How Driver Points Work in Virginia

Yes. DMV assigns demerit points (3, 4, or 6 per conviction) and also awards safe driving points (one per full calendar year without violations or suspensions, up to five). Drivers 18 and older with 12 demerit points in 12 months or 18 in 24 months must attend a driver improvement clinic and are placed on six months' probation. With 18 points in 12 months or 24 in 24 months, DMV suspends the license for 90 days and until a clinic is completed (or the driver may choose nine months in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program plus a clinic). A point-carrying violation committed while on probation brings a 45-, 60-, or 90-day suspension. Drivers under 18 face clinic and probation at 9 points in 12 months or 12 in 24 months.

Speeding 1-9 mph over the limit = 3 demerit points; 10-19 mph over = 4 points; 20 or more mph over = 6 points.

Demerit points stay valid for two years from the date the offense was committed. The conviction itself stays on the DMV record for a separate period listed for each violation (some permanently), unrelated to when the points expire.

Completing a DMV-certified driver improvement clinic subtracts five demerit points (or awards safe driving points if the driver has fewer than five demerit points); a driver can hold no more than five safe driving points. Voluntary attendance earns either the point benefit or an insurance premium reduction, not both, no more than once in a two-year period. If a court orders the clinic, the court decides whether safe driving points are awarded. For a first handheld-phone violation, a court may order a driver improvement clinic instead of a conviction.