Florida Point System: Point Values and Suspensions

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

The Florida point system adds points to your driving record each time you are convicted of a moving violation, and one conviction carries 3, 4 or 6 points. If your total reaches 12 points in 12 months, 18 in 18 months or 24 in 36 months, FLHSMV may suspend your license. A Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) election can keep points off one new ticket, but it does not take away points you already have.

Key Facts

Point values: 3, 4 or 6 points per conviction, set by s. 322.27(3)(d). See common point values.
Suspension levels: 12, 18 or 24 points within set time windows. See when points lead to a suspension.
Time on the record: at least 5 years from the disposition date. See how long points stay.
BDI election: no points for one eligible ticket, if you elect within 30 days. See the BDI election.
After a suspension: ADI school is needed for a hardship license or reinstatement. See ADI after a suspension.

How the Florida Point System Works

Florida’s point rules are in s. 322.27, Florida Statutes. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) keeps your driving record and applies the rules.

Points come from a conviction, not from the traffic stop. Under s. 322.01(11), paying the civil penalty without electing a course counts as a conviction, so points are added. A hearing finding that you committed the infraction is also a conviction.

The table sums up the main rules and their sources.

Part of the system	What the rule says	Where it comes from
Points per conviction	3, 4 or 6, plus 2 for illegal phone use in a school safety zone	s. 322.27(3)(d)
Suspension windows	Counted from the offense date of each conviction	s. 322.27(4)
Time points stay listed	At least 5 years from the disposition date	FLHSMV points page
Only listed deduction	3 points after a first points suspension and reinstatement	s. 322.27(3)(h)
Drivers aged 15 to 17	6 points in 12 months limits the license	s. 322.161

Common Point Values

Section 322.27(3)(d) assigns the points. The FLHSMV Points and Point Suspensions page shows most of these values in a table.

Where the two differ, the statute controls. Here are values that show up on everyday tickets:

Speeding, 15 mph over or less: 3 points.
Speeding, more than 15 mph over: 4 points.
Running a red light (officer-issued): 4 points.
Reckless driving: 4 points.
Careless driving: 3 points.
Other moving violations: 3 points.
A moving violation that causes a crash: 4 points.
Speeding that causes a crash: 6 points.
Leaving the scene of a crash with more than $50 in damage: 6 points.

Our traffic violation points chart lists every value in the law. For tickets for speed, see how many points a speeding ticket adds. For the careless driving rule, see our careless driving guide.

When Points Lead to a Suspension

Section 322.27(3) says FLHSMV “is authorized to suspend” a license when points build up. The law sets three levels:

12 points within 12 months: a suspension of up to 30 days.
18 points within 18 months: a suspension of up to 3 months.
24 points within 36 months: a suspension of up to 1 year.

FLHSMV counts these windows from the offense date of each conviction, under s. 322.27(4), not from the court date. This holds even if the case closed months later.

Here is the math. Four 3-point tickets with offense dates inside 12 months reach 12 points. Three 4-point tickets in the same window also reach 12.

Our guide to license suspension for points explains what happens next.

How the Florida point system moves from a ticket to points, time windows and a possible suspension

How Long Points Stay on Your Record

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

That record period is a different rule from the suspension windows, which look back 12, 18 or 36 months from offense dates.

Our guide on how long points stay on your license compares the two clocks. For the ticket entry itself, see how long a speeding ticket stays on your record.

Checking Your Points

FLHSMV says you can buy your own 3-year, 7-year or complete driver record, and “the record will indicate the number of points.” A free online license status check also exists, but it does not show points.

Our guide on how to check points on your license walks through each option. To learn what each record type shows, read your Florida driving record. For who else can see it, read our background check guide.

How a BDI Election Keeps Points Off a Ticket

Florida lets some drivers elect a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course instead of taking points for a ticket. FLHSMV and clerks also call it “traffic school.” The rules are in s. 318.14(9).

To elect, you must act within 30 days of the citation date:

Tell the Clerk of Court in the county where the ticket was issued, before you take the course.
Pay the clerk’s election fee. There is no statewide amount.

Then finish an FLHSMV-approved course by the date the court or clerk sets.

When the election is valid, adjudication is withheld and no points are assessed for that ticket. You still pay the civil penalty, but it is reduced by 18 percent. The record shows “adjudication withheld,” which is not a dismissal.

Some drivers cannot elect at all:

CDL or CLP holders, in any vehicle.
Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit.
Tickets that need a court hearing under s. 318.19.
Criminal charges, such as reckless driving or leaving the scene.
Anyone who elected in the past 12 months, or who has used all eight lifetime elections.

If you elect but do not finish on time, s. 318.15(1)(b) applies. You are found guilty, the points are added, and you pay back the 18 percent plus a processing fee of up to $18.

What Can Lower a Point Total

A BDI course taken after a conviction does not remove points already on the record. The election only works for the new ticket, and only within the 30 days.

The law lists one deduction. Under s. 322.27(3)(h), 3 points are deducted for a person whose license was suspended for points only once and then reinstated, if all other rules are met.

FLHSMV’s Reading a Driving Record training document says added points “cannot be removed” unless the court that assigned them tells FLHSMV to remove them. Our guide on traffic school and points already on your record covers this in depth.

ADI After a Points Suspension

A points suspension brings a different course: Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI). BDI does not meet this need.

The FLHSMV points page sets two rules:

Hardship license: you must show proof that you completed ADI school, plus a fee.
Full reinstatement: you must show proof that you enrolled in ADI school, plus a fee.

The same duty is in s. 322.291. It covers drivers whose license “was suspended under the point system.”

Drivers Under 18

Teen drivers face the same suspension levels as adults. They also have a separate rule under s. 322.161.

A Class E licensee aged 15 through 17 who gets 6 or more points in 12 months is limited to driving for “business purposes only.” By statute it runs no less than 1 year, with 90 more days per added point. FLHSMV puts it as 12 months or until the driver turns 18, whichever comes first. Our teen points guide has the details.

Tickets With No Points, and Out-of-State Convictions

Some tickets do not add points:

Red light camera tickets. Section 322.27(3)(d)6 says points may not be imposed when a traffic infraction enforcement officer enforces them.
School zone speed camera tickets. Section 322.27(3)(d)5.c gives them no points either.
Seat belt tickets. Section 316.614(8) makes them a nonmoving violation.

Camera violations also may not be used to set insurance rates.

Tickets from other states can count. Section 322.27(3)(e) says a conviction in another state may be recorded with the same points it would get in Florida.

Points and Insurance

Florida insurance law limits what an insurer can do after one ticket. Under s. 626.9541(1)(o)4, an insurer may not surcharge or non-renew solely for one noncriminal infraction. The exceptions are a second infraction in 18 months, a third in 36 months, or speeding more than 15 mph over.

After a valid BDI election with no points, s. 626.9541(1)(o)12 goes further. An insurer may not raise the premium, cancel or non-renew because of that ticket. The exception is a crash where the insurer had a loss due to your fault.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the FLHSMV pages and statutes we checked on October 27, 2026, the point values and suspension levels mostly matched s. 322.27. Two details stood out.

First, the FLHSMV points table lists “SPEEDING” at 3 points. It does not show the 4-point value for more than 15 mph over.

Second, the FLHSMV BDI page still says “five elections in a lifetime.” Section 318.14(9) has said eight since July 1, 2024. The statute controls.

Who does what in the Florida point system: FLHSMV, the Clerk of Court, the court, BDI and ADI schools, and insurers

Common Mistakes

Each mistake below is checked against a statute or FLHSMV page:

Counting from the court date. Suspension windows use the offense date.
Thinking points vanish after 3 years. FLHSMV says they stay at least 5 years from disposition.
Taking a course to clear old points. A BDI election only covers one new ticket.
Missing the 30 days. After that, the election is gone and points are assessed.
Taking BDI after a points suspension. Reinstatement needs ADI.
Ignoring tickets from other states. They may be recorded with Florida point values.

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

How many points does it take to suspend a Florida license?

FLHSMV may suspend your license at 12 points in 12 months, for up to 30 days. At 18 points in 18 months, the limit is 3 months. At 24 points in 36 months, it is 1 year.

How long do points stay on a Florida driving record?

FLHSMV says at least 5 years from the disposition date. The suspension windows are a separate rule that uses offense dates.

Does a BDI course remove points I already have?

No. An election only keeps points off one eligible new ticket. Points from earlier convictions stay.

Can I elect BDI for every ticket?

No. You cannot elect if you elected in the past 12 months or have used all eight lifetime elections. CDL and CLP holders, speeding 30 mph or more over, and hearing tickets are also excluded.

Do camera tickets add points in Florida?

No. Points may not be imposed for red light or school zone speed camera violations handled by a traffic infraction enforcement officer. Insurers also may not use them to set rates.

What happens after a points suspension?

You need ADI school, not BDI. A hardship license requires ADI completion, while reinstatement requires ADI enrollment, and FLHSMV adds a fee.

Do teen drivers have a different point rule?

Yes. Drivers aged 15 through 17 with 6 or more points in 12 months are limited to business purposes only, until age 18 at the latest. The adult suspension levels also apply.

Conclusion

The Florida point system turns each moving violation conviction into points, and FLHSMV watches 12-, 18- and 36-month windows. Check your record and, if you are eligible, elect within 30 days of any new ticket. A court order comes first, so follow its terms and ask the court or clerk when something is unclear. Take the Florida BDI course online when you are ready.

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.