Driving Points System To Be Changed For Millions

By Sam Stevenson

Associate News Editor

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Millions of Americans could be impacted by changes to the point system New York State uses to penalize drivers.

Newsweek attempted to contact the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for comment in a phone call made on Friday outside of regular working hours.

Why It Matters

The tougher penalties could lead to more frequent license suspensions, higher insurance premiums, increased state fees, and tougher consequences for repeat and high-risk offenders.

The DMV, which assigns points for certain traffic violations, says its Driver Violation Point System provides a "way to identify and take action against high-risk drivers."

When first proposing changes in September 2023, DMV officials said in a press release that the new rules would "bolster the ability to remove drivers who engage in risky behavior."

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What To Know

New York State is preparing a significant overhaul of its driver point system, affecting millions of motorists across the state.

As part of the plans, the New York State DMV has approved revisions to its point system.

The reforms extend the “look-back” period for point accumulation from 18 to 24 months, making it easier for drivers to hit suspension thresholds.

Key details include:

Any drug or alcohol related driving conviction: 11 points
Construction zones: Even slight speeding (1–2 mph over) in these areas will carry higher point penalties; all work zone speeding violations will be 8 points regardless of speed.
Passing a stopped school bus: Will now result in 8 points (up from 5).
Permanent revocation for repeat offenders: Drivers with four or more alcohol or drug-related convictions now face permanent license loss

The changes also introduce more administrative actions, such as mandatory driver improvement clinics for drivers accumulating 7–10 points in 24 months and earlier warning letters for those reaching 4–6 points.

What People Are Saying

Aaron Pam, senior associate at Tully Rinckey, told News 10: “Every single conviction will stay in your life longer now, and that’s going to have an impact in a variety of ways.”

He added: “A lot more people are willing to pay larger fines in order to find that zero point plea agreement or in order to make a deal to avoid an 8 point conviction because even one 8 point conviction is going to seriously affect your future. Your insurance policy can be cancelled, insurance policy and premiums can be increased based on your bad driving record.”

Matthew Weiss, a New York traffic attorney, wrote in NYTrafficTicket.com in January: “We believe that the extended ‘look back’ period will also apply to violations occurring before the effective date of the new rules. It is not hard to predict that the expanded ‘look back’ period will result in many more suspensions and the higher points will result in the payment of more Driver Responsibility Assessment Fees.”

Dave Werner of the Franklin County Traffic Safety Board wrote in Adirondack Daily Enterprise: “It is evident that NYS is getting serious about drivers who continue to exhibit dangerous driving habits. If you are a conscientious driver and obey the rules of the road, you need not worry. If you are a flagrant violator, you have been forewarned.”

What Happens Next

While the updated points system was effective as of November 6, 2024, the changes have reportedly not been implemented while the DMV updates its computer system. According to News10NBC, the revised point system is expected to be enforced in mid-February 2026, in tandem with the launch of the updated technology platform.

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