State service guide

DC DMV point system: 10-point suspensions, 12-point revocations, Good Points, and discretionary point-removal paths

The District of Columbia uses a real point system, but the practical DC rules are more nuanced than a simple demerit chart. DC DMV's current point chart says 10 to 11 points causes a 90-day suspension and 12 or more points causes revocation until DC DMV reinstates the license, at least six months after revocation. The District also counts moving violations from outside DC, keeps points active for two years, and treats payment of a moving ticket as an admission of liability that can trigger points. The strongest DC point-system page should also surface the state's lesser-known relief rules: Good Points for calendar years without moving violations, discretionary point waivers for some minor tickets, and a hearing-examiner-approved online defensive driving path that can keep or remove points in limited circumstances.

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Suspension trigger DC DMV's current point chart says 10 to 11 points causes a 90-day suspension
Revocation trigger 12 or more points causes revocation until DC DMV reinstates the license, at least 6 months after revocation
Point life Points stay active on a DC driving record for 2 years
Good Points DC gives 1 Good Point for each calendar year with no moving violation, up to 5 total, and unused Good Points expire in 5 years

Overview

What this page helps you verify

A strong District point-system page should start with the current DC DMV point chart and then explain how the District layers point accumulation, out-of-state matching, and discretionary relief. DC does not assess points for parking or photo-enforcement tickets, but it does assess points for both DC and non-DC moving violations based on the same or similar District offense. DC's published materials also make the record-management side unusually important. Points stay on the record for two years, the driver record separately tracks Good Points, and some drivers can seek a points waiver or an approved online defensive driving course before the points fully stick. That means the safest District guidance is to pull the driver record first, compare the active points against the 10-to-11 and 12-plus thresholds, and then use the available DC relief tools early rather than after a suspension or revocation notice arrives.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-17. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • A current DC driver record, because it shows your active points, Good Points, withdrawals, and the underlying moving violations DC DMV is using
  • The moving-violation ticket or court disposition for each DC or out-of-state conviction contributing to the total
  • Any hearing decision or adjudication record if you are seeking traffic-school approval or arguing that points should not be assessed the way they currently appear
  • A written request for a points waiver if you are asking DC DMV Adjudication Services to waive points for a minor moving violation before a final decision is made
  • Course completion proof if a DC hearing examiner approved an online defensive driving course for a District ticket, or if an out-of-state court approved traffic school for an out-of-state violation
  • Payment confirmation for the underlying moving ticket when DC requires payment as part of the waiver or traffic-school process
  • Any DC DMV suspension, revocation, or reinstatement notice if the point total has already triggered a license action

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Pull your DC driver record first so you can see your current active points, Good Points, and whether DC is counting any out-of-state moving violations against you.
  2. Compare the active total to the District's current thresholds: 10 to 11 points for a 90-day suspension and 12 or more points for revocation until DMV reinstates the license.
  3. Do not ignore recent moving tickets. DC says points can be assessed when you are found liable at a hearing, when you fail to pay within the required 60-day period, or when you pay the ticket because payment is an admission of liability.
  4. If the ticket is a minor District moving violation and the case is still in the right procedural posture, consider asking for a discretionary points waiver or traffic-school approval before the points post in full.
  5. If the points are already on the record, use Good Points, approved course completion, or out-of-state court relief where available, and act before the total reaches suspension or revocation territory.

Thresholds and what counts

DC uses a firm suspension and revocation ladder, and it applies to both District and out-of-state moving violations

This is the core point-system rule drivers need to know before they assume only local tickets matter.

  • DC DMV's current Driver Point System Chart says 10 to 11 points causes a 90-day suspension and 12 or more points causes revocation until DMV reinstates the license, at least six months after revocation.
  • The District's Driver Point System page says points are assessed on your driver record for moving violations received in DC and for moving violations received out of state.
  • For out-of-state tickets, DC says it assigns points based on the same or similar District offense, so a lower-point offense in another jurisdiction can still land harder on a DC record.
  • DC also says parking tickets and photo-enforcement tickets do not carry points.

Point values

The District's point chart ramps from routine 2-point violations to automatic 12-point revocation offenses

The practical lesson is that a few common violations can add up quickly, but some serious offenses immediately force the revocation issue.

  • Routine moving violations often start at 2 or 3 points, including following too closely, improper class of license, and many ordinary moving violations that do not contribute to an accident.
  • Speeding in the District climbs by band: 11 to 15 mph over is 3 points, 16 to 20 mph over is 4 points, and 21 mph or more over is 5 points.
  • Reckless driving and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle are listed at 6 points, while leaving the scene of a collision with no personal injury is listed at 8 points.
  • The chart separately lists 12-point offenses that trigger automatic revocation, including DUI or OWI, under-21 measurable alcohol driving, aggravated reckless driving, fleeing police, operating after suspension or revocation, and assault or homicide committed with an automobile.

Timing and the record

In DC, point timing is tied to the record, not just the ticket date

This is why pulling the driver record matters more than relying on memory alone.

  • DC's Driver Point System page says points stay on a DC driving record for two years.
  • The Driver Point System Chart says points are assessed when you are found liable at a hearing, fail to pay a ticket within the required 60-day time period, or pay the ticket because payment is an admission of liability.
  • DC DMV's driver-record materials explain that the record shows points, withdrawals, convictions, and Good Points in one place, which makes it the practical status-check tool before a driver-improvement or reinstatement decision.
  • The current driver-record service lets you request 3-year, 5-year, 10-year, or full-history records online, by mail, or at a service center.

Good Points

The District offsets some minor point exposure with Good Points, but not for major moving violations

This is one of DC's most important state-specific features because it changes how long-term records behave.

  • DC DMV's driver-record brochure says you earn one Good Point for each calendar year in which you do not receive a moving violation.
  • Good Points accrue at the beginning of the year for the prior year and are automatically applied to the oldest moving violation on the record.
  • The same brochure says Good Points reduce the total for the violation and the overall point total, but they are not applied to major moving violations.
  • Unused Good Points expire in five years, and a DC driver can hold no more than five Good Points at a time.

Waivers and traffic school

DC has two different discretionary point-relief ideas, and neither one is automatic

This is where many generic point-system pages get the District wrong.

  • DC's Points Waiver Form says District law allows the waiver of traffic-violation points for good driving behavior on minor moving violations, but only if the ticket was answered on time and no final decision has yet been made.
  • That waiver process also requires the driver to admit the violation, pay the ticket fine, and submit a written statement for a hearing examiner to review.
  • Separately, DC DMV's Driver Point System and Online Traffic School pages say a hearing examiner may approve an online defensive driving course for a District moving violation so the points do not appear or are removed, but approval is discretionary.
  • If traffic school is approved for a DC ticket, DC says you have 15 calendar days from the hearing decision to pay the violation and 30 calendar days from the hearing decision to complete the course.
  • For out-of-state moving violations, DC says you need prior approval from the out-of-state court, and the DC online course cannot be used for out-of-state point removal.

After the threshold

Once the point total crosses the line, the issue becomes a driver-improvement and reinstatement problem

That is the handoff point where a point-system page should connect to the District's broader suspension and revocation rules.

  • DC DMV's Driver Improvement Services page says that if your license was revoked because of points, you may be eligible for reinstatement only after DC DMV notifies you of the requirements, you clear your tickets or other stops, and you pay the reinstatement fee.
  • The District's suspended-license materials also say revocation for points lasts until DC DMV reinstates the license and at least six months have passed.
  • That means drivers should treat 10 or more points as an active license-risk problem, not as a passive record issue they can postpone.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • District point-system content should rely on the current Driver Point System Chart for the live suspension and revocation thresholds, because older DC materials are not fully harmonized.
  • DC has an official discrepancy worth flagging: the current point chart uses 10 to 11 points for suspension, while older official driver-record and points-waiver materials still describe license risk beginning above 8 points or describe 8 to 10-point suspension language.
  • Good Points and discretionary point-relief processes are core District-specific features and should not be omitted or collapsed into a generic traffic-school summary.
  • For out-of-state violations, the key rule is not just that they count, but that DC remaps them to the same or similar District offense, which can produce a harsher point value than the original state assigned.

FAQ

Common questions

  • How many points suspend a DC license?

    DC DMV's current point chart says 10 to 11 points causes a 90-day suspension.

  • How many points revoke a DC license?

    The District says 12 or more points causes revocation until DC DMV reinstates the license, at least six months after revocation.

  • Do out-of-state moving violations count against a DC driver record?

    Yes. DC DMV says it assesses points for out-of-state moving violations based on the same or similar violation in the District.

  • How long do DC points stay on my record?

    DC DMV says points stay on a DC driving record for two years.

  • What are Good Points in DC?

    DC DMV says you earn one Good Point for each calendar year with no moving violation. Good Points are automatically applied to the oldest eligible moving violation, cannot be used on major moving violations, expire in five years if unused, and are capped at five.

  • Can DC traffic school remove points?

    Sometimes. DC says a hearing examiner may approve an online defensive driving course for an eligible District moving violation, but the approval is discretionary and comes with short payment and completion deadlines.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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