Michigan keeps points on your record for two years from the date of conviction, not from the date you were pulled over
In Michigan, points remain on your driving record for exactly two years from the date you were convicted of the traffic violation — not from the date of the ticket or the accident. This means a ticket you received in January 2024 will stop counting toward your record in January 2026, assuming you were convicted in that same timeframe.
The two-year window matters because Michigan uses a point system to track unsafe driving. If you accumulate 12 or more points within a two-year period, the Secretary of State can suspend your license. Points from violations older than two years do not count toward that total, even though they remain visible on your record for background checks and insurance purposes.
The actual removal of points from your record happens automatically — you do not need to request it or pay a fee. Once two years have passed since your conviction date, those points straightforward stop being counted in the state's active system.
Key Takeaways
- Points stay active on your Michigan record for two years from your conviction date, and accumulating 12 or more points in that window can trigger a license suspension.
- The two-year clock starts from the date you were convicted, not the date you received the ticket or were involved in an accident.
- Points older than two years no longer count toward suspension, but they remain visible on your driving record for insurance companies and employers.
- You can check your current point total and violation history through the Michigan Secretary of State website or by requesting a certified driving record.
How Michigan's point system works
Michigan assigns points to different violations based on severity. A minor violation like an improper turn might be 2 points, while reckless driving or a serious accident could be 6 points. Speeding violations typically range from 2 to 4 points depending on how far over the limit you were driving.
The state counts only points from violations within the most recent two years. If you have 10 points from violations in the past two years and 8 points from violations that are now three years old, only the 10 points count. The older 8 points are no longer active, even though they show up on your record.
If you reach 12 points, the Secretary of State will send you a notice of intent to suspend. You then have the right to request a hearing before the suspension takes effect. At that hearing, you can present evidence that you are a safe driver or that circumstances have changed.
When the two-year clock starts and stops
The clock starts on your conviction date, not the ticket date. If you were ticketed in March but did not go to court and receive a conviction until June, the two years begins in June. If you plead guilty, that plea date is your conviction date. If you go to trial and lose, the verdict date is your conviction date.
This distinction matters if you delay paying a ticket or fighting it in court. The longer you wait to resolve the violation, the longer the two-year period extends into the future. Conversely, if you resolve a ticket quickly, the two-year countdown begins sooner.
Once two years have passed, the points automatically expire. You will receive no notice or confirmation — the state straightforward stops counting them. If you are unsure whether a violation is still active, you can check your driving record through the Secretary of State.
How to check your current points and violation history
The fastest way to see your points is to visit the Michigan Secretary of State website and use the online driving record lookup tool. You will need your driver's license number and date of birth. The online record shows your current point total, all violations on your record, and the conviction date for each one.
You can also request a certified copy of your driving record by mail or in person at a Secretary of State office. A certified record costs a small fee and takes longer to arrive, but it is the official document that employers and insurance companies see.
Your insurance company can also tell you what violations they see on your record, since they pull your driving history when setting your rates. If you see a violation on your insurance paperwork that you do not recognize, contact the Secretary of State to verify it is actually on your record.
What happens if you accumulate 12 or more points
When you reach 12 points within two years, the Secretary of State sends you a notice of intent to suspend your license. This notice gives you 10 days to request a hearing. If you do not request a hearing, your license will be suspended automatically.
At the hearing, you can present evidence that you are a safe driver, that you have taken a defensive driving course, or that you have had no violations since the most recent one. The hearing officer will decide whether to suspend your license, reduce your points, or allow you to keep your license with conditions.
A suspension typically lasts 30 days for a first offense, 90 days for a second offense within seven years, and one year for a third offense within seven years. You must pay a reinstatement fee to get your license back after the suspension ends.
Points from accidents versus traffic violations
Michigan assigns points differently depending on whether the violation came from a traffic stop or an accident report. A ticket you receive from an officer at a traffic stop follows the standard point system. Points from an at-fault accident are assigned based on the type of violation cited — for example, if you were cited for reckless driving in connection with an accident, you receive the points for reckless driving.
If you were in an accident but not cited with a violation, no points are added to your record. The accident itself does not generate points; only the violation does. However, the accident will still appear on your driving record and may affect your insurance rates.
Both traffic violations and accident-related violations follow the same two-year expiration rule. Points from an accident conviction expire two years after the conviction date, just like points from a speeding ticket.
How points affect your insurance rates
Insurance companies use your driving record to set your rates, and they often look back further than Michigan's two-year point window. While points stop counting toward a license suspension after two years, your insurance company may consider violations that are three, five, or even seven years old when calculating your premium.
This means a violation can stop affecting your license suspension risk after two years but continue to affect your insurance rates for much longer. Each insurance company has its own rules about how far back they look and how much weight they give to different violations.
If you want to know how a specific violation is affecting your rates, contact your insurance agent directly. They can tell you which violations are currently on your record and how much each one is costing you in premium increases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do points disappear from my record after two years, or just stop counting?
Points stop counting toward a suspension after two years, but they remain visible on your driving record. Insurance companies, employers, and government agencies can still see violations that are older than two years. Only the active point total resets every two years.
If I get a ticket but do not go to court for a year, does the two-year clock start when I get the ticket or when I am convicted?
The two-year clock starts from your conviction date, not the ticket date. If you delay resolving the ticket, the two-year period begins later, which means the points will stay active longer. Resolving tickets quickly is one way to shorten the time points affect your record.
Can I remove points from my record before two years are up?
You cannot remove points early, but you can reduce them by taking a defensive driving course. Michigan allows you to take one course every two years to reduce points by up to four. You must complete the course before you are convicted, or in some cases within a short window after conviction — check with your local court about timing.
Will points from an accident stay on my record longer if I was not ticketed?
If you were in an accident but not cited with a violation, no points are added to your record at all. The accident appears on your driving record, but it does not generate points. Points are only assigned when you are convicted of a specific violation.
How do I know if a violation is still active or if it has expired?
Check your driving record through the Michigan Secretary of State website. The record shows the conviction date for each violation, so you can count forward two years to see when it expires. You can also call the Secretary of State office to ask about a specific violation.