26 May Indiana Traffic Ticket Points
Traffic Ticket Points in Indiana
If you are stopped by the police and issued a traffic ticket, you probably already know that you may have to pay a fine if you are found guilty. What you might not know, however, is that there are other consequences to being found guilty of a traffic citation. One of those consequences is traffic ticket points being added to your driving record.
In Indiana, each citation is assigned points based on the severity of the citation. For example, speeding 1-15 over the limit is 2 points, while 16-25 over is 4 points and 26+ above the speed limit is 6 points.
Some of the more common citations are as follows:
1 – 15 mph over the speed limit | 2 point violation |
16 – 25 mph over the speed limit | 4 point violation |
26+ mph over the speed limit | 6 point violation |
Failure to use headlights | 2 point violation |
No brake or signal lights | 2 point violation |
Disregard stop/yield sign | 4 point violation |
Fail to yield to moving emergency vehicle | 6 point violation |
Improper U-turn | 4 point violation |
Following too closely | 6 point violation |
Unsafe lane movement | 4 point violation |
Failure to yield | 4 point violation |
Speed contest on road | 8 point violation |
Improper motorcycle headgear | 4 point violation |
Improper motorcycle passenger | 4 point violation |
Driving while suspended | 8 point violation |
A complete list of all traffic citations and the accompanying points can be found in the Indiana Administrative Code, Title 140, Article 1 (IAC Title 140, Article 1).
Traffic Ticket Points and Your Driver’s License
When you are convicted of a traffic citation, that conviction is recorded on your driving record. If you are an out-of-state driver, the conviction will be sent to your home state. However, for Indiana drivers, the BMV will also record the points associated with your ticket. These points remain on your driving record for two (2) years, at which time they expire. The conviction, however, remains on your record.
If you accumulate a sufficient number of points, the BMV can take action against your driving privileges, including placing you on administrative probation and/or suspending your driver’s license.
Indiana Administrative Code (IAC Title 140, Article 1) sets out the following probation and suspension categories:
(1) Fourteen (14) to eighteen (18) points will result in a warning notice from the bureau to the affected person.
(2) Twenty (20) points will result in a one (1) month suspension.
(3) Twenty-two (22) points will result in two (2) months suspension.
(4) Twenty-four (24) points will result in three (3) months suspension.
(5) Twenty-six (26) points will result in four (4) months suspension.
(6) Twenty-eight (28) points will result in five (5) months suspension.
(7) Thirty (30) points will result in six (6) months suspension.
(8) Thirty-two (32) points will result in seven (7) months suspension.
(9) Thirty-four (34) points will result in eight (8) months suspension.
(10) Thirty-six (36) points will result in nine (9) months suspension.
(11) Thirty-eight (38) points will result in ten (10) months suspension.
(12) Forty (40) or more points will result in eleven (11) months suspension.
(13) Forty-two (42) or more points will result in twelve (12) months suspension.
Typically, if a person is given a suspension for too many points, the BMV will also place the driver on administrative probation for 90-365 days.
Traffic Ticket Points and Driver Safety Program
If you are convicted of a traffic citation and the BMV assesses points, you may qualify to take the Driver Safety Program (DSP) or Defensive Driving Course (DDC) in order to get a point credit. Once every three years, a person is eligible to take the DSP or DDC and receive a 4 point credit on his or her driving record.
Additionally, a court may require a driver to complete a Driver Safety Program (DSP) or Defensive Driving Course (DDC) as part of a conviction. Or, if a person is convicted of two or more traffic offenses within a 12-month period, the BMV will require the person to completed a DSP or DDC. However, the driver will still receive the point credit, even if the course was a BMV requirement. If the DSP or DDC is a BMV requirement and you fail to complete it on time, your driving privileges will be suspended until it is complete.
Julie Chambers – Former Traffic Court Deputy Prosecutor
If you have questions about a traffic citation or traffic ticket points on your driver’s license or if you simply need help getting a valid Indiana drivers’s license, turn to Chambers Law Office. While every case is different and no attorney can guarantee any specific outcome, as a former Marion County Traffic Court Deputy Prosecutor, Julie Chambers has unique insight and experience in dealing with traffic tickets, driver’s license suspensions and the Indiana BMV. Contact Chambers Law Office, LLC today to speak with an attorney.
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