Points stay on your Indiana driving record for two years from the date of conviction, but they affect your insurance rates and license status differently depending on how many you accumulate
Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles adds points to your license when you're convicted of a traffic violation. The clock starts on your conviction date, not the date you received the ticket. After two years pass, the points drop off your record automatically — you don't have to do anything. However, those two years matter: too many points in that window can result in a suspended license, and your insurance company can see and use those points against you even after they're removed from the BMV record.
The number of points you receive depends on the violation. A speeding ticket might be 2 to 6 points depending on how far over the limit you were driving. A reckless driving conviction is 8 points. A DUI is 6 points. Running a red light is 4 points. The BMV publishes a full schedule, but the key thing to understand is that points accumulate: if you get two tickets in one year, both sets of points count toward your total.
Key Takeaways
- Points are removed from your Indiana record two years after your conviction date, with no action required on your part.
- If you accumulate 12 or more points within two years, the BMV will suspend your license for a set period, even if some points are about to expire.
- Insurance companies can see points on your record and often raise your rates; they may continue to use old points in their calculations even after the BMV removes them.
- You can request a copy of your driving record from the BMV to verify which violations are still active and when they will drop off.
How the two-year countdown works
The two-year period is measured from the conviction date on the court record, not from the ticket date or the date you paid a fine. If you received a ticket on January 15 but weren't convicted until March 20, the two-year clock starts on March 20. This matters because some people delay paying a ticket or going to court, which pushes the conviction date forward and extends how long the points remain active.
Once two years have passed, the BMV removes the points from your record automatically. You will not receive a notice or confirmation — the points straightforward stop counting. If you want to verify that points have been removed, you can request your driving record from the BMV online, by mail, or in person at a branch office. The record will show the conviction date and allow you to calculate whether the two-year window has closed.
What happens if you accumulate too many points
Indiana suspends your license if you reach 12 or more points within a two-year period. The suspension is not automatic the moment you hit 12 points; the BMV reviews your record and issues a suspension notice. The length of the suspension depends on how many points you have: 12 to 14 points results in a 30-day suspension, 15 to 17 points results in a 60-day suspension, and 18 or more points results in a 90-day suspension.
The suspension happens even if some of your points are about to expire. For example, if you have 8 points from a violation that will drop off in three weeks, and you receive a ticket for 5 more points, you now have 13 points and will be suspended — even though you'll be down to 8 points in three weeks. This is why the timing of violations matters: spacing them out across more than two years prevents them from stacking up.
If your license is suspended due to points, you must wait out the suspension period. You cannot request an early reinstatement based on points alone. After the suspension ends, you can reinstate your license by paying a reinstatement fee to the BMV, usually around $50 to $100, though the exact amount varies.
How insurance companies use points
Your insurance company receives notice of your conviction and can see your points. Most insurers use traffic violations to calculate your rate, and points are one of the main factors they consider. A single minor violation might raise your premium by 10 to 15 percent; a serious violation or multiple violations can raise it much more. The increase typically lasts for three to five years, even though the BMV removes the points after two years.
This is a crucial distinction: the BMV's two-year removal and your insurance company's rate impact are separate timelines. Your insurer may continue to penalize you for a violation that no longer appears on your official driving record. When you shop for insurance or renew your policy, disclose all violations from the past five years, because insurers will ask about them and may find them through their own background checks.
Violations that don't follow the two-year rule
Some violations stay on your record longer than two years. A DUI conviction remains on your Indiana record for life, though it may not affect your license suspension status after a certain period. A reckless homicide conviction also stays permanently. If you were convicted of driving with a suspended or revoked license, that violation stays on your record for five years instead of two.
Additionally, if you accumulate points and your license is suspended, the suspension itself is a separate record from the points. Even after the points drop off, the fact that you were suspended remains visible on your driving history. This is why avoiding suspension in the first place is important: it prevents a second layer of negative information on your record.
How to check your driving record and points
You can obtain a copy of your official driving record from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The easiest method is online through the BMV website, where you can order a record and print it when ready or have it mailed to you. You can also visit a BMV branch office in person or request a record by mail. There is a small fee, usually $5 to $10 depending on the method.
Your record will list every conviction, the violation type, the conviction date, and the number of points assigned. Use this to verify which violations are still active and calculate when they will expire. If you see an error — for example, a conviction that should have been dismissed or a violation you don't recognize — you can dispute it with the BMV, though you may need court documentation to support your claim.
What you can do to reduce the impact
Indiana offers a traffic safety school program that can reduce points on your record. If you complete an approved defensive driving course, the BMV will reduce your points by up to 4 points, but only if you haven't used this reduction in the past five years. You must complete the course within a certain timeframe after your conviction, usually 60 days, and you must pay a course fee. This option is not available for all violations — serious offenses like DUI or reckless driving typically don't may have access to.
Another option is to contest the ticket in court. If you believe the violation was issued in error or if you have a valid defense, you can request a hearing. If the court dismisses the case or finds you not guilty, no points are added to your record. However, this requires time and sometimes legal representation, and there's no may provide of success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get points removed from my record before two years?
Not automatically. You can reduce points by completing a defensive driving course, which removes up to 4 points, but only once every five years. You can also contest the ticket in court and try to get the conviction dismissed, which would prevent points from being added in the first place.
Do points from out-of-state tickets count toward my Indiana suspension?
Yes. Indiana and most other states share traffic conviction information through the National Driver Register. An out-of-state conviction will be added to your Indiana record and will count toward the 12-point suspension threshold.
Will my insurance rates go down after two years when the points drop off?
Not automatically. The BMV removes points after two years, but your insurance company may continue to use the violation in their rate calculations for three to five years. Contact your insurer to ask when they will stop factoring the violation into your premium.
What if I was convicted but never received a ticket?
The conviction date is what matters, not the ticket date. If you were convicted in court, the points were added from that conviction date, and the two-year countdown started then. Check your driving record to confirm the exact conviction date.
Can I get my license back early if I pay a fine?
No. If your license is suspended due to points, you must wait out the full suspension period. You cannot shorten it by paying additional fees. After the suspension ends, you pay a reinstatement fee to restore your driving privileges.