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Understanding Indiana’s Driver’s License Point System

Earning your Indiana driver’s license is an exciting day, whether at 16 or any other age. A driver’s license means greater freedom and mobility, and as long as you get it renewed on time, you’re free to continue legally driving for decades to come. However, that doesn’t mean you can drive in any manner that you please. Indiana’s traffic laws were established to make roads safer for everyone who use them, and if you violate these laws and are cited by a police officer, you’ll begin to accumulate points on your license.

These points are established by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Their values depend on the severity of the traffic violation that incurred them. If you accumulate enough points, your license may be suspended or indefinitely revoked. In addition, auto insurance companies have access to this database, and when drivers rack up too many points on their licenses, they may raise their rates.

Common Traffic Violations and Their Point Values

If you get pulled over or cited for a traffic violation in Indiana, it will remain on your license for up two years, even after the associated fee is paid in full. Drivers who accumulate 14 points will receive warning letters from their local BMVs indicating the penalties for future traffic violations.

The Indiana BMV assesses points on licenses for a wide variety of traffic-related offenses, and the most common of those include:

  • 2-point violations
    • Exceeding the speed limit by 1-15 mph
    • Driving under the minimum speed limit
    • Failure to dim bright lights when approaching other vehicles
    • Failure to signal
    • Speeding in a boat
    • Improper towing
    • Failure to use headlights
    • Non-functional brake or signal lights
  • 4-point violations
    • Exceeding the speed limit by 16-25 mph
    • Making an illegal U-turn
    • Making an unsafe movement across lanes
    • Wearing improper motorcycle headgear
    • Failure to yield or stop at a stop sign
    • Illegal passing
    • Texting or emailing while driving
  • 6-point violations
    • Exceeding the speed limit by more than 25 mph
    • Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle
    • Disregarding the stop sign at a railroad crossing
    • Failure to comply with the order of a law enforcement officer
    • Following too closely
    • Failure to exercise due care for pedestrians
    • Reckless driving
    • Having a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) above 0.02% but under 0.08% if under 21 years old
  • 8-point violations
    • Drag racing
    • Reckless driving that results in property damage
    • Reckless driving in a highway work zone
    • Aggressive driving
    • Passing a school bus while loading or unloading
    • Passing a school bus with its stop sign extended
    • Leaving the scene of an accident
    • Driving with a suspended license
  • 10-point violations
    • Reckless driving resulting in injuries
    • Driving with a suspended license and causing an injuring or fatal crash
    • Driving while impaired and causing an injuring or fatal crash

What Happens if You Accumulate Too Many Points?

If you rack up too many points on your license, your license will be suspended by the Indiana BMV. And as you can see from the point values listed above, getting caught driving on a suspended license only tacks on more points to your license and extends your suspension.

Point values and their suspension time periods include:

  • 20 points:1-month suspension
  • 22 points:2-month suspension
  • 24 points:3-month suspension
  • 26 points:4-month suspension
  • 28 points:5-month suspension
  • 30 points:6-month suspension
  • 32 points:7-month suspension
  • 34 points:8-month suspension
  • 36 points:9-month suspension
  • 38 points:10-month suspension
  • 40 points:11-month suspension
  • 42 points:12-month suspension

How Long Do Points Stay On Your License in Indiana?

Indiana law requires that all drivers under 21 years old who are convicted of two or more traffic offenses in a 12-month period complete a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program. Drivers over the age of 21 may also be required to complete this program if they commit a traffic offense.

Is there any way to wipe points off a license? Drivers who complete the course can wipe 4 points off their license. However, the credits can only be earned once every three years, and if a driver who is ordered to complete a Driver Safety Program fails to do so within 90 days, their license will be suspended.

Dangerous Driving Habits Create Dangerous Roads for the Rest of Us

At Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin, our Indiana auto accident attorneys know that the state’s roadways are dangerous enough already. Between inclement weather and normal human error, the risk of crashes is always something people should be aware of. But when you factor in negligent and even reckless driving, the risks become even greater.

We appreciate the efforts that Indiana’s law enforcement officers, legislature, and BMV take to make the state’s roadways safer for all drivers. But we also know that traffic laws are broken daily, and when they are, the consequences are often far more severe than fines and points tacked onto driver’s licenses.

Discuss Indiana’s Driver’s License Point System With an Attorney

It’s up to the state to take dangerous drivers off the road when they put others in danger, and it’s up to us to get their victims the compensation they deserve when they cause crashes. If you or someone you love was recently injured in an accident that was caused by a speeding, distracted, impaired, or otherwise negligent driver, we want to help you get the money you deserve.

You’re facing expensive medical bills, and you may be unable to work. That means no paychecks and no way to even keep up with your daily living expenses. Let us help you get maximum compensation for what you’ve gone through. Call today—we’re ready to put our experience to work for your family.

Reach out to a Terre Haute Personal Injury Attorney Today

The financial burden that often comes with a serious injury can be too much for many people to bear. Unexpected medical debt, damaged personal property, and the sudden loss of income can impact the budgets of most families. The good news is that a successful injury claim could help reduce that financial strain after a serious accident. Get in touch with a Terre Haute personal injury lawyer with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin to learn more.

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