Vehicle · License points
Driver's License Points in Illinois
How many points each moving violation adds in Illinois, 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 Illinois
The points common violations carry, the totals that trigger a suspension, and how points come off your record.
Illinois sets its point values and its suspension lengths by administrative rule, and the offense table was last amended effective March 4, 2026. Confirm the current figures with the Illinois Secretary of State before relying on them.
| How points add up | What it means |
|---|---|
| Speeding: 5 to 50 points by band | Under 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1040.20, speeding 1 to 10 mph over the limit is 5 points, 11 to 14 mph over is 15 points, 15 to 25 mph over is 20 points, and more than 25 mph over is 50 points. |
| Running a red light or a control device: 20 points | Disregarding a traffic control light under § 11-306, disregarding an official traffic control device under § 11-305, and improper lane usage under § 11-709(a) each carry 20 points. |
| Following too closely: 25 points | Following too closely under § 11-710 carries 25 points, and passing a school bus receiving or discharging children under § 11-1414(a) also carries 25 points. |
| Reckless driving: 55 points | Reckless driving under § 11-503 carries 55 points, near the top of the scale, and speeding more than 25 mph over the limit carries 50 points. |
| DUI: no points | Driving under the influence under § 11-501 is not scored in points. It sits in the no-points list at 1040.20(b) and draws immediate mandatory revocation instead, a heavier consequence than any point total. |
| What triggers a suspension | What it means |
|---|---|
| Three convictions are the entry ticket | Points alone do nothing. Under 625 ILCS 5/6-206(a)(2) the Secretary needs three or more moving violation convictions committed within any 12 month period before the point tables in 1040.30 are consulted. |
| The suspension ladder | For a driver with no prior action in seven years, 1040.30(a) sets 15 to 44 points at a two month suspension, 45 to 74 at three months, 75 to 89 at six months, 90 to 99 at nine months, 100 to 109 at twelve months, and 110 or more at revocation. |
| Drivers under 21 face a lower bar | Under 625 ILCS 5/6-206(a)(36) a driver under 21 reaches the trigger with two moving violation convictions committed within any 24 month period, half the count and twice the window of the ordinary rule. |
| A prior suspension raises the stakes | A driver with one prior suspension or revocation in the seven year lookback falls under the harsher table in 1040.30(b), where 15 to 44 points is a four month suspension and 75 to 109 points is a twelve month suspension. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps to check and manage your points in Illinois. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Order your Illinois driving abstract
Request your driving record from the Illinois Secretary of State so you can see which convictions fall inside the 12 month window and how many points they carry under 1040.20.
- Address a ticket before it is a conviction
The point tables are consulted only after three convictions in 12 months, so contesting a citation in court can keep the tables from ever being reached.
- Watch the three conviction line
Because the statutory gate is three convictions, a driver near that line should be careful, since a fourth conviction can open the door to the full point count.
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.
→ Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer FinderThis 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 Illinois get wrong about license points
Illinois has a real point system, but the split between statute and regulation is the thing most sources get wrong. The statute, 625 ILCS 5/6-206, never uses the word point. What it does is authorize the Secretary of State to suspend a license after three moving violation convictions committed within any 12 month period, and two within 24 months for a driver under 21. The point values and the length of the resulting suspension live entirely in the Secretary of State’s administrative rules at 92 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1040. Under the Illinois Offense Table in 1040.20, speeding runs from 5 points at 1 to 10 mph over the limit up to 50 points for more than 25 mph over, running a red light is 20 points, following too closely is 25 points, and reckless driving is 55 points. Driving under the influence is not scored at all, because it triggers mandatory revocation instead. The point to suspension ladder in 1040.30 starts at 15 points for a two month suspension and climbs to revocation at 110 or more points, with a harsher table for drivers who have a prior suspension in the past seven years. Because the numbers are regulatory, a complete citation names both the statute and Part 1040. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Common questions
How many points suspend your license in Illinois?
Are Illinois point values in the statute?
How many points is a DUI in Illinois?
None. Driving under the influence under § 11-501 is on the no-points list at 1040.20(b), because it draws immediate mandatory revocation, which is a heavier consequence than any point total.
How long does Illinois count the offenses?
The three convictions must be committed within any 12 month period, and the Secretary must act within six months of the last conviction. A seven year lookback then decides which point table applies to the suspension.
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.