How Many Points Are on My License in Georgia?

To find out how many points are on your license in Georgia, log in to the Department of Driver Services online portal or open the free DDS 2 GO mobile app; both show your current point total and the convictions behind it. Georgia uses a 15-point threshold over any 24-month period to suspend adult drivers, so the number you see matters.

Checking Your Point Total

The DDS website is the fastest route. You’ll create an online services account using your full legal name as it appears on your license, your date of birth, and your Georgia driver’s license number.¹ Once you’re in, your point total and the convictions that produced it are both visible.

The DDS 2 GO app shows the same information on your phone and gives you two years of driving history at no charge. You can also request a three-year or seven-year report through the app, though certified copies carry a fee.¹ If you’d rather not use either tool, you can mail the DDS a request with your full name, license number, and date of birth.

What Counts as a Point in Georgia

Points are assigned under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-57 and only post to your record after a court conviction or guilty plea.² The schedule:

6 points: aggressive driving, unlawful passing of a school bus, or speeding 34 mph or more over the limit
4 points: reckless driving, improper passing on a hill or curve, or speeding 24 to 33 mph over the limit
3 points: speeding 19 to 23 mph over, disobeying a traffic-control device or officer, following too closely, and most other moving violations not otherwise listed
2 points: speeding 15 to 18 mph over, open container while driving, unsecured load causing an accident, or a second child-restraint violation
1 point: a first child safety restraint violation
0 points: too fast for conditions, speeding 14 mph or less over the limit, and non-moving violations like parking or equipment infractions

Two things surprise people. Reckless driving is four points, not the maximum. And speeding by 14 mph or less adds nothing to your record; you still owe the fine, but the ticket won’t move you toward suspension.²

When Points Suspend Your License

The threshold depends on your age.

If you’re 21 or older, your license is suspended when you reach 15 points in any rolling 24-month period. The window is measured from arrest dates, not conviction dates, and once a suspension ends your point count resets to zero.²

If you’re 18 to 20, a single conviction worth four or more points triggers an automatic suspension. One reckless driving conviction will do it. So will one speeding ticket at 24 mph over.³

If you’re under 18, four or more total points in any 12-month period results in suspension, and that count is cumulative rather than tied to any single offense.³

A first adult suspension runs one year, with early reinstatement possible under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-84 after a defensive driving course. For drivers under 21, a first suspension lasts six months.

Erasing Points With a Defensive Driving Course

Georgia lets you remove up to seven points from your record once every five years by completing a certified six-hour defensive driving course.⁴ The reduction isn’t automatic. After the course, bring the original certificate of completion to a DDS customer service center or mail it in.⁵

The school has to be DDS-certified and use an approved curriculum provider, or the course won’t count for point reduction, licensing, or court requirements. You can verify a school’s certification on the DDS website before enrolling.⁶

Because the reduction is only available once every five years, it’s worth saving for a moment that matters. If you’re sitting at 10 points and worried about the 15-point line, that’s the moment. A single two-point ticket isn’t.

Nolo Contendere: One Free Pass Every Five Years

Your first nolo contendere (“no contest”) plea in any five-year window does not add points to your license. The DDS treats it differently from a guilty plea for point purposes.²

A second nolo plea inside that five-year window gets treated as a regular conviction, with points assessed normally. The clock runs arrest date to arrest date. Because you only get one, the nolo option is most useful against a higher-point offense rather than a minor ticket.

Out-of-State Tickets

Georgia doesn’t belong to the Driver License Compact that most states use to share traffic convictions, so an out-of-state speeding ticket may not automatically add points to your Georgia record. Georgia does participate in the National Driver Register, which flags drivers whose licenses have been suspended, revoked, or canceled in other states.⁷ Don’t treat non-membership in the compact as a shield; the other state can still report the conviction, and Georgia decides what to do with it.

How Points Affect Insurance

Insurers see your point record when they pull your motor vehicle report at renewal or when you apply for a new policy. More points generally mean higher premiums, with the exact increase depending on the carrier, the violation, and your overall history. Georgia law doesn’t set a surcharge schedule, but drivers with multiple recent convictions often see rate increases that persist for years.

Reducing your points through a defensive driving course helps on this side too, since insurers work from the record the DDS reports.

1
Georgia Department of Driver Services. How Do I MVR Driving History
2
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-57 – Suspension or Revocation of License of Habitually Negligent or Dangerous Driver; Point System
3
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-57.1 – Suspension of Licenses of Persons Under 21 Years of Age
4
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Points and Points Reduction
5
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Section 10 Continued – Section: Points Reduction
6
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Driver Improvement Program
7
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. National Driver Register (NDR)