You cannot remove points from your license in Michigan ahead of schedule. There is no petition, no fee, and no course that clears points already on your record. Points drop off automatically two years after the date of conviction, and that clock runs on its own. What you can control is whether new points post at all: either by completing the state’s Basic Driver Improvement Course after a qualifying ticket, or by contesting the citation in court so there’s no conviction to report.
Points Fall Off Two Years After Conviction
Points stay on your Michigan driving record for two years from the conviction date, which is the day you paid the fine, were found responsible at a hearing, or were convicted in court. It is not the date the officer handed you the ticket.1Michigan Secretary of State. What Every Driver Must Know – Chapter 2: Your Driving Record
You don’t need to file anything with the Secretary of State when the two years are up. The points come off on their own. One thing to know: the conviction itself stays on your record for at least seven years even after the points disappear, and some convictions, such as impaired driving or a crash that caused a fatality, remain permanently.1Michigan Secretary of State. What Every Driver Must Know – Chapter 2: Your Driving Record So the points expire; the record of the ticket does not.
Keep New Points Off With the Basic Driver Improvement Course
The Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) is Michigan’s one statutory tool for preventing points from being added after a ticket. It does not erase existing points. When you complete an approved course within the required window, the Secretary of State never posts the points from that violation in the first place. The conviction still exists for court purposes, but the points don’t hit your record, and the statute also bars the Secretary of State from sharing information about that violation with any insurer, so it can’t be used to raise your premiums.2Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 257-320d
Who Qualifies
You can’t sign up on your own. After a court reports a moving violation, the Secretary of State checks your record against the eligibility rules and mails you a letter if you qualify. You are disqualified if any of these apply:2Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 257-320d
- The ticket carries more than three points.
- The violation is a criminal traffic charge rather than a civil infraction.
- You held a commercial driver’s license or were driving a commercial vehicle at the time.
- You already have three or more points on your record.
- You received more than one moving violation from the same incident.
- Your license is restricted, suspended, or revoked.
- You’ve completed a BDIC before.
That last item is the strategic one. The BDIC is a lifetime, one-time benefit. Using it on a two-point speeding ticket means it’s unavailable if you later get a three-point careless driving charge. If your record is clean and the current ticket is minor, it’s often worth absorbing the points and holding the BDIC in reserve.
How to Complete It
Once the eligibility letter arrives, you have 60 days from the date the Secretary of State sent the notice to finish the course and submit the completion certificate. Miss the window and the points post as if you had never been eligible.2Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 257-320d Courses must run at least four hours and come from a provider approved by the Secretary of State, with both online and in-person options available.3Michigan Secretary of State. Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) Sponsor The fee is capped by law at $100. The provider sends electronic confirmation to the state after you finish, but keep your certificate anyway. Court fines and costs are separate; the BDIC handles points and insurance visibility only.
Contest the Ticket So There’s No Conviction
Points post only after a conviction. If you’re found not responsible, no points are added. Most Michigan traffic violations are civil infractions, and you can request either an informal hearing before a magistrate or a formal hearing before a judge. At an informal hearing, the magistrate hears from you and the citing officer and can find you responsible as charged, responsible for a lesser included offense, or not responsible.4Michigan Courts. Civil Infraction Informal Hearing Checklist A lesser included offense can carry fewer points than the original charge. If the officer doesn’t appear, the magistrate typically dismisses the infraction.
For criminal traffic charges such as reckless driving, the prosecutor may negotiate a plea to a lower civil infraction like careless driving, which drops the exposure from six points to three.5Michigan Courts. Traffic Benchbook Hiring a traffic attorney for a high-point violation is common, and the fee can be less than years of elevated insurance premiums.
Check Your Record Before You Decide
Before you commit to fighting a ticket or burning your one-time BDIC eligibility, look at what’s already on your record. You can buy a copy of your Michigan driving record three ways:6Michigan Secretary of State. Driving Record
- Online through MiLogin on the Secretary of State’s website for $16, payable by credit card, debit card, or e-check. The record stays accessible for seven days.
- By mail with a completed request form and a check or money order. The fee is $15 for a standard copy or $16 for a certified copy.
- In person at a Secretary of State office with your license or ID for $16. All in-office copies are certified.
The record shows active points, past convictions, and any licensing actions the state has taken.
Why the Point Total Matters
Twelve or more points within a two-year period triggers a driver reexamination ordered by the Secretary of State.7Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 257-320 A driver analyst reviews your full record, discusses your driving behavior, and decides the licensing action. Outcomes range from a warning to restrictions on when and where you can drive, up to suspension or revocation.1Michigan Secretary of State. What Every Driver Must Know – Chapter 2: Your Driving Record
You don’t have to hit 12 points to be called in. Six or more one-point violations within two years can also trigger a reexamination, even though the total is lower.1Michigan Secretary of State. What Every Driver Must Know – Chapter 2: Your Driving Record The state watches for patterns as well as totals, which is why knowing your current count matters more than any single ticket in isolation.