Driver's License Guide
Pennsylvania license points & suspension — the full guide.
How PA's point system works, what each violation costs, when PennDOT suspends, how points come off, and what to do if you're staring down a 6-point hearing or 11-point suspension.
Already convicted by an MDJ? You have 30 days to appeal a traffic conviction and stay the points, suspension, or CDL disqualification.
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PA License Points & Suspension Guide
Point values, the 6 & 11-point thresholds, point removal, CDL rules, and the 30-day appeal window — printable and shareable.
How the system works
Points attach when a conviction is final.
Pennsylvania assigns a fixed point value to each moving violation (75 Pa.C.S. § 1535). Points are added when PennDOT receives notice of conviction — either from a guilty plea, payment of the citation, or a guilty verdict at the magisterial district court. Points do not attach if you're acquitted, the charge is reduced to a non-point violation, or the case is dismissed.
The key practical consequence is that you have a window between the MDJ verdict and PennDOT reporting where a summary appeal can stop the points from attaching at all.
Common PA point assessments
- Speeding 6–10 mph over2 points
- Speeding 11–15 mph over3 points
- Speeding 16–25 mph over4 points (fines doubled in active work / school zones)
- Speeding 26–30 mph over5 points
- Speeding 31+ mph over5 points + mandatory PennDOT departmental hearing (§ 1538(a)); examiner may impose up to a 15-day suspension
- Speeding in an active work zone (§ 1535(e) / § 3326.1)Automatic 15-day suspension on top of points; fines doubled
- Running a red light / stop sign3 points
- Failure to yield right of way3 points
- Improper passing3 points
- Following too closely3 points
- Reckless driving (§ 3736)6 points
- Careless driving with injury (§ 3714(b))3 points + 6-month suspension
- Failure to stop for a school bus5 points + 60-day suspension
The suspension thresholds — 6 points and 11 points.
PennDOT acts automatically at two trigger points. Once you cross them, the agency mails a notice — but the suspension or hearing requirement is already set in motion by statute.
6 points (first time)
PennDOT sends a notice requiring a written special point examination within 30 days. Fail or skip it and your license is suspended until you pass.
6 points (second time)
PennDOT schedules a departmental hearing. The hearing examiner can suspend your license for up to 15 days, order a road test, or recommend other restrictions.
6 points (third time +)
Treated as a habitually careless or unsafe driver. 30-day suspension is mandatory. Each subsequent accumulation triggers another 30-day suspension.
11 or more points
Mandatory suspension under § 1539. First time: 5 days per point. Second time: 10 days per point. Third time: 15 days per point. Fourth time and beyond: one-year revocation.
If you've gotten a PennDOT letter
Most PennDOT suspension notices — 6-point hearings, 11-point suspensions, Section 1535 speeding suspensions, and habitual-offender determinations — are appealable to the Court of Common Pleas within 30 days. Filing the appeal stays the suspension while the case is heard de novo. We file these appeals across Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, and York County. Start with our Harrisburg summary & suspension appeals page.
Point removal
How points come off your record.
Safe driving (the only real way): 3 points are removed for every 12 consecutive months without a new violation or a suspension. The clock resets the day you commit a new offense — not the day of conviction.
Reaching zero: Once your record hits zero points, it stays there until a new violation. PennDOT does not erase the conviction history — only the point total resets.
Driver improvement courses: Required after a 6-point accumulation in some scenarios, but a course does not remove points on its own. The course satisfies a PennDOT requirement so you can keep driving; the underlying points stay until time removes them.
Never: There is no PA equivalent to a defensive driving course that wipes points. The only way to keep points off your record is to avoid the conviction in the first place — either at the MDJ summary trial or on summary appeal to Common Pleas.
Related guides.
Harrisburg summary & suspension appeals
The 30-day appeal process, local courts, and how to stay points and suspensions while we challenge the conviction.
PA traffic citation defense
Speeding, reckless, careless, suspended-license, and CDL cases statewide.
Reckless driving (§ 3736)
6 points, jail exposure, and CDL impact — Adams, York, Cumberland, and Dauphin County.
Pennsylvania DUI defense
DUI carries direct suspensions instead of points — every tier defended.
ARD program — full guide
First-time DUI diversion: eligibility, requirements, and effect on your license.
Criminal defense
When traffic charges escalate into misdemeanors or felonies.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Common questions about Pennsylvania's driver point system, suspension thresholds, point removal, and CDL impact.
Pennsylvania suspends a license in stages, not on a single number. Step 1 — Reach 6 points the first time: PennDOT orders a written special point examination. Pass it and 2 points come off; fail or skip it and your license is suspended until you pass. Step 2 — Reach 6 points a second time: PennDOT schedules a departmental hearing under § 1538(b), where the examiner can impose up to a 15-day suspension. Step 3 — Reach 6 points a third time: mandatory 30-day suspension, no hearing discretion. Step 4 — Reach 11 or more points at any time: mandatory suspension calculated per § 1539 — 5 days per point on the first 11-point suspension, 10 days per point on the second, 15 days per point on the third. Step 5 — A fourth 11-point suspension: license is revoked for one full year and only restored after PennDOT approval. Points come off at 3 points per 12 consecutive months of clean driving, so the fastest way to stay under 6 is to fight point-carrying tickets before they attach.
Related pages
Summary appeals — Harrisburg
Appeal an MDJ guilty verdict to Common Pleas. 30-day deadline.
Reckless driving (§ 3736)
6 points, jail exposure, CDL impact — Adams, York, Cumberland & Dauphin.
DUI defense
When a traffic stop turns into a DUI arrest.
Criminal defense
Reckless driving, fleeing, and related charges.
Areas we serve
Where we appear across Central PA.
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Sources & statutory citations
- [1]75 Pa.C.S. § 1535 — Schedule of convictions and points; §1535(e) — automatic 15-day suspension for active work-zone speeding.
- [2]75 Pa.C.S. § 1538 — Departmental hearing and sanctions on accumulation of points.
- [3]75 Pa.C.S. § 1539 — Suspension of operating privilege on accumulation of 11 or more points.
- [4]75 Pa.C.S. § 3326.1 — Duty of drivers in active work zones; doubled fines.
- [5]75 Pa.C.S. § 3736 — Reckless driving — 6 points, summary offense.
- [6]75 Pa.C.S. § 1543 — Driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked; §1543(b) — DUI-related suspension penalties.
- [7]49 C.F.R. § 383.51 — CDL disqualifications — serious traffic violations; DUI/refusal one-year first-offense disqualification.
Statutes are summarized for public reference. Confirm current text at palegis.us. This page is attorney advertising, not legal advice.
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