Pennsylvania license points & suspension — the full guide.

Points come off at a rate of 3 points removed for every 12 consecutive months of no new violations and no suspensions. The clock resets every time you add new points. Once your record reaches zero, it stays at zero until a new violation. Points themselves never 'expire' on a calendar — only safe driving removes them.

Reckless driving (§ 3736) is not on the § 1535 point schedule at all — it carries no points, but § 1532(b)(1) requires an automatic 6-month suspension on conviction, which is worse than any point assessment. Failure to stop for a school bus is 5 points plus a 60-day suspension. Speeding 26–30 mph over is 5 points; 31+ mph over is 5 points plus a mandatory PennDOT departmental hearing under § 1538(a), where the examiner may impose up to 15 days of suspension. The automatic 15-day suspension applies specifically to speeding in an active work zone under § 1535(e). Most other moving violations are 2–4 points. DUI itself is not assessed points — it carries direct suspensions under § 3804.

No — paying the citation is the same as pleading guilty. The conviction is reported to PennDOT and the points attach. The only ways to avoid points are: win the case at the magisterial district court summary trial, negotiate a reduction to a non-point violation, or appeal an MDJ guilty verdict to the Court of Common Pleas for a fresh trial.

Yes — for most PennDOT administrative suspensions you have 30 days to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas. The appeal is heard de novo by a judge, who can affirm, reduce, or overturn the suspension. Common grounds include errors in the conviction reporting, expired prior convictions counted as recent, and arithmetic errors in the point total.

Yes, plus a separate federal layer. CDL holders accumulate points the same way for the underlying violation, but federal regulations also disqualify a CDL for 'serious traffic violations' (15+ mph over, reckless, improper lane change, following too closely, no CDL on person) regardless of point total. Two within three years = 60-day disqualification. Three = 120 days. A DUI or refusal — even off-duty in a personal vehicle — disqualifies the CDL for one year on a first offense.

The automatic 15-day suspension under § 1535(e) is tied specifically to a conviction for speeding in an active work zone (§ 3326.1). For a standard 31+ mph-over citation outside a work zone, the suspension is not automatic — PennDOT must schedule a departmental hearing under § 1538(a), and the hearing examiner may impose up to 15 days. Either way the points still attach and count toward future 6-point and 11-point thresholds, and you have 30 days from conviction to file a summary appeal that stays any suspension while the appeal is pending.

Often yes, for work, school, medical appointments, or court-ordered programs. OLLs are available for many — but not all — PennDOT suspensions. You apply through PennDOT, pay a fee, and may need an ignition interlock depending on the underlying offense. We file OLL petitions alongside the suspension appeal where it makes sense.