How Long Do Points Stay on Your License in NY?

Points stay on your license in NY in two ways. For a DMV suspension, points count for 24 months from the date of the violation, under rules in effect since February 16, 2026. On your driving record, points stay as long as the conviction does. For most tickets, that is the rest of the conviction year plus three more years.

Trbovich Law Firm handles traffic tickets and license cases in Buffalo, Erie County, Niagara County, and across Western New York. The firm is led by Thomas Trbovich. Drivers often hear that points "fall off" after 18 months. That was close to true before 2026, but it is no longer the rule. A ticket now affects you on three separate clocks, and each one matters for a different reason.

How Long Do Points Count Toward a License Suspension in New York?

Points count toward a New York license suspension for 24 months from the date of the violation, not the date of conviction. The New York DMV may suspend a license when a driver reaches 11 points within that 24-month window. The 24-month window replaced the old 18-month window on February 16, 2026.

Two details trip drivers up. First, points are added only after a conviction, but they are dated back to the day of the ticket. A ticket from January that is not resolved until June still counts from January. Second, a ticket that happened before February 16, 2026 can still be counted under the longer window if it falls within 24 months of a newer violation.

A simple example: a driver is ticketed for speeding 15 mph over on March 1, 2026 and convicted in June. Those 4 points count toward a suspension until March 1, 2028.

How Long Do Points Count Toward the Driver Responsibility Assessment?

For the Driver Responsibility Assessment, New York counts points over 18 months, not 24. A driver with 6 or more points from violations within 18 months must pay the DMV $100 a year for three years, plus $25 a year for each point over six. That fee is separate from any court fine or surcharge.

Examples of how the assessment adds up:

• 6 points within 18 months: $100 a year for three years, $300 total
• 8 points within 18 months: $150 a year for three years, $450 total
• 11 points within 18 months: $225 a year for three years, $675 total
• Any alcohol- or drug-related conviction: a separate assessment of $250 a year for three years, $750 total

Not paying the assessment leads to a license suspension until it is paid. The DMV allows installment payments.

How Long Do Tickets and Points Stay on Your NY Driving Record?

Most New York traffic convictions, and their points, appear on the standard DMV driving record until the end of the year of conviction plus three more years. DWI convictions appear for 15 years and DWAI convictions for 10 years. Chemical test refusal suspensions appear for 5 years. The DMV also keeps a lifetime record with everything it still holds.

How long common items show on a standard New York abstract, according to the DMV:

• Most traffic convictions and crashes: the rest of the year they occurred, plus 3 years
• DWAI convictions: 10 years from the conviction date
• DWI convictions: 15 years from the conviction date
• Most suspensions and revocations: 4 years from the date the suspension or revocation ended
• Chemical test refusal suspensions: 5 years from the date of suspension

Using the same example, the March 2026 speeding conviction entered in June 2026 would show on the standard abstract through December 31, 2029, even though its points stop counting toward a suspension in March 2028.

Do Insurance Companies See Points After They Stop Counting?

Yes. Points stay on your New York driving record as long as the conviction does, and insurers can use them to set premiums for as long as they appear. A point total that is too low for a suspension can still raise insurance rates. The DMV's 24-month window controls suspensions, not what your insurer sees.

This is why a ticket can still cost money in 2029 even though it stopped counting toward a suspension in 2028. Employers that check driving records may also see these convictions, and some request a lifetime abstract rather than a standard one.

How Many Points Do Common Tickets Carry in New York in 2026 and 2027?

Under the DMV point table in effect since February 16, 2026, speeding carries 3 to 11 points depending on speed. A phone or texting ticket carries 5. Passing a stopped school bus or speeding in a work zone carries 8. Any alcohol- or drug-related conviction or incident, and aggravated unlicensed operation, carry 11.

• Speeding 1 to 10 mph over: 3 points
• Speeding 11 to 20 mph over: 4 points
• Speeding 21 to 30 mph over: 6 points
• Speeding 31 to 40 mph over: 8 points
• Speeding more than 40 mph over: 11 points
• Speeding in a work zone: 8 points
• Passing a stopped school bus: 8 points
• Cell phone or portable electronic device use: 5 points
• Reckless driving, failure to exercise due care, or leaving the scene of an injury crash: 5 points
• Following too closely: 4 points
• Red light, stop sign, yield sign, or failure to yield: 3 points
• Alcohol- or drug-related conviction or incident, or aggravated unlicensed operation: 11 points

Some reports in early 2026 claimed a 10-point suspension threshold and higher points for phone and minor speeding tickets. The DMV's published table does not show those changes. For a full walkthrough of the new system, read How Does the New York Point System Work in 2026? and How Many Points Is a Speeding Ticket in Buffalo?

Can You Remove Points From Your License in New York?

You cannot erase points from a New York driving record, but a DMV-approved Point and Insurance Reduction Program course can subtract up to 4 points when the DMV calculates a suspension. The course also gives a 10 percent discount on liability and collision insurance premiums for three years. The tickets and points still appear on the record.

Limits drivers should know about the course:

• It reduces points only for violations that happened before the course is completed, not future ones
• The point reduction can be used once every 18 months
• It does not cancel a Driver Responsibility Assessment
• It does not undo a mandatory suspension or revocation, such as one for three speeding convictions within 18 months

The most effective way to keep points off a record is usually how the ticket is resolved in the first place, such as a reduction to a lower-point or no-point violation. Read Can I Take a Defensive Driving Course to Remove Points?

Do Out-of-State and Canadian Tickets Add Points to a NY License?

Tickets from other U.S. states generally do not add points to a New York license, though the conviction can still be reported and can affect insurance. Canada is the exception. Under a reciprocal agreement, convictions in Ontario and Quebec are recorded on a New York record and carry the same points as a New York violation.

That exception matters for Buffalo drivers who cross the Peace Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, or the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. A speeding ticket on the QEW can show up on a New York record with points, just as a New York ticket can show up on an Ontario record. Out-of-state drivers ticketed in Buffalo face the reverse: New York reports the conviction to the home state, which applies its own rules.

How Do You Find Out How Many Points You Have?

The fastest way to see your points in New York is to order your driving record abstract from the DMV, online through a MY DMV account or in person. A standard abstract lists convictions, the points for each, and the violation dates. That is what you need to count points within the 18-month and 24-month windows.

When counting, use the violation date for each ticket, not the conviction date. Count separately for the 18-month window, which drives the Driver Responsibility Assessment, and the 24-month window, which drives a suspension. If you are near 6 or 11 points, any new ticket should be treated as a license decision, not just a fine.

What Should You Do if a New Ticket Would Push You Over the Limit?

If a new ticket could push you to 6 points within 18 months or 11 points within 24 months, do not simply pay it. Paying is a guilty plea, and the points follow automatically. Answer the ticket on time, check your record, and look at whether a reduction or a defense is available before entering any plea.

In the City of Buffalo, non-criminal tickets go to the Buffalo Traffic Violations Agency, which reviews driving history and may offer a reduced plea. Suburban tickets go to the local town or village court, where plea negotiation is generally available. Our Buffalo traffic ticket lawyers review the abstract, the ticket, and the court's options before any plea. For more, see the Buffalo traffic ticket lawyer and Buffalo license suspension lawyer pages.

Sources

• New York State DMV: The New York State Driver Point System
• New York State DMV: DMV Reminds New Yorkers of Updated Point Values for Driving Violations
• New York State DMV: Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract)