In New York, points from traffic violations stay on your driving record and affect your license for 18 months from the date of the violation for DMV point accumulation purposes. This means the DMV counts points accumulated within any 18-month period to determine penalties such as fines or license suspension. If you accumulate 11 or more points within 18 months, your license may be suspended
. However, the violations themselves remain on your driving record longer- typically for about three years after conviction, with points visible on your standard driving record until the January 1 following the third anniversary of conviction. For example, a conviction in March 2025 would stay on your record until January 2029. This longer period influences insurance rates and other assessments
. There has been a recent change extending the period points remain active on your license from 18 months to 24 months. This means points now count toward suspension or fees for two full years, increasing the risk of penalties if multiple violations occur within that timeframe
. Summary:
- Points count toward DMV penalties for 18 months from violation date (recently extended to 24 months).
- Violations stay on your driving record for about 3 years, affecting insurance and background checks.
- Accumulating 11+ points within the active period can lead to license suspension.
- DUI and serious offenses remain on record longer (up to 10 years or more).
This system encourages safe driving and penalizes repeat offenders while allowing points to "fall off" after the active period for accumulation purposes
