Your Guide to the Florida Point System
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
The state of Florida says if you receive 12 or more points within a 12-month period, your license can be suspended for 30 days. If you accumulate more than 18 points within 18 months, your license can be taken away for three months.Here is more information you should know about the Florida point system, especially if you are a Florida motorist.
According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, more than 300,000 criminal moving violations and approximately 2,000,000 non-criminal moving violations occur each year in Florida. The leading cause of these traffic citations occur due to careless driving.
How Do You Get Points on Your License?
Florida and many other states use a point system to track the traffic violations motorists receive. These points are assigned after receiving a traffic violation. Your license can also be suspended or revoked if too many points are accrued over a certain timeframe.
Even just three points on your Florida license can lead to a steep increase in auto insurance rates, resulting in an additional 23% toward premiums each year. Non-moving violations are 0 points, while speeding less than 15 mph over the speed limit can result in three points. Any moving violation that causes a collision is three points; if you violate child restraint laws, it is another three points on the license.
When speeding, the points are assigned based on the speed limit and the circumstances. In addition to points, you may also have to go to court, where steeper fines and penalties are given. For example, you can be seen as speeding excessively when caught doing 40 mph in a 20 mph zone, which can also result in a license suspension in some cases.
Penalties for Speeding
In addition to the point system, you will also receive traffic citations and fines. If you are caught going 20 to 29 mph over the speed limit, you may find a $294 penalty. Going more than 30 mph over the posted speed limit results in a mandatory court hearing and could also come with a reckless driving charge and is a criminal misdemeanor.
How Do You Know If You Have Points on Your Florida License?
To find out if you have points on your license, you can use the Online Driver License Check tool to view the current status of your license for no cost, or you can purchase a three or seven-year complete driver record from any license service center.
You can also check if you have tickets by visiting the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website.
Can You Have Points Removed?
Yes. You can get points removed from your Florida driver’s license by taking an approved driving course. Certain eligibility requirements must be met to be able to complete a driving course for this reason. This only applies to drivers without a commercial license who received a non-criminal moving violation. The driver must also voluntarily choose to attend the defensive driving course within thirty days of the citation date, and the court clerk must be informed.
The defensive driving course can be completed once within twelve months since the last violation or five times total during your lifetime. Once completed, you must submit the course completion certificate to the Clerk of Court's office in the same county you received the citation.
If your moving violation was in response to a traffic accident and you feel the other driver was at fault, consult an experienced Florida personal injury attorney to see if you have a compensation case.