How to Get Points Off Your License in Florida: The Rules

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you searched how to get points off your license in Florida, the short answer is that traffic school does not take away points already on your record. FLHSMV says points that have been added “cannot be removed” unless the court tells it to, and they stay at least 5 years from the disposition date. What a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) election can do is keep points off one new, eligible ticket.

Key Facts

Old points: a course does not remove them. Apart from the 3-point deduction, only the court that gave them can tell FLHSMV to remove them. See points already on your record.
A new ticket: an eligible BDI election within 30 days means no points for that ticket. See keeping points off a new ticket.
One deduction: 3 points come off after a first points suspension and reinstatement. See the 3-point deduction.
Time on record: points stay at least 5 years from the disposition date. See how long points last.
After a suspension: the course you need is ADI, not BDI. See ADI after a suspension.

Points Already on Your Record

FLHSMV trains court staff with a guide called “Reading a Driving Record.” The FLHSMV court training guide, dated 2016, says: “Points that have been added to the record cannot be removed.” It names one exception. The court that gave the points can tell FLHSMV to remove them.

So once points are on your record, a class you sign up for later does not reach back and erase them.

Points get added when a ticket ends in a conviction. Under s. 322.01(11), a conviction includes an admission or a finding on a noncriminal traffic ticket. The Orange County Clerk puts it plainly: “Payment of the civil penalty is considered a conviction.”

How to Get Points Off Your License in Florida: The Real Options

The official rules list only a few paths, and only two of them take points away. This table sorts them out.

Path	Takes old points off?	Where the rule comes from
BDI election on a new ticket	No. It keeps points off that one ticket	s. 318.14(9)
ADI after a points suspension	No. It is a step to drive again	FLHSMV; s. 322.291
First points suspension, then reinstatement	Yes, 3 points are deducted	s. 322.27(3)(h)
The court that gave the points tells FLHSMV	Yes, for those points	FLHSMV court training guide
A course for an insurance discount	No. It deals with your premium	s. 627.06501
Letting time pass	Points stay at least 5 years from disposition	FLHSMV points page

For a full view of how points work, see the Florida points system guide.

Keeping Points Off a New Ticket

The BDI course works on a ticket you just got, not on old ones. Florida calls this a ticket election. The rules are in s. 318.14(9).

When an eligible driver elects BDI and finishes it on time, three things happen:

No points. Points “may not be assessed” for that ticket.
Adjudication is withheld. The record shows “adjudication withheld.” It is not a dismissal.
A smaller fine. You still pay the civil penalty, but it is cut by 18 percent.

The law also says a withheld adjudication “is not a conviction,” under s. 318.14(11). The ticket itself is still listed on your record.

To elect, the FLHSMV BDI page says you must tell the Clerk of Court in the county where you got the ticket. You do this within 30 days of the citation date and before you take the course.

You also pay the clerk’s election fee. There is no statewide amount for that fee.

Our guide to what traffic school does to points covers the election in more depth.

Who Cannot Use the Election

The election is not open to every driver or every ticket. Under s. 318.14(9) and related laws, you cannot elect if:

you hold a commercial driver license (CDL) or a commercial learner’s permit, for any ticket in any vehicle;
you were going 30 mph or more over the limit;
the ticket needs a court hearing under s. 318.19;
the charge is a crime, such as reckless driving or leaving the scene (s. 318.17);
you made an election in the preceding 12 months; or
you have already made eight elections in your lifetime.

The lifetime limit was five before July 1, 2024. Some FLHSMV and clerk pages still say five, but the statute says eight. The statute controls.

Finishing on Time

The court or clerk sets the date to finish the course. There is no statewide window. The Hillsborough County Clerk gives 60 days, for example.

If you elect, pay and do not finish in time, s. 318.15(1)(b) says you are “deemed to have admitted the infraction” and are adjudicated guilty, and points are assessed. You also pay back the 18 percent cut, plus a processing fee of up to $18, and the clerk notifies FLHSMV. Separately, s. 318.15(1)(a) lists failing to attend driver improvement school among the failures the clerk reports to FLHSMV, which then suspends the license.

Why a Later Course Cannot Reach Back

The election has a hard window. The FLHSMV BDI page says: “Drivers may not elect to take the BDI, in lieu of points, after the initial 30-day period.”

The FLHSMV Driver Improvement Schools page adds that if an election is not made, “their right to elect school is forfeited and points are assessed.”

The timing works like this:

You get a ticket, and the 30 days start on the citation date.
If you elect in time and finish, no points are added for that ticket.
If you pay without electing, the ticket counts as a conviction and points go on.
After the 30 days, the chance to elect for that ticket is gone.
A course taken months later does not change the points from step 3.

The 3-Point Deduction

Florida law has one rule that subtracts points. It is in s. 322.27(3)(h): “Three points shall be deducted from the driver history record of any person whose driving privilege has been suspended only once pursuant to this subsection and has been reinstated.”

Three conditions must all be true:

One suspension only. Your license was suspended under the point system just once.
Reinstated. Your license was put back in force after that suspension.
Other rules met. You “complied with all other requirements of this chapter.”

A driver suspended at 12 points who meets all three conditions would have 9 points after the deduction. The deduction comes from the suspension and reinstatement, not from a course.

ADI After a Suspension

If your points get too high, FLHSMV may suspend your license. Under s. 322.27(3), it can suspend for up to 30 days at 12 points in 12 months. It can suspend for up to 3 months at 18 points in 18 months, or up to 1 year at 24 points in 36 months.

Those windows count from the offense date of each conviction. Our license suspension guide covers the levels and reinstatement in full.

The course tied to a points suspension is Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI), not BDI. The FLHSMV points page sets two steps:

Hardship license: proof that you completed an ADI course, plus a fee.
Reinstatement: proof that you enrolled in an ADI course, plus a fee.

Section 322.291 says the same about enrollment. ADI helps you drive again, but it does not erase points.

Steps showing what happens to Florida points, from a ticket to the 30-day choice, the record and the one 3-point deduction

How Long Points Last

The FLHSMV points page says points “remain on the driver record for at least five years from the date of disposition.” The disposition date is when the case was decided.

That is a different clock from the suspension windows. A suspension counts points by offense date inside 12, 18 or 36 months. So an old point can stop counting toward a suspension and still show on your record.

Our guide on how long points stay explains both clocks side by side.

Tickets From Other States

Points can also come from tickets outside Florida. Under s. 322.27(3)(e), a conviction in another state “may be recorded against a driver” with the same points as a Florida conviction.

Checking What Is on Your Record

FLHSMV offers a free online status check for your license, but it does not show points. To see points, FLHSMV says you can buy a 3-year, 7-year or complete driver record, which “will indicate the number of points.”

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the FLHSMV pages and statutes we checked on October 27, 2026, no page listed a way to take points off other than the 3-point rule and a court’s direction. The “cannot be removed” line comes from a 2016 court training file. The current statute, s. 322.27, still lists only the 3-point deduction.

We also saw one gap. The FLHSMV BDI page still says a driver cannot elect after “five elections in a lifetime.” Section 318.14(9) has said eight since July 1, 2024, and the statute controls.

Summary card of the three conditions for the Florida 3-point deduction after one points suspension and reinstatement

Common Mistakes

Every mistake listed here is drawn from Florida law or FLHSMV guidance:

Paying without electing. Paying the ticket without an election counts as a conviction, and a later course does not undo the points.
Waiting past 30 days. FLHSMV does not allow an election after the first 30-day period.
Calling it a dismissal. The record shows adjudication withheld, and the ticket stays listed.
Expecting ADI to clear points. ADI is for a hardship license or reinstatement.
Using the wrong clock. Points stay at least 5 years from the disposition date.
Holding a CDL and planning to elect. CDL and permit holders cannot elect for any ticket.
Missing the finish date. Under s. 318.15(1)(b), you are adjudicated guilty, points are assessed and the 18 percent cut must be repaid.

How Requirements Can Vary

Florida’s election rules, point values and suspension levels come from Florida Statutes and FLHSMV, and they apply statewide. The election fee, the date to finish the course and how proof is filed are set by the Clerk of Court in the county on your ticket, or by the court. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and clerk practice can change. Check your citation, your clerk’s instructions, any court order and the FLHSMV website before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does traffic school take points off my Florida license?

No. A course does not remove points already on your record. FLHSMV says added points cannot be removed unless the court that gave them tells FLHSMV to remove them.

Can I elect BDI for a ticket I already paid?

FLHSMV says you may not elect BDI in place of points after the first 30-day period. Paying the ticket counts as a conviction, and points are added.

How many points come off after a suspension?

Three. Under s. 322.27(3)(h), 3 points are deducted if your license was suspended under the point system only once, you were reinstated and you met all other requirements.

Does ADI remove points?

No. FLHSMV requires ADI completion for a hardship license and ADI enrollment for reinstatement after a points suspension. The points stay on your record.

How long do points stay on a Florida record?

FLHSMV says at least 5 years from the date of disposition. Suspension totals use a separate clock based on offense dates.

Does a course for an insurance discount reduce my points?

No. Section 627.06501 lets an insurer give a discount for a driver improvement course, but it deals with your premium, not your points. That discount does not apply to a course taken for a ticket election.

Can a court take points off?

The FLHSMV training guide says points can be removed if the court that gave them tells FLHSMV to do so. Ask the Clerk of Court in that county about your own case.

Conclusion

Points already on a Florida record stay for at least 5 years, and a course does not take them off. The one deduction is 3 points after a first points suspension and reinstatement.

For a new ticket, an eligible BDI election within 30 days keeps points off that ticket. If you have elected and are ready, you can take the Florida BDI course online.

Sources

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

This article is general information, not legal advice. Election rules, deadlines, fines and penalties depend on your citation, county, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official FLHSMV, Florida Statutes and Clerk of Court sources, and consult a qualified Florida attorney for advice about your own case.