How to Lower Points on a Driving Record in Pennsylvania
In order to ensure safe driving in the state, Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) maintains a point system for driving infractions. A driver caught violating certain motor-vehicle laws will have points added to her PENNDOT file. Accumulating too many points can result in a suspended license, and points can also affect the price of your car insurance. If you accrue six points or more, PENNDOT can suspend your license (if you are under 18) or require you to pass a driving exam. PENNDOT automatically suspends your license if you have 11 points.
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Instructions
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Determine your options. How many points you've currently accrued and how many times you've exceeded six points can affect what happens to your driving privileges and what options you can take to lower your points.
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Take a special written examination. The first time that you accumulate six points for any violation or combination of violations, you can take a test which, if passed, will remove two points from your record. This exam covers safe driving practices and safety-related issues as well as Pennsylvania's driving laws, infractions and regulations. In order to remove points from your record, you must take this exam within 30 days of the violation that resulted in the sixth point on your driving record.
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Attend a departmental hearing. If you accumulate six points for a second time, you must attend such a hearing, which can result in a 15-day suspension of your driver's license, an on-road examination or no action. Please note that if the hearing examiner recommends "no action," you no longer have the opportunity to lower points from your record.
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Serve out your 15-day suspension. At the end of this period, PENNDOT will deduct two points from your record automatically.
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Pass the on-road examination. If the hearing examiner assigns this course of action, you will have 30 days to take and pass this driving test. Successful completion will remove two points from your record.
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Maintain a safe driving record. If a full calendar year passes and you have successfully driven without receiving any new points on your record, PENNDOT will remove three points from your record.
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Keep maintaining a safe driving record. If you have already topped the six-point mark once and have successfully managed to lower your points to zero through safe driving and the completion of point-reduction programs, keep driving safely. If you avoid any point-awarding infractions for another full 12 months, PENNDOT will clear previous violations from your record. That way, in case you accrue six more points, PENNDOT will treat your infractions as if you had reached the six-point mark for the first time and will again give you the opportunity to lower points.
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Tips & Warnings
While you can take a privately offered defensive-driving course to improve your skills, Pennsylvania will not take points off your driving record for the course.
Some driving offenses carry a mandatory suspension of your driver's license. These violations include exceeding the speed limit in a work zone, failure to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and passing through lowered train gates when the lights are blinking.
References
- Photo Credit truck speeding down the street image by Larry Roberg from Fotolia.com
