Photo: Alex Smith, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Washington State does not give tickets point values. Instead, the Department of Licensing (DOL) counts how many times you commit a moving violation: 3 occasions in one year, or 4 in two years, means a 60-day suspension and a year of probation for any driver. Intermediate license holders under 18 face a stricter count: a second offense brings a 6-month suspension and a third keeps you off the road until you turn 18. This guide explains both systems, the warning letters, and how the safe driving course and court deferrals work.
Key facts (Washington, as of November 2026)
- No points: RCW 46.20.2892 counts “occasions” of moving violations. Several tickets from one traffic stop count as one occasion.
- Warning notice: 2 occasions in one year, or 3 in two years.
- Suspension: 3 occasions in one year, or 4 in two years, means 60 days suspended plus one year of probation.
- Intermediate license (under 18): first offense, a warning letter to your parent; second, 6 months suspended or until 18; third, suspended until 18 (RCW 46.20.267).
- Since April 1, 2026: finishing the required safe driving course early can end a 60-day suspension early, once every five years.
What counts as a moving violation in Washington?
WAC 308-104-160 lists the offenses DOL counts. Parking, equipment and paperwork violations (insurance, registration, licensing) do not count. The list includes, among many others:
- Speeding, speeding in a school zone and speed too fast for conditions
- Failure to stop at a signal, stop sign or for a school bus
- Failure to yield, improper lane change, following too closely and improper passing
- Negligent driving in the second degree and failure to maintain control
- Using a personal electronic device while driving, and dangerously distracted driving
- Violating instruction permit or license restrictions
- Reckless driving, DUI, racing and hit and run (criminal traffic offenses)
- A driver under 21 driving after consuming alcohol or cannabis
Phone use is the one most likely to catch a new driver. See Washington E-DUI distracted driving law explained.
When does Washington suspend a license for too many tickets?
| Moving violation occasions | What DOL does |
|---|---|
| 2 in one year, or 3 in two years | Sends a notice that one more will mean a 60-day suspension |
| 3 or more in one year, or 4 or more in two years | Suspends the license for 60 days, then one year of probation |
| Any moving violation during probation | Adds a further 30-day suspension |
Before your license is reinstated you must complete a safe driving course recommended by DOL. DOL may not charge a reissue fee at the end of this suspension.
Ending the suspension early with the safe driving course
The version of RCW 46.20.2892 in force from April 1, 2026 lets you take the safe driving course any time after DOL sends notice of a pending suspension. When DOL receives proof you finished it, it must end the suspension (or pending suspension) before the 60 days are up, as long as reinstatement requirements and fees are met. Probation then starts that day. Two limits apply:
- Early termination is allowed only once every five years.
- It is not available for a suspension caused by a violation during probation.
A further change takes effect on January 1, 2029: if one of the counted violations was excessive speeding, you will have to drive a vehicle fitted with an intelligent speed assistance device for the first 120 days of probation.
Extra rules for intermediate license holders under 18
RCW 46.20.267 applies when an intermediate licensee is convicted of a traffic offense under chapter 46.61 RCW (the rules of the road) or breaks the intermediate license restrictions:
| Offense | Result |
|---|---|
| First | DOL mails your parent or guardian a warning letter |
| Second | Intermediate license suspended for 6 months, or until you turn 18 if that comes first. Parent notified |
| Third | Intermediate license suspended until you turn 18. Parent notified |
A single ticket listing more than one offense counts as one offense. The count is much tighter than the adult rule: two tickets in two years would only earn an adult a warning, but they cost a 17-year-old intermediate driver six months.
How tickets delay the next license stage
- Getting the intermediate license: you must have no traffic violation conviction in the 6 months before you apply, and no ticket pending at the time of application.
- Lifting the passenger and night limits early: after 12 months on the intermediate license, the limits drop only if you have had no traffic offense conviction, no restriction violation and no qualifying crash in that time.
The passenger, night and phone limits themselves are in Washington intermediate license rules for teens. Police can enforce the passenger and night limits only as a secondary action, but the phone ban for intermediate drivers can be enforced on its own.
Alcohol and drug rules for young drivers
- Under 21: it is an offense to drive with an alcohol concentration of at least 0.02 (RCW 46.61.503), and it is on DOL’s moving violation list.
- Juvenile alcohol, drug and firearm offenses: when a court reports certain offenses by a juvenile, DOL revokes all driving privileges: on the first notice, one year or until 17, whichever is longer; on a second or later notice, two years or until 18, whichever is longer (RCW 46.20.265).
Background: zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21.
Can a ticket be kept off your Washington record?
For a traffic infraction, a court hearing can defer findings for up to one year with conditions. If you meet the conditions and commit no other infraction in that time, the court may dismiss the ticket (RCW 46.63.070). You can receive only one deferral for a moving violation in any seven-year period, and commercial license holders are not eligible. A dismissed infraction is not a committed infraction, so it should not count toward the DOL totals. Confirm how your case will be reported with the court.
What to do in the days after a ticket: getting a traffic ticket as a new driver.
Common questions
Does Washington have a points system?
No. DOL counts moving violation occasions rather than points.
How many tickets before a suspension in Washington?
3 in one year or 4 in two years for any driver. For an intermediate license holder under 18, the second offense brings a suspension.
Do two tickets from one stop count twice?
Under RCW 46.20.2892, multiple infractions from a single traffic stop are one occasion. Under the intermediate license rule, a single ticket counts as one offense.
Will my parents find out?
Yes, if you hold an intermediate license. DOL writes to your parent or guardian after the first offense and with any suspension.
Does a suspension end when I turn 18?
The intermediate suspensions run until 18 at the latest. The adult 60-day rule applies to everyone, whatever their age.
How do other states compare?
See points systems and license suspensions in the US.
Main guide: learning to drive in Washington State.
Sources
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 46.20.2892, “Traffic infractions for moving violations, suspension, probation, notice” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 46.20.267, “Intermediate licensees” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 46.20.075, “Intermediate license” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 46.20.265, “Juvenile driving privileges, revocation for alcohol or drug violations” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 46.61.503, “Driver under twenty-one consuming alcohol or cannabis” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 46.63.070, “Response to notice” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, WAC 308-104-160, “Moving and nonmoving violations defined” (app.leg.wa.gov)