Vehicle · License points
Driver's License Points in Georgia
How many points each moving violation adds in Georgia, how many points suspend your license and over what period, and how points come off your record. Cited to the statute.
How license points add up in Georgia
The points common violations carry, the totals that trigger a suspension, and how points come off your record.
Georgia sets its point values in both the statute and the Department of Driver Services rule, and the numbers are amended from time to time. Confirm the current figures with the Georgia Department of Driver Services before relying on them.
| How points add up | What it means |
|---|---|
| Aggressive driving and passing a school bus: 6 points | Under the schedule in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-57(c)(1)(A), aggressive driving and unlawful passing of a school bus each carry 6 points, the top of the Georgia scale. |
| Reckless driving: 4 points | Reckless driving carries 4 points, and improper passing on a hill or a curve also carries 4 points. |
| Speeding: 2 to 6 points by band | Speeding is scored in four bands. More than 14 but less than 19 mph over the limit is 2 points, 19 up to 24 mph over is 3 points, 24 up to 34 mph over is 4 points, and 34 mph or more over is 6 points. |
| Most other moving violations: 3 points | Disobeying a traffic control device or officer is 3 points, and the schedule assigns 3 points to all other moving traffic violations that are not speed limit violations, such as improper lane usage and following too closely. |
| Open container: 2 points, DUI: not scored | An open container of alcohol while driving is 2 points and too fast for conditions is 0 points. Driving under the influence under § 40-6-391 is not scored in points at all, because it feeds the separate habitual violator track. |
| What triggers a suspension | What it means |
|---|---|
| Suspension at 15 points, and length by count | Section 40-5-57(c)(1)(B) requires the commissioner to suspend at 15 or more points in a consecutive 24 month period. A first suspension runs one year, a second within five years runs three years, and a third within five years runs two years. |
| Defensive driving wipes the points | Under § 40-5-57(c)(1)(C) a court may accept a defensive driving course, in which case no points are assessed and the fine is cut by 20 percent. This is available once every five years, measured from arrest date to arrest date. |
| Drivers under 18 hit the wall at 4 points | Under § 40-5-57.1(b) a driver under 18 who accumulates 4 or more points in any consecutive 12 month period is suspended, with reinstatement after six months on a first such suspension and 12 months on a second. |
| Parking and equipment offenses are never scored | No points are assessed for standing, parking, equipment, size, and weight violations, and the point count resets to zero at the end of any suspension. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps to check and manage your points in Georgia. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Order your Georgia driving history
Request your motor vehicle report from the Georgia Department of Driver Services so you know your current point total and where each conviction sits in the rolling 24 month window.
- Ask about a defensive driving course
For an eligible ticket, a court may accept a defensive driving course under § 40-5-57(c)(1)(C), which means no points are assessed and the fine is reduced, available once every five years.
- Address a ticket before it is a conviction
Points attach when a citation becomes a conviction, and too fast for conditions is scored at zero, so a reduction from a speeding charge can keep points off the record entirely.
Points follow from a conviction, and a suspension can cost you your license and raise your insurance. A licensed traffic attorney can explain your options; the state bar can refer you to one.
→ State Bar of Georgia, Lawyer Referral ServiceThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Point values, thresholds, and reduction rules turn on the exact statute and your record, so confirm your situation with the DMV and, if needed, a lawyer.
What drivers in Georgia get wrong about license points
Georgia assesses points on a small scale, running from 1 to 6 points per offense, and 15 or more points in any consecutive 24 month period requires the commissioner to suspend the license under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-57(c)(1)(B). The window is measured from arrest date to arrest date, not conviction date. Aggressive driving and unlawful passing of a school bus are the heaviest offenses at 6 points each, reckless driving is 4 points, and speeding is scored in four bands from 2 points to 6 points depending on how far over the limit the driver was. Most other moving violations that are not speed limit violations carry a flat 3 points, an open container of alcohol is 2 points, and too fast for conditions is scored at zero. Driving under the influence is not scored in points at all, because it feeds the separate habitual violator track. A first suspension runs one year, and the point count resets to zero at the end of any suspension. A defensive driving course accepted by the court under subsection (c)(1)(C) means no points are assessed, available once every five years, and drivers under 18 are suspended at only 4 points in 12 months. The schedule appears in both the statute and the Department of Driver Services rule, so a complete answer draws on each. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Common questions
How many points suspend your license in Georgia?
Fifteen. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-57(c)(1)(B) the commissioner must suspend the license of any driver who accumulates 15 or more points in any consecutive 24 month period, and the point count resets to zero at the end of the suspension.
How many points is a speeding ticket in Georgia?
It depends on how far over the limit you were. More than 14 but less than 19 mph over is 2 points, 19 up to 24 mph over is 3 points, 24 up to 34 mph over is 4 points, and 34 mph or more over is 6 points.
Can you reduce points in Georgia?
Yes. Under § 40-5-57(c)(1)(C) a court may accept a defensive driving course, in which case no points are assessed and the fine is reduced by 20 percent. This option is available once every five years.
How many points can a driver under 18 get in Georgia?
A driver under 18 is suspended under § 40-5-57.1(b) at only 4 or more points in any consecutive 12 month period, far fewer than the 15 points that suspend an adult over 24 months.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.