Vehicle · License points
Driver's License Points in Michigan
How many points each moving violation adds in Michigan, 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 Michigan
The points common violations carry, the totals that trigger a suspension, and how points come off your record.
Michigan point values are set in the statute and are amended from time to time. Confirm the current figures with the Michigan Secretary of State before relying on them.
| How points add up | What it means |
|---|---|
| Most serious offenses: 6 points | Under Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.320a(1), operating while intoxicated under § 625, reckless driving under § 626, fleeing or eluding an officer, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, and manslaughter or negligent homicide by vehicle each carry 6 points. |
| Speeding more than 15 mph over, and at-fault crashes: 4 points | Speeding more than 15 mph over the limit, operating while visibly impaired under § 625(3), and a moving violation resulting in an at-fault collision with another vehicle, a person, or any object each carry 4 points. |
| Signals, passing, and moderate speeding: 3 points | Disobeying a traffic signal or stop sign, improper passing, careless driving under § 626b, and speeding more than 10 but not more than 15 mph over the limit each carry 3 points. |
| Lesser violations: 2 points | Speeding more than 5 but not more than 10 mph over the limit, an open container violation, a graduated licensing restriction violation, and all other moving violations each carry 2 points. |
| Slight speeding: 1 point | Speeding more than 1 but not more than 5 mph over the limit carries 1 point, the lowest value on the schedule. |
| What triggers a suspension | What it means |
|---|---|
| Twelve points is a reexamination, not a suspension | Under § 257.320(1)(d) reaching 12 points in 2 years lets the Secretary of State order a reexamination. Section 257.320(2) then allows the Secretary to restrict, suspend, revoke, or impose terms based on the driving record, and § 257.320(4) caps any suspension at one year. |
| Nine points brings an interview | Under § 257.320a(6) the Secretary may call a driver in for an interview at 9 points. If the driver fails to appear, the Secretary must add 3 points to the record, which alone moves a 9 point driver to 12. |
| One incident, one score | Under § 257.320a(5), if more than one conviction results from the same incident, points are entered only for the violation that carries the highest number of points. |
| Many violations draw no points | Under § 257.320a(2) to (4), named sections, bond forfeitures, overweight loads, and defective equipment violations carry no points, and a first mobile device violation under § 602b is not scored. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps to check and manage your points in Michigan. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Order your Michigan driving record
Request your driving record from the Michigan Secretary of State so you know your current point total and whether you are near the 9 point interview or 12 point reexamination lines.
- Do not miss a scheduled reexamination or interview
Failing to appear for a 9 point interview adds 3 points under § 257.320a(6), and failing to appear for a reexamination can lead to an immediate suspension until you do appear.
- Address a ticket before it is a conviction
Points attach when a citation becomes a conviction. Contesting a ticket, or resolving several charges from one incident together, can keep the point total down under the one incident single score rule.
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 Michigan, 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 Michigan get wrong about license points
Michigan writes its entire point schedule into the statute itself, at Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.320a(1), which is unusual and makes the state easy to cite. Values run from 1 to 6 points. The heaviest offenses at 6 points include operating while intoxicated, reckless driving, fleeing or eluding an officer, and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Speeding more than 15 mph over the limit and a moving violation causing an at-fault crash are 4 points, disobeying a signal or improper passing is 3 points, most lesser violations are 2 points, and speeding just 1 to 5 mph over is 1 point. Michigan is a two step state, and the wording matters. Reaching 12 or more points within a period of 2 years does not itself suspend anything. Under § 257.320(1)(d) it is a ground for the Secretary of State to order a reexamination, and § 257.320(2) then gives the Secretary discretion to restrict, suspend, revoke, or impose other terms, capped at one year by § 257.320(4). There is an earlier warning stage at 9 points, where the Secretary may call the driver in for an interview, and failing to appear adds 3 points. If more than one conviction comes from the same incident, only the highest scoring violation is entered. The statute sets no expiry for a point beyond the 2 year counting window. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Common questions
How many points suspend your license in Michigan?
No fixed number suspends automatically. Reaching 12 or more points in 2 years lets the Secretary of State order a reexamination under Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.320(1)(d), after which the Secretary may restrict, suspend, or revoke the license for up to one year.
What happens at 9 points in Michigan?
Under § 257.320a(6) the Secretary of State may call the driver in for an interview about driving ability and record. If the driver fails to appear, the Secretary must add 3 points, which alone moves the driver to 12 points.
How long do points stay on your record in Michigan?
The statute sets no separate expiry for a point. The only durational rule is the 2 year counting window in § 257.320(1)(d), so that window, not any statutory wash out, is what a Michigan driver should watch.
How many points is a speeding ticket in Michigan?
It depends on the speed. Going 1 to 5 mph over is 1 point, more than 5 up to 10 mph over is 2 points, more than 10 up to 15 mph over is 3 points, and more than 15 mph over is 4 points.
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.