A conviction stays on your New York driving record for different lengths of time depending on what it was for, and the question of how long a conviction stays on your NY driving record has essentially four answers: most ordinary traffic convictions display through the end of the conviction year plus three more full calendar years, a DWAI shows for 10 years, a DWI shows for 15 years, and a small group of the most serious offenses stays on your record permanently.
Ordinary Traffic Convictions: The Year Plus Three Rule
The DMV calls your driving record a “driver abstract.” For most non-criminal moving violations, the conviction is displayed through the end of the calendar year you were convicted, plus three additional full calendar years.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract) A speeding conviction from March 2025 stays visible until December 31, 2028. A red-light ticket from November 2026 stays until December 31, 2029.
This window covers the everyday violations most drivers deal with: speeding, running a red light, improper lane changes, seat belt violations, cell phone and texting tickets, and similar moving infractions. Once the retention period ends, the conviction drops off the standard abstract.
Alcohol and Drug Convictions: 10 or 15 Years
Impaired driving convictions display far longer. A conviction for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) stays on your standard abstract for 15 years from the date of conviction. A conviction for Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) under Vehicle and Traffic Law 1192(1) appears for 10 years.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract) DWAI-Drug and DWAI-Combination convictions generally display for 15 years.2New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Description of Standard Abstract of Driving Record
One point that catches people off guard: the display period on your abstract is not the same as the lookback window prosecutors and the DMV use for repeat-offense charges. A second DWI within 10 years of the first is charged as a felony. Three or more alcohol or drug-related convictions or test refusals within 10 years can trigger permanent license revocation. For certain aggravated offenses the lookback stretches to 15 years, and New York law authorizes greater penalties when multiple violations fall within a 25-year window.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Penalties for Alcohol or Drug-Related Violations A DWI can carry legal consequences beyond the 15 years it’s visible on your standard abstract.
Convictions That Never Come Off
Some convictions are displayed on your standard abstract permanently. Vehicular assault, vehicular homicide, and negligent homicide never age off.2New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Description of Standard Abstract of Driving Record There is no waiting period, no expiration, and no administrative process to remove them. Anyone who pulls your standard driving record will see these convictions for life.
How Long Suspensions and Revocations Stay Visible
Your abstract also shows license suspensions and revocations, and those follow their own retention rules. Most suspensions and revocations remain visible for four years from the date the suspension or revocation was cleared. A suspension for refusing a chemical test (breathalyzer or blood draw) appears for five years from the date it was imposed.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract)
Because these clocks run independently, the suspension can still show even after the conviction that caused it has aged off. An old DWI conviction may disappear from your abstract while the revocation it triggered continues to appear.
Standard Abstract Versus Lifetime Record
Every retention period above applies to the standard driving abstract, which is the version most people request and most insurers see. The DMV also keeps a lifetime record containing everything in its files about you, regardless of age. A DWI that came off your standard abstract 16 years later is still on the lifetime record. A speeding ticket from 2010 is still there.
You can request either version of your own record through the DMV using Form MV-15.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Get My Own Driving Record (Abstract) A third party who wants your lifetime abstract needs your notarized permission. The lifetime record matters most in legal proceedings and certain professional background checks, because courts and law enforcement are not limited to the standard abstract when evaluating your driving history.
Points Run on a Different Clock Than Convictions
Points and conviction display periods are two separate timelines, and it’s easy to confuse them. Points from a violation stop counting toward the 11-point suspension threshold once 24 months pass from the violation date.4New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. The New York State Driver Point System But those points stay on your driving record for as long as the underlying conviction does, and your insurance company can use them to raise premiums during that entire period.
A 6-point speeding ticket from January 2025 stops counting toward a potential suspension in January 2027, but the conviction stays visible on your abstract until December 31, 2028.
Sealing a Criminal Record Does Not Clear Your DMV Abstract
Sealing hides a conviction from most criminal background checks. It does not remove the conviction from your DMV record, which follows its own retention schedule.
Most traffic infractions and violations are automatically sealed under Criminal Procedure Law 160.55, so they don’t appear on a criminal background check without any action on your part.5New York State Unified Court System. Sealed Violations Infractions DWAI under VTL 1192(1) is a notable exception; although classified as a traffic infraction, it is specifically excluded from automatic sealing.6New York State Senate. New York Code CPL 160.55 – Order Upon Termination of Criminal Action by Conviction for Noncriminal Offense For misdemeanors and felonies, you can petition a court to seal up to two eligible convictions under Criminal Procedure Law 160.59 after waiting at least 10 years from sentencing or release.7New York State Senate. New York Code CPL 160.59 – Sealing of Certain Convictions
Even when a driving-related offense is sealed on the criminal side, the conviction still appears on your DMV abstract for the full retention period described above. If your concern is what employers, insurers, or the DMV itself will see when they check your driving record, sealing does not shorten that window.