Points, tickets and licence suspension in Minnesota

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain how Minnesota counts traffic convictions instead of points.
• You can tell the difference between suspension, revocation and cancellation.
• You can list offenses that lead to revocation.
• You can explain how tickets affect permit and provisional drivers.

What you need to know and understand

• There are no driver points in Minnesota; suspensions for repeat offenders are based on the number of traffic convictions.
• A warning letter can follow two misdemeanor convictions, or three or more traffic offenses, within 24 months.
• After a warning, four convictions in 12 months or five in 24 months can bring a 30-day suspension, rising to a year for eight or more in 24 months.
• Driving over 100 mph brings at least a six-month revocation.
• Failing or refusing an alcohol test, or a DWI conviction, leads to revocation.
• Seat belt violations are not recorded on your driving record.
• A limited license may let some suspended or revoked drivers travel to work, college or treatment.

Suspension, revocation and cancellation

DPS sends a notice listing the reinstatement requirements, which always include a fee and may include tests.

• Suspension is a temporary loss of driving privileges, for example for repeat violations, failing to appear in court or pay a fine, a misdemeanor traffic conviction, or letting someone else use your license.
• Revocation is more serious and usually requires testing and a new license afterward. Causes include DWI, test refusal, driving over 100 mph, fleeing police, leaving a crash scene and driving an uninsured vehicle knowingly.
• Cancellation means you are no longer entitled to the license, for instance because of false information on an application or a condition that makes driving unsafe.

Extra rules while you are learning

On a permit, you need six months free of moving violations and alcohol or drug offenses before you qualify for a provisional license, so a conviction pushes your road test back.

On a provisional license, a crash-related moving violation, an alcohol or drug offense, or more than one other moving violation delays your full license until 12 months after the conviction or your 18th birthday, whichever comes first. Losing your provisional license for a crash-related or alcohol offense means no license until 18 or the end of the withdrawal period, whichever is later; you then usually pay a $680 reinstatement fee, retake the written test, complete a 30-hour classroom course and start again on a permit. Our guide to Minnesota points and teen suspension rules goes into more detail.

If you get a ticket

1. Stay calm, keep your hands visible and follow the officer's directions.
2. Accepting a citation is not an admission of guilt; it is a promise to deal with it.
3. Read the citation for the court date and payment details.
4. If you disagree, say so in court, not at the roadside.
5. Respond on time; failing to appear or pay can lead to suspension.

Common mistakes

• Thinking a ticket does not matter because Minnesota has no points. Convictions still count.
• Ignoring a citation. Missing court or a payment can suspend your license.
• Assuming one more speeding ticket on a provisional license is harmless. The second one delays your full license.
• Driving after a suspension ends without completing reinstatement. You are not valid until DVS reinstates you.

Test yourself: Points, tickets and licence suspension in Minnesota

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Minnesota Points System
• Learning to Drive in Minnesota
• Minnesota Hands-Free Law for New Drivers