive driving course within 30 calendar days.
- Send the completion certificate to DC DMV, which confirms the points are removed.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring a ticket from another state. DC still adds points using its own chart.
- Assuming points disappear after one year. They stay for two years.
- Driving while suspended. That adds new charges and lengthens the time without a license.
- Forgetting that GRAD suspensions are added to the 6-month waiting periods, which delays your next license stage.
Test yourself: Points, tickets and licence suspension in District of Columbia
Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.
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Sources: Driver Point System and Driver Point System Chart pages, DC DMV (dmv.dc.gov); Driver License Fees, DC DMV; District of Columbia Official Code section 50-1401.01. Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with the District of Columbia licensing agency.