How Long Does an Accident Stay on a Driving Record?
The consequences of an accident do not end when the car is returned to the garage. State motor vehicle departments keep your accident records for years. You could even have your license suspended.
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Reported Accidents
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Not all accidents go on your record. In a typical state, if luck saves everyone and everything but your car, you do not have to report the accident. Accidents reported by you, an injured person or an officer are put on your record. In California, more than $750 of damage or an injury make an accident serious enough; while Illinois has a higher $1,500 damage threshold, and Oklahoma a low $300.
Years on Record
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State rules determine the number of years an accident stays on your record. Typically, accidents are put on record for a few years; California, for instance, keeps track for three years from the accident date; New York does not clear the record until Jan. 1 of the fourth calendar year. Texas keeps records of moving violations that cause an accident for three years. Lenient states, such as Maryland and Kentucky, remove accident point records sooner, at two years. However, in Kentucky, the violation conviction remains on your record for five years. Oklahoma will remove the record for one accident after one year.
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Accident Seriousness
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Serious wrecks, like a hit-and-run or an alcohol-related accident, stay on your record for many years. California and Nevada, for example, keep DUI accidents on a citizen's record for seven years. New York keeps serious accident records for 10 years, and it does not matter who is at fault. States have specific rules for extraordinarily serious accidents.
Points on Record
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An accident record is only the first mark on your driver's license record. States use point systems to rate drivers involved in incidents that show a lack of full regard for traffic safety. You may be labeled a negligent driver if you have too many points.
In California, typical accidents that are your fault are worth one point; hit-and-run accidents are worth two. Four points in one year is enough for a negligent driver rating. Florida considers a driver negligent after three four-point accidents in 12 months. The strict Texas charges a driver $100 as soon as he makes two three-point violations. Oklahoma, on the other hand, lets 10 points build within five years. A lasting consequence, points can stay on a record permanently.
License Suspension or Revocation
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Weighed down by a negligent driver label, you could end up with your license suspended for a year after one more accident. In Illinois, the state suspends a license for the third accident violation in one year. Oklahoma suspends at 10 points; not an easy mark to make considering the state deducts two points during each good year. Continuing to add points after a license suspension gets you in more trouble. After a fourth moving violation causes an accident, Maryland revokes the license. No matter what state you live in, having eight accidents in two years could jeopardize your license.
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