How Many Points to Suspend License in VA? What Happens

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you searched how many points to suspend license in va, the answer for adults is 18 demerit points in 12 months or 24 points in 24 months. At that level, DMV suspends the license for 90 days and requires a Driver Improvement Clinic, or under a 2025 law uses 9 months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program plus the clinic. After that, you serve 6 months of probation.

Key Facts

Adult limit: 18 points in 12 months or 24 in 24 months. See the adult limit.
What happens: a 90-day suspension plus a clinic, or 9 months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program plus a clinic. See during a suspension.
Missed clinic: not finishing a DMV-ordered clinic in 90 days means a suspension until you finish. See missed deadlines.
Under 18: DMV counts convictions, not points. See drivers under 18.
Your rights: a DMV order can be appealed within 30 days. See appeals.

How Many Points to Suspend License in VA?

For drivers 18 and over, the limit is 18 demerit points in 12 months or 24 points in 24 months. DMV’s Drivers Age 18 and Over page says, “your driving privilege will be suspended for 90 days.” It adds, “you must complete a driver improvement clinic before your privilege will be restored.”

The Code now gives DMV a second option. Code of Virginia § 46.2-506, as amended in 2025, allows 9 months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program plus the clinic as the other option to the 90-day suspension.

Points come from convictions. Each one carries 3, 4 or 6 points, and points count for 2 years from the offense date.

The Steps Before the Limit

A suspension is the third DMV step for adults. Two earlier steps come first:

8 points in 12 months or 12 in 24: DMV may mail an advisory letter.
12 in 12 or 18 in 24: DMV orders a clinic, to be finished within 90 days.

Our points system guide explains the full ladder. This guide covers what happens once a suspension is on the table.

Every Way Points Lead to a Suspension

A point total is not the only path to a suspension. This table lists the point-related suspensions in the Code and on DMV’s pages.

Situation	What happens	Source
Adult at 18 points in 12 months or 24 in 24	90-day suspension plus a clinic, or 9 months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program plus a clinic	§ 46.2-506
DMV-ordered clinic not finished in 90 days	Suspended until you finish the clinic	§§ 46.2-501, 46.2-503
Point conviction for an offense during probation	45, 60 or 90 days, for 3, 4 or 6 points	§ 46.2-499
Under 18, second point conviction	90-day suspension	§ 46.2-334.01
Under 18, third point conviction	Revocation for 1 year or until 18, whichever is longer	§ 46.2-334.01
Reckless driving conviction	Court may suspend for up to 6 months	§ 46.2-392

The last row is a court suspension, not a DMV points suspension. It is covered below.

What Happens During a Points Suspension

The adult points suspension has three parts. Each one must be done before the next one starts:

The suspension. It lasts 90 days.
The clinic. The Code says the suspension lasts “thereafter until he attends and satisfactorily completes a driver improvement clinic.”
Probation. DMV says, “Once your privilege is restored, you will be placed on a six-month probation period.”

After probation, an 18-month control period follows under Code § 46.2-500. A point violation during that time brings 6 more months of probation. See our guide to the control period.

Steps from reaching the Virginia point limit through the suspension, the clinic, probation and the control period

Missing a Clinic Deadline

A missed clinic deadline is its own path to a suspension. Under Code § 46.2-501, DMV sends the clinic notice by certified mail. The clinic “must be satisfactorily completed within ninety days from the date of the notice.”

Code § 46.2-503 says DMV “shall suspend” the license of a person who does not finish. The suspension lasts “until such person satisfactorily completes the driver improvement clinic.” This rule does not apply to people who attend by choice.

DMV may give more time for good cause. That applies to out-of-state college students and military members where no approved clinic is offered.

Suspensions During Probation

Probation has its own short suspensions. Under Code § 46.2-499, a point conviction for an offense during probation means a suspension:

3 points: 45 days.
4 points: 60 days.
6 points: 90 days.

A new 6-month probation follows. On request, DMV must grant a restricted license during the first such suspension, if you are otherwise eligible. None allows driving a commercial motor vehicle.

Drivers Under 18

Drivers under 18 follow different rules. DMV acts by the number of convictions, not by point totals. These are the steps in Code § 46.2-334.01:

First point conviction: a required clinic. If it is not finished in 90 days, DMV suspends the license until it is done.
Second: a 90-day suspension.
Third: revocation for 1 year or until age 18, whichever is longer.

After a second conviction, DMV’s Drivers Under 18 page says a driver with no other transportation may petition the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court for home-to-work driving. See our guide on teen driver points.

Drivers aged 18 and 19 have one more rule. Under Code § 46.2-334.02, any demerit-point conviction, or a seat belt or child restraint violation, means a required clinic. The adult point limits for suspension still apply to them.

Tickets From Other States Count

Points from outside Virginia can add up toward the limit. DMV’s Moving Violations and Point Assessments page states that convictions in other states get Virginia demerit points too.

So a ticket on a trip can push your Virginia total higher. Count every conviction from the last 12 and 24 months, wherever it happened.

Reckless Driving: A Court Suspension

A court can suspend a license for reckless driving, apart from DMV points. Under Code § 46.2-392, the court may suspend it for up to 6 months, or order the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program instead.

Over 100 mph, Code § 46.2-393 requires the court to order one of these. Reckless driving also adds 6 demerit points, which count toward the DMV limit.

Driving While Suspended

Driving during a suspension is a separate crime. Code § 46.2-301 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor. The court also suspends the license again for the same period as the first suspension.

Driving while suspended also carries 6 demerit points and stays 11 years on the DMV record. So one choice can add a new suspension and new points at the same time.

How to Get Your License Back

For an adult points suspension, the official sources point to these steps:

Serve the 90 days. Do not drive during the suspension.
Finish the clinic. The suspension runs until you complete it.
Check the reinstatement fee. DMV’s fee chart, form DMV 201, says reinstatement fees “vary based on the type of suspension.”
Start probation. Once restored, you serve 6 months of probation.

For a missed clinic deadline, the suspension ends when you finish the clinic. For a court suspension, follow the court’s order. Our guide on missing a clinic deadline covers that case.

Appealing a DMV Order

A suspension order is not always the last word. Under Code § 46.2-489, a suspended driver may file a petition of appeal, and so may a driver sent to a clinic or put on probation. You have 30 days from the date of the order to file.

Keep following every DMV and court deadline while you decide. A Virginia attorney can explain your options for your own case.

Before You Reach the Limit

A clinic can lower your point total before DMV acts. A voluntary clinic can earn 5 safe driving points, once every 24 months. Code § 46.2-498 describes this as subtracting five demerit points from your total.

The clinic does not remove a conviction.

Check your point balance with DMV so you know how close you are. DMV’s online record request offers a “Points Balance” link, and a driving record costs $9, or $8 online.

What We Found on the Official Pages

When we reviewed the official pages on October 27, 2026, DMV’s Drivers Age 18 and Over page still described only the 90-day suspension. It did not yet mention the Intelligent Speed Assistance option.

The text of Code § 46.2-506 showed the 2025 change that added that option. Form DMV 201, revised August 10, 2026, still said reinstatement fees vary by the type of suspension.

Virginia points suspension key numbers: 18 or 24 points, 90 days, a 9-month alternative, 6 months of probation and a 30-day appeal window

Common Mistakes

Each item below comes from the Code or a DMV page:

Thinking 90 days is the whole suspension. It lasts until you finish the clinic too.
Ignoring the clinic notice. Not finishing in 90 days means a suspension until you do.
Using adult point limits for a teen. Under 18, DMV counts convictions.
Driving during a suspension. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Forgetting probation. Six months of probation follow the restored license.
Missing the appeal window. It closes 30 days from the date of the order.

How Requirements Can Vary

Virginia’s point rules, safe driving points and DMV clinic orders come from the Code of Virginia and DMV rules, and they apply statewide. What you must do still depends on whether you take the clinic by choice, because of a DMV notice, or under a court order. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and court practice can change. Check your DMV notice, your court order and the Virginia DMV website for current rules before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points does it take to suspend a license in Virginia?

For drivers 18 and over, it takes 18 demerit points in 12 months or 24 in 24 months. DMV then suspends the license for 90 days and requires a clinic. The Code now also allows 9 months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program plus the clinic.

How long is a Virginia license suspension for points?

It is 90 days and then until you finish a Driver Improvement Clinic. After your license is restored, you serve 6 months of probation.

What happens at 12 points in Virginia?

At 12 points in 12 months, DMV orders an adult to take a clinic within 90 days. It is not a suspension at that level. A suspension follows if you do not finish in time.

Can a teen lose a license for points in Virginia?

Yes, but the rule counts convictions. A second point conviction under 18 brings a 90-day suspension. A third brings revocation for 1 year or until 18, whichever is longer.

Can I get a restricted license?

During the first suspension for a violation on probation, DMV must grant a restricted license on request, if you are otherwise eligible. It does not allow driving a commercial motor vehicle. Ask DMV about your own case.

Do tickets from other states count toward a suspension?

Yes. DMV assigns Virginia demerit points for traffic convictions in other states. Those points count toward the 12- and 24-month totals.

How much is the reinstatement fee?

DMV says reinstatement fees vary based on the type of suspension. Check DMV’s fee chart, form DMV 201, or ask DMV for the fee that applies to you.

Can a clinic help before I reach the limit?

Yes. An eligible clinic can lower your point total by 5, once every 24 months. It does not remove the conviction.

Conclusion

An adult Virginia license is suspended at 18 points in 12 months or 24 in 24, and the suspension lasts until a clinic is done. Watch your point total and every DMV deadline so you are not caught off guard. Take the Virginia Driver Improvement Course to finish a required clinic or earn the 5-point credit. If a court ordered your clinic, ask the court whether it accepts an online course.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Virginia and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Virginia DMV rules, court orders, fines and penalties depend on your notice, summons, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Virginia DMV and court sources, and consult a qualified Virginia attorney for advice about your own case.