If you’ve ever been given a speeding ticket or were found at fault in a fender bender, you might have been told you would get points on your driving record. What exactly does this mean, you might wonder? Can having too many points on my record result in the loss of my driving privileges? You and other Illinois residents may want to take note of the potential consequences of racking up driving points, as well as how to address them.
How are points added to your record? You can get points for speeding or reckless driving, driving under the influence, causing a collision or injury and many other offenses. The Illinois Secretary of State explains that if you have a significant number of driving points or too many driving violations within a certain time period, such as more than three traffic violations in 12 months, your driver’s license may be suspended or revoked.
These points will usually remain on your driving record for at least four years – including a minimum of seven years if you are found guilty of a violation that results in the loss of your license. You might be able to get some of your points dropped by completing a defensive driving course, depending on the reasons you have points on your record. You may also discover you have points that should not be there. For example, you fought a speeding ticket in court and won, or you were found not guilty of a drunk driving charge, but the points were mistakenly added to your record. In this case, you may wish to notify the court of the mistake.
This information should not replace the advice of a lawyer.
