Click here to fight your Florida traffic ticket.
The State of Florida uses a point system to assign values to different driving offenses and traffic violations. If you accumulate too many points on your driving record over a period of time, you may risk license suspension. Continue reading to learn more about how the Florida point system works.
Florida’s Point System
Like many other states, Florida has in place a point system to track traffic violations. Points are assigned to your driver’s license each time you receive a ticket for a moving violation, for example, speeding, running a red light, or texting while driving. If you accrue too many points over a certain period, your driver’s license can be suspended and even revoked.
But what happens if you hold a Florida license and have received points from another state?
Having Points From Another State
If you receive a citation for a point-accessible violation in another state, the points will be added to your Florida driver record. It’s important to keep in mind that each state assesses points based on their own laws and not the laws of the state where the ticket was issued.
Most Common Points
In Florida, you can get between 3 and 6 points assigned to your driver’s license, depending on the severity of the traffic violation. The penalties for specific violations are determined by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Some examples are listed in the table below.
| Traffic violation | Points |
| Reckless driving | 6 |
| Leaving the scene of a crash resulting in over $50 in damage | 6 |
| Speeding resulting in a collision | 6 |
| Failure to stop for school bus | 4 |
| Failure to stop at a red light, one-way street, before making a left turn | 4 |
| Failure to obey traffic control signal | 4 |
| Passing on enter/exit side while a bus is stopped | 4 |
| Non-speeding violation resulting in a crash | 4 |
| Speeding over 15 mph over the posted speed | 4 |
| Speeding up to 15 mph over the posted speed | 3 |
| Driving too fast for conditions | 3 |
| Driving on the wrong lane or the wrong side of the road | 3 |
| Careless driving | 3 |
| Failure to stop at a red signal | 3 |
| Failure to yield right-of-way to pedestrians | 3 |
| Failure to obey traffic control device | 3 |
| Failure to yield to emergency vehicle | 3 |
| Improper backing on limited access facility | 3 |
| Driving without headlights | 3 |
| Texting while driving | 3 |
| Littering | 3 |
| Failure to use or improper use of child restraints | 3 |
When Will Your License Get Suspended and for How Long?
The length of your license suspension depends on the number of points you accumulated during the following time periods specified by Florida law:
| Total points | Time period | Length of suspension |
| 12 | 12 months | 30 days |
| 18 | 18 months | 3 months |
| 24 | 36 months | 1 year |
If you commit 15 point-accessible violations or 3 major offenses within a 5-year period, your license will be revoked.
Drivers under the age of 18
Teen drivers are held to strict standards and can expect harsh penalties for traffic violations. Drivers under the age of 18 who are assessed 6 points or more within a year will have their license automatically suspended or degraded to a restricted license for a year. For each additional point they receive while driving on a restricted license, the restriction will be expanded for another 90 days.
If your Florida license has been suspended or revoked because you accumulated too many traffic ticket points, you may be eligible to apply for a hardship license. Read on to learn more.
What Is a Hardship License?
A Florida hardship license is a type of restricted license that can replace your suspended or revoked driver’s license. With a hardship license, you are allowed to drive only to specific locations.
Types of hardship licenses
There are two types of hardship licenses:
- A business license. This license lets you drive to and from work, school, church or another religious institution, and medical appointments.
- An employment-only license. This license allows you only to commute to work and do the necessary driving for your job.
The type of hardship license you receive is determined by the hearing officer and depends on your personal circumstances.
Who is not eligible for a hardship license?
The following individuals are not eligible for a hardship license:
- Drivers whose license has been suspended because they are not capable of safely operating a motor vehicle
- Anyone who has a DUI conviction or refused to give a BAL test more than once
- Drivers with criminal violations
- Commercial vehicle drivers.
Florida ADI course
When applying for a Florida hardship license, you must show proof of enrollment in a Florida Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) course. This 12-hour traffic school course can be taken either in the classroom or online. It must be offered by a provider certified in the state of Florida.
Once you have the proof of completing an ADI course, you can fill out an application for a hardship license and send it to the Bureau of Administrative Reviews office in your area for approval.
Even after a suspension period has been completed, you won’t be able to drive feely until you get your regular license back. Here’s what you need to do.
How Do I Get Back My License if the Suspension Period Is Over?
Once the license suspension period is over, you can apply for full reinstatement of your driving privileges at your local Florida driver’s license service center. To ask for reinstatement, you need to do the following:
- Submit proof of an Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) school enrollment.
- Provide specific DMV required documentation, depending on the reason for suspension.
- Pay the reinstatement fee.
The fee for reinstating your suspended license is $45. If your license has been revoked, you will have to pay up to $75. Depending on the circumstances of your suspension, you may be required to pay additional reinstatement fees as well as court and DMV fees.
If you’re out-of-state, you should send the proof of traffic school enrollment along with your Florida record number and reinstatement fee to the following address:
The Bureau of Motorist Compliance
P.O. Box 5775
Tallahassee
Florida 32314-5775
Processing time
The processing time for license reinstatement is 10 business days. You can check the status of your driver’s license at any time by using the Florida DMV Online Driver License Check.
Mandatory probation period
After your license is restored, you’ll have to go through a mandatory probation period of one year. This means that any new violations committed within this period may result in an additional suspension of your driver’s license.
How Long Do Points Stay On Your License in Florida?
Points will stay on your Florida driver’s license for 36 months or 3 years. This period counts from the day you pay the fine. If you opt to go to court and are found guilty, it will count from the day you meet all court-ordered requirements.
In addition, your auto insurance premiums will increase resulting from the citation and will remain in effect for at least 3 years. Having points on your license may increase your insurance costs by over 50% within that period.
Removing points from Florida driver’s license
Depending on the type of traffic violation, you may be able to take a driver improvement course to remove the points from your driver’s license. The State of Florida allows drivers to attend an improvement course to avoid points once every 12 months and up to 5 times in a 10-year period. Note that Florida law doesn’t allow traffic schools to remove points for a citation received in other states.
If you choose to fight your traffic ticket and win, your ticket will be dismissed and you won’t receive any points on your license. Below, we explain how the WinIt app can help you contest your ticket in Florida.
Contact App WinIt To Hire an Attorney
Hiring an experienced traffic violations attorney is a major asset in fighting your traffic ticket in Florida. It may help you not only avoid fines, but also increased insurance premiums and license suspension.
The WinIt app is the fastest way to find a qualified lawyer who will help you fight your traffic ticket in Florida. All you need to do is take a photo of your ticket and submit any evidence right in the app and we’ll get back to you with a free quote within 48 hours.
The WinIt app allows you to choose any of the experienced attorneys available on the platform at low rates. An attorney will handle work on your behalf that will save you time and money, for example:
- Request a court trial
- Represent you in court
- Negotiate with the prosecutor to have your charges reduced or dropped.
The process is completely risk-free and we won’t charge you unless we win.
If you’d like to know how WinIt may be able to help you fight your ticket, give us a call today at (646) 859-0828.
