Nevada suspends your license when you reach 12 points within a 12-month period
Nevada's Department of Motor Vehicles tracks violations on your driving record using a point system. Each traffic violation carries a specific point value. When your points total 12 or more within any 12-month rolling period, the DMV will suspend your license automatically — you do not have to be convicted in court for the suspension to take effect.
The suspension is mandatory and happens without a hearing or warning letter beforehand. You will receive notice by mail after the suspension has already started. If you accumulate points from multiple violations within that 12-month window, they all count toward the same total, even if the violations happened months apart.
Key Takeaways
- Nevada suspends your license when you accumulate 12 or more points within any 12-month rolling period, regardless of whether you were convicted in court.
- Common violations carry 1 to 8 points each, with serious violations like reckless driving or DUI carrying the highest point values.
- The 12-month period is rolling, meaning new violations can push you over the limit even if older violations are aging off your record.
- You can request a DMV hearing to challenge the suspension, but you must do so within 10 days of receiving the suspension notice.
- Points stay on your record for 7 years, though they stop counting toward suspension after 12 months if no new violations occur.
What each traffic violation is worth in points
Nevada assigns points based on the severity of the violation. A minor infraction like an expired registration costs 1 point. Speeding violations range from 1 point (1 to 10 mph over the limit) to 4 points (31 mph or more over the limit). Running a red light or stop sign is 4 points. Reckless driving is 8 points. Driving under the influence (DUI) is 8 points, and a second DUI within 7 years is also 8 points.
Violations that cause an accident add points on top of the base violation. For example, if you cause an accident while speeding, you receive points for both the speeding and the accident. Parking violations and equipment violations (broken taillight, expired inspection) typically do not carry points — only moving violations do.
If you receive a citation but the charge is dismissed or reduced in court, the points may be reduced or removed depending on what the court orders. You should request a copy of the court disposition and send it to the DMV to update your record.
How the 12-month rolling period works
Nevada does not use a calendar year. Instead, the DMV looks back 12 months from the date of your most recent violation. If you received a speeding ticket on March 15, 2024, the DMV counts all violations from March 15, 2023 forward. If you get another ticket on March 20, 2024, the window shifts to March 20, 2023 forward.
This rolling system means you can stay under 12 points even if you have multiple violations, as long as they are spread out. For example, if you have 8 points from a violation in January 2024 and 5 points from a violation in March 2024, you are at 13 points and your license will be suspended. But if that January violation falls outside the 12-month window before you get the March ticket, only the March violation counts.
Once 12 months pass without a new violation, the oldest violation drops off the rolling window. This does not remove it from your record — it straightforward stops counting toward the suspension threshold. The violation remains on your driving history for 7 years for insurance and other purposes.
What happens when you reach 12 points
The DMV does not send a warning when you are close to 12 points. The suspension takes effect automatically once the threshold is crossed. You will receive a suspension notice in the mail, but the suspension begins before the notice arrives. If you continue to drive after the suspension date, you are driving with a suspended license, which is a separate criminal offense in Nevada.
The length of the suspension depends on how many times you have been suspended before. A first suspension lasts 6 months. A second suspension within 7 years lasts 1 year. A third or subsequent suspension within 7 years lasts 3 years. These periods run from the date the suspension takes effect, not from the date you receive the notice.
You cannot request a hardship license or work permit during a suspension for accumulating points. Nevada does allow hardship licenses for some other types of suspensions (like failure to pay child support), but point-based suspensions are not may be able to access.
How to request a DMV hearing to challenge the suspension
You have the right to request a hearing with the DMV within 10 days of receiving the suspension notice. The hearing officer will review whether the points were correctly recorded and whether the violations were properly documented. You can present evidence that a violation should not have been recorded or that the point value was wrong.
To request a hearing, contact the DMV directly by phone or mail. The suspension notice will include the phone number and mailing address. You must request the hearing in writing or by phone within the 10-day window. If you miss this important date, you lose the right to a hearing and the suspension stands.
At the hearing, you can argue that the violations were incorrectly recorded, that you were not the driver, or that the point values assigned were wrong. You cannot argue that the point system itself is unfair — the hearing is only to verify that the DMV applied the system correctly to your record. If the hearing officer finds an error, the points may be removed and the suspension may be cancelled.
Reinstating your license after suspension
After your suspension period ends, you must take steps to reinstate your license. You cannot straightforward start driving again. Contact the DMV to request reinstatement. You will need to pay a reinstatement fee (the amount varies but is typically $100 to $150) and provide proof of financial responsibility, usually in the form of an SR-22 insurance certificate.
An SR-22 is a document your insurance company files with the DMV certifying that you carry the minimum required liability coverage. You must maintain this coverage for 3 years after reinstatement. If your insurance lapses, the DMV will be notified and your license will be suspended again.
You do not have to retake the written or driving test to reinstate your license after a point suspension. However, if your license has been expired for more than 1 year, you may need to pass a vision test or written test depending on how long it has been.
How to avoid accumulating points
The most direct way to stay under 12 points is to avoid traffic violations. However, if you do receive a citation, you have options. In some cases, you can attend traffic school to have the violation removed from your record. Nevada allows traffic school for certain minor violations, and completing the course prevents the points from being added to your record.
You must request traffic school before or at your court date. Not all violations are may be able to access — serious violations like DUI, reckless driving, or violations causing injury are not may be able to access for traffic school. You will pay a course fee (typically $50 to $100) in addition to any court fines, but the points will not be recorded.
If you believe a violation was issued in error, you can contest it in traffic court. Bring evidence such as photos, witness statements, or dash camera footage. If the judge finds in your favor, the violation is dismissed and no points are recorded. If you lose, the points are added to your record as normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do points from out-of-state violations count toward Nevada suspension?
Yes. Nevada participates in the Driver License Compact, an agreement between states to share violation records. Violations you receive in other states are reported to Nevada and added to your driving record with the same point values Nevada assigns. These points count toward the 12-point suspension threshold.
Can I get points removed from my record before 7 years?
Points stop counting toward suspension after 12 months if you do not receive new violations. However, they remain on your record for 7 years for insurance and other purposes. You cannot petition the DMV to remove them early. Traffic school can prevent points from being added in the first place, but does not remove points already on your record.
What if I was not the driver when the violation occurred?
Contact the DMV and the court that issued the citation. You can request that the violation be dismissed if you can prove you were not driving. Bring evidence such as a police report, witness statement, or proof you were elsewhere. If the court dismisses the charge, request that the DMV update your record with the court's disposition.
Does my license suspension affect my vehicle registration?
Your driver's license suspension and your vehicle registration are separate. Your registration remains valid. However, you cannot legally drive the vehicle while your license is suspended. If you are caught driving with a suspended license, you face criminal charges in addition to the suspension penalty.
Can I get a restricted license to drive to work during suspension?
Nevada does not issue restricted or hardship licenses for point-based suspensions. You cannot drive for any reason during the suspension period, including to and from work. Your only option is to wait for the suspension to end and then complete the reinstatement process.