About Consequences of Driver’s License Points
Point Implications for Traffic Tickets
As a rule of thumb, anything that doesn’t show up in code section 18 DCMR 303 will probably carry at least two points. It usually increases from there, depending on the severity, but some things carry more points than others. It can be a confusing system. The website is not always up-to-date, but an attorney will be able to tell you. Speeding is a good example, because it shows how the system varies. It’s a graduated system. If you’re driving 11 to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, that’s three points. If you’re 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit, that’s four points, and if you’re 21 mph or more over the limit, that’s five points. 
If you’re going 35 mph over, for example, then chances are you will get arrested for reckless driving and if you’re convicted of reckless driving, then that’s 12 points and an automatic revocation of your license. That should definitely be avoided if at all possible. If you get a ticket for driving at an unreasonable speed, for example if it’s pouring rain and the posted speed limit is 30, but it’s unreasonable and unsafe to drive that fast due to the circumstances, you can get a ticket and that would be two points. Driving through a stop sign is two points. Turning on a no right turn or no U-turn sign would also be two points. Some of the more serious ones, such as driving on a suspended or revoked license, are 12 points with an automatic revocation. If you get a DUI, that’s 12 points. Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle that has their lights and sirens on is six points. If you’re following too closely, that’s two points. Failing to stop for school bus with flashing lights would be four points. It really does run the gamut and some of them don’t make quite as much sense, but that’s the regulatory system we’ve got in the District.
Acquiring Too Many Points
It’s set out in the municipal regulations. There are some guidelines and there are some hard-and-fast rules. When you accumulate points, there is a potential for your license to be suspended. It’s up to the Hearing Examiner or Administrative Law Judge. If you show up and make a good-faith effort to contest it, even if you reached eight points, there is a good chance that your license won’t be suspended. It’s always a possibility, and when you get to10 points, by law there is a mandatory 90-day suspension of your driver’s license and if you reach 12 points it’s a six-month revocation of your license or driving privileges. A lot of people might know that eventually, too many points is problematic, but they don’t know where, when, or how many points go along with it, and these things also change also. Sometimes the City Council changes the point values and an Administrative Law Judge may need for an attorney who has been paying attention to the rule changes to be able to point out that a certain number of points are no longer the amount that’s associated with that particular violation. 10 points and 12 points are the numbers to worry about, and points don’t only affect your driving privileges; they can also lead to increases in your insurance premiums, and if you drive for a living, they could also lead to a suspension or possibly the loss of your job, depending on whether or not it’s a requirement to have a clean driving record. Points are very important. There are many different aspects of it. If there’s ever a question as to whether or not it’s going to have a negative impact on you, I would definitely encourage you to contact an attorney.
Affect on Motor Vehicle Insurance
That depends on the individual because everybody’s insurance carrier is different, but in general, if you get a ticket for going 26 to 30 miles over the speed limit, for example, and you are found liable for that ticket, you can probably expect a hike in your insurance premiums. If you’ve been a customer of the same insurance company for 30 years and you have six vehicles with four drivers, that might factor that into their actuarial risk assessment and they may decide not to raise your premiums. If you’re a single male who is 22 years old and you drive a Corvette, then it’s more likely your premiums will increase. Sometimes insurance companies are willing to negotiate with you if you do a traffic safety course or something of that sort. It’s always worth trying to see if you can negotiate something with the company, but the easiest way to prevent problems is to do everything you can to obey the traffic laws while you’re out on the road. We are all human, we all make mistakes, and those mistakes are where having an experienced attorney can help you.