To get points off your Georgia license, complete a six-hour defensive driving course from a school certified by the Department of Driver Services (DDS) and submit the Certificate of Completion to DDS. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-86, doing this reduces your point total by up to seven points, and you can use the option once every five years.1Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-5-86 – Reduction of Point Count Upon Completion of Course Points also stop counting toward suspension on their own after 24 months, but if you’re near the 15-point threshold, the course is the faster and safer move.
Why the Point Total Matters
Georgia assigns 2 to 6 points to each moving violation, and DDS suspends your license if you reach 15 points within any rolling 24-month window.2Georgia Department of Driver Services. Points and Points Reduction A few common ones give a sense of how fast that adds up:
- Speeding 15–18 mph over: 2 points
- Speeding 19–23 mph over: 3 points
- Speeding 24–33 mph over: 4 points
- Speeding 34+ mph over: 6 points
- Running a red light or stop sign: 3 points
- Reckless driving: 4 points
- Aggressive driving: 6 points
Speeding less than 15 mph over the limit doesn’t add any points, though you’ll still owe the fine.3Georgia Department of Driver Services. Points Schedule Two 4-point convictions and a 3-pointer inside 24 months puts you at 11. One more serious ticket and you’re suspended.
Take a Certified Defensive Driving Course
The point reduction only works if the course is a six-hour Driver Improvement program from a school DDS has specifically certified. Classes from uncertified schools don’t count for point reduction, license reinstatement, or court requirements, so verify the school on the DDS website before you pay anything.4Georgia Department of Driver Services. Driver Improvement Program
Both in-person and online courses are available. Prices typically run from about $25 to $100, with classroom courses sometimes higher. When you register, use your full legal name and driver’s license number exactly as they appear on your card; a mismatch there can hold up the reduction later. Once you finish all six hours, the school issues a Certificate of Completion showing the school’s license number, the instructor’s signature, and your completion date. That certificate is the only proof DDS will accept, so keep the original in a safe place.
The Five-Year Limit
You can only use the point-reduction option once every five years, measured from the date DDS last recorded a reduction on your record. If you took a course two years ago and used it to knock points off, another course today will not remove points, even though you can still take the class for other reasons.
Under 21? Different Math
Drivers under 21 face suspension at just 4 points, not 15. A single speeding ticket at 19 mph over the limit is enough. If you’re in this age group, even one conviction should be handled quickly.
Submit the Certificate to DDS
Once you have the original certificate, get it to DDS one of two ways:2Georgia Department of Driver Services. Points and Points Reduction
- In person at any DDS Customer Service Center, which gives you immediate confirmation of receipt.
- By mail to: Georgia Department of Driver Services, P.O. Box 80447, Conyers, Georgia 30013.
There is no online submission option for point-reduction requests. If you’re close to 15 points, the in-person route removes any uncertainty about mail timing.
Confirm the Reduction Actually Happened
After you submit the certificate, order a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) from DDS to verify the points came off. A three-year MVR costs $6, and a seven-year or lifetime MVR costs $8.5Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees and Terms Keep a copy of both the certificate and the updated MVR. If the reduction hasn’t posted, having the original certificate in hand makes fixing the problem straightforward.
Points Also Drop Off Automatically After 24 Months
Georgia counts points on a rolling 24-month basis. Once a violation is more than 24 months old, its points no longer count toward the 15-point suspension threshold, and DDS handles that automatically — you don’t file anything. The conviction itself, however, stays on your driving record permanently, and insurers can still see it.
Waiting out the clock only works if you have time and won’t pick up another ticket in the meantime. If you’re at 12 or 13 points and drive daily, the defensive driving course is the smarter option.
Situations Where Point Reduction Doesn’t Solve the Problem
Out-of-State Tickets
A ticket in another state doesn’t stay there. Georgia participates in the Non-Resident Violator Compact, and other member states can report your conviction back to Georgia, where DDS can assess points as if the offense happened here. If you drive across state lines often, those tickets count against your Georgia total.
Commercial Driver’s Licenses
If you hold a CDL, federal law under 49 CFR § 384.226 prohibits states from masking, deferring, or diverting traffic convictions off a CDL holder’s driving record.6eCFR. 49 CFR 384.226 – Prohibition on Masking Convictions This applies to convictions in any vehicle, not only commercial ones. The O.C.G.A. § 40-5-86 course may reduce your DDS point total, but the underlying conviction still appears on your CDL record.
Insurance Premiums
Removing points from your DDS record does not automatically lower your insurance. Insurers keep their own rating systems and look at your conviction history directly, and a violation can affect your rates for three to five years even after the DDS points stop counting. Industry research has found a minor speeding ticket can raise premiums by roughly 25 to 34 percent, and a major speeding conviction (30 mph or more over the limit) by around 43 percent. Point reduction protects your license from suspension; insurance savings require a clean record over time.
If you’ve already been suspended, DDS charges reinstatement fees starting at $200 by mail or $210 in person and requires a defensive driving course before you can get your license back.7Georgia Department of Driver Services. Reinstatement Fees and Payment That alone is reason to take the $25 to $100 course before you cross the 15-point line, not after.