Points, suspensions and probation

Key points

1. If you get 11 or more points within 24 months, the DMV will notify you that your license will be suspended.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “If you get 11 or more points within 24 months, you will be notified by mail that your driver license will be suspended.”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

2. Points count from the date you commit the violation, not the date you are convicted.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “The point values charged against your record are from the date you commit the violation, not the date you are convicted.”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

3. A junior permit or license is suspended for 60 days after a conviction for a serious violation (3 points or more) or two other violations.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “your permit, license or privileges will be suspended for 60 days if you are convicted of a serious traffic violation (three points or more) or two other violations”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

4. A junior driver convicted of a texting or cell phone violation is suspended for 120 days.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “your junior permit, license or privileges will be suspended for 120 days when you are convicted of a texting or cell phone violation”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

5. If you are 18 or older when you pass your road test, your license is on probation for 6 months.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “If you are 18 or older when you pass your road test for a driver license, or obtain a license following revocation, you will be on probation for six months.”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

6. On probation, a conviction for DWAI, speeding, reckless driving, tailgating, a speed contest, or any two violations brings a 60 day suspension.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “If you are convicted of DWAI (alcohol), speeding, reckless driving, following too closely, participating in a speed contest, or any two traffic violations while on probation, your license will be suspended for 60 days.”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

7. A DMV approved crash prevention course can cut up to 4 points and save up to 10 percent on liability and collision premiums.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “You can reduce your point total by up to four points and save up to 10 percent on your auto liability and collision insurance premiums by taking a DMV-approved Motor Vehicle Crash Prevention Course.”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

8. Driving an uninsured vehicle, or letting someone else drive it, means a revocation of at least 1 year.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “Your driver license will be revoked for at least one year if you operate or allow another person to operate your uninsured vehicle”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

9. 3 speeding or misdemeanor traffic violations within 18 months bring a revocation of at least 6 months.

   Source: Chapter 2

   “Your driver license will be revoked for at least six months if you are found guilty of: Three speeding and/or misdemeanor traffic violations within 18 months”
   New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

10. Failing to file a crash report, pay child support, pay taxes or satisfy a crash judgment suspends your license indefinitely until you fix it.

    Source: Chapter 2

    “Your driver license will also be suspended indefinitely if you fail to file a crash report, fail to pay child support, fail to pay taxes or fail to fulfill a court judgment that results from a traffic crash.”
    New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2

Numbers to know

3 questions from the New York practice test

1. 1. How many points within 24 months lead New York DMV to notify a driver that the license will be suspended?

   1. 5 or more points
   2. 11 or more points
   3. 8 or more points
   4. 15 or more points
   Show answer

   11 or more points. New York sends a notice of suspension when a driver receives 11 or more points within 24 months. The five-, eight-, and 15-point thresholds in the choices do not match the point-system trigger stated in the manual. Individual violations can carry different point values, so count the accumulated total over the stated 24-month period rather than looking at one ticket alone. The practical cue is 11 points in two years. A separate hearing may address whether the convictions belong to the driver, but it does not change the threshold itself.

2. 2. For a junior permit or license, what suspension follows a serious violation worth three points or more?

   1. A 30-day suspension
   2. A six-month revocation
   3. A 60-day suspension
   4. A one-year suspension
   Show answer

   A 60-day suspension. New York imposes a 60-day suspension when a junior permit or license holder is convicted of a serious traffic violation worth three points or more. The 30-day option understates the stated sanction, while six months and one year are not the period given for this junior-driver rule. Keep the trigger attached to the time period: one serious violation or two other violations leads to 60 days. This is a license consequence even if the driver has not accumulated enough points for the adult point system.

3. 3. A New York driver who is 18 or older passes the road test. How long is the new license on probation?

   1. Six months
   2. One year
   3. There is no probation for adults
   4. Thirty days
   Show answer

   Six months. If you are 18 or older when you pass your road test, or you obtain a license after a revocation, you are on probation for six months. During probation a conviction for DWAI, speeding, reckless driving, following too closely, a speed contest, or any two traffic violations brings a 60 day suspension, and a second such conviction after reinstatement brings a revocation. Probation is not limited to junior drivers, and it lasts six months rather than a month or a year.

Source: the New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: How to Keep Your License. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.