Texas Driving Points are the hidden cost of a speeding ticket — they pile up on your license, and enough of them in a set time window will suspend your right to drive. This guide explains the Texas point system in plain English: exactly how many points a speeding ticket adds at each speed bracket, how many texas driving points trigger a suspension, how long points stay on your record, and how to check and reduce them.
All figures are estimates for general guidance, verified against Texas sources as of June 2026.
In This Texas Guide:
How Texas Driving Points Work
Texas does NOT use a point system. The state repealed its Driver Responsibility Program (Chapter 708, Transportation Code) effective September 1, 2019, eliminating all point-based surcharges. Texas now uses a conviction-count system — license suspension is triggered by accumulating too many moving violation convictions within a set time period, not by points.
Texas Driving Points by Speed Bracket
Here is how many texas driving points a speeding ticket typically adds, based on how far over the limit you were going:
| How Fast Over the Limit | Points Added |
|---|---|
| 1-10 mph over | N/A — Texas does not assign points to speeding tickets. Each moving violation conviction counts as one conviction toward the habitual-violator threshold. |
| 11-20 mph over | N/A — Texas does not assign points. Each moving violation conviction counts as one conviction regardless of speed. |
| 21+ mph over | N/A — Texas does not assign points. Each moving violation conviction counts as one conviction regardless of speed. |
How long points last: N/A — Texas does not use points. However, moving violation convictions remain on a Texas driving record. A Type 2 driving record shows the past 3 years of violations and accidents. A Type 3 (complete) driving record shows all violations and accidents ever recorded. Convictions within the rolling 12-month or 24-month windows count toward the habitual-violator threshold.
How Many Texas Driving Points Until Suspension?
In Texas, 4 or more moving violation convictions in 12 consecutive months, OR 7 or more moving violation convictions in 24 consecutive months. For drivers under 18, the threshold is 2 or more moving violations in 12 months. These thresholds are set by Texas Transportation Code Section 521.292. Each new speeding ticket pushes you closer to that limit, which is why watching your texas driving points matters even when a single ticket seems minor.
How to Check and Reduce Your Texas Driving Points
How to check your points: Order your driving record online through the Texas DPS Driver Record Request portal at https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/txldrcdr/TXDPSLicenseeManager. You will need your driver license number, date of birth, and the audit number from your license. A Type 2 record (3-year history) or Type 3 record (complete history) will show all convictions and accidents. Records can also be ordered by mail through Texas DPS; however, DPS offices do not issue driving records in person.
How to reduce your texas driving points: Since Texas has no point system, there are no points to reduce. However, many drivers may be able to have a traffic ticket dismissed by completing a TDLR-approved 6-hour defensive driving course. You must request court permission before enrolling, and the court typically allows 90 days to complete the course. If the ticket is dismissed, no conviction appears on your record.
Eligibility restrictions apply — you may not use defensive driving if you were going 25 mph or more over the speed limit, the violation occurred in a construction zone with workers present, you were driving a commercial vehicle, you already used defensive driving for ticket dismissal within the past 12 months, or you were cited for fleeing the scene, passing a stopped school bus, or driving without insurance.
See our Texas traffic school guide for the full point-reduction process.
Reinstating a suspended license: To reinstate a suspended Texas license, visit the Texas DPS License Eligibility page at https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/reinstating-your-driver-license-or-driving-privilege to determine your specific requirements. You must pay a reinstatement fee of 100 (or 125 for ALR suspensions). An online convenience fee of 5.75 applies for online payments. Depending on the suspension reason, you may also need to file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility, complete required education or treatment programs, and resolve outstanding fines or court orders.
Texas law does not permit reinstatement fees to be reduced, waived, or paid in installments. Processing takes approximately 24 to 48 hours after payment.
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Insurance Points vs DMV Points in Texas
Although Texas itself does not assign DMV points, auto insurance companies in Texas use their own internal point systems to evaluate your driving record and set premiums. Insurance companies may assign their own point values to speeding tickets and other moving violations, even though the state does not. A single speeding conviction can raise your insurance rates for 3 to 5 years depending on the insurer.
Completing a defensive driving course may qualify you for an insurance discount of 1 percent to 10 percent with many insurers. A ticket can raise your premium for years — compare cheaper car insurance at Car Cover Guide if a ticket has pushed your rate up.
How Texas Driving Points Actually Work
A point system is the state’s way of tracking risky driving. Each moving violation adds a set number of points to your license, and the points stay on your record for a fixed period before they drop off. If you collect too many Texas driving points inside that window, the DMV suspends your license — which is why even a minor speeding ticket matters if you already have points.
It is important to separate two different kinds of points. DMV points are what the state uses to suspend your license. Insurance points are a separate system your insurer uses to set your premium, and they often last longer than DMV points. A single speeding ticket can therefore cost you twice: once toward a possible suspension, and again as a higher insurance bill.
Some states do not use points at all and instead apply a surcharge or simply track convictions, but the practical effect is the same — more violations mean a higher chance of losing your license and paying more to drive.
Keeping your Texas driving points low protects more than your license — it protects your wallet. Drivers with a clean record qualify for the best insurance rates, while each added violation can move you into a higher-risk tier. If a ticket has pushed your points up, acting quickly to reduce or contest it is usually worth the effort.
What to Do About Your Texas Speeding Ticket
Once you have a Texas speeding ticket, you generally have three choices, and the right one depends on the points involved, your driving record, and your insurance:
- Pay it — the fastest option, but paying is an admission of guilt that adds points and can raise your premium for years.
- Fight it — contesting can get the ticket reduced or dismissed, especially if the officer does not appear or the evidence is weak. See how to fight a speeding ticket in Texas.
- Take traffic school — if you qualify, a state-approved course can keep points off your record. See the Texas traffic school guide.
Before deciding, it helps to know the full cost — use our speeding ticket cost calculator and the Texas points guide to see how close a ticket puts you to a suspension. There is no single right answer for everyone; the best choice depends on how many points the ticket adds, what your record looks like, and how much your insurance would rise.
Other Texas rules to know: Texas has several unique rules: (1) Texas uses the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), not a DMV, to administer driver licenses — there is no traditional DMV. (2) The old Driver Responsibility Program surcharges were fully waived upon repeal; all licenses suspended solely for unpaid surcharges were automatically reinstated. (3) A new Texas Transportation Code Chapter 709 was created to handle traffic fines for intoxication-related offenses separately.
(4) The default suspension period under Section 521.292 is 90 days if the driver does not request a hearing. (5) Defensive driving for ticket dismissal is limited to once every 12 months. (6) Speeding 25 mph or more over the limit cannot be dismissed through defensive driving.
Official Texas Sources & Resources
- Texas DMV: https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license
- Texas Point Schedule: N/A — Texas does not maintain a point schedule because it does not use a point system. The relevant suspension rules are in Texas Transportation Code Section 521.292. The Texas DPS traffic offenses page is https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/traffic-offenses
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: nhtsa.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
Statute reference: Texas Transportation Code Section 521.292 (habitual violator / license suspension based on conviction count). The former point system was under Chapter 708, Transportation Code (Driver Responsibility Program), which was repealed effective September 1, 2019.
This Texas driving points guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Always confirm your current point total with the Texas DMV.
More Texas Traffic Ticket Guides
- Texas Speeding Ticket Cost
- How to Fight a Speeding Ticket in Texas
- Texas Traffic School & Dismissal
- Speeding Ticket Cost Calculator
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Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Fines, points, and procedures are estimates for general guidance and change when state laws change. Always verify the exact amount and process with your state DMV or the court listed on your citation, and consult a licensed traffic attorney in your state for advice on your specific situation.