The Michigan Points System, Explained (and How to Avoid Them)

If you've been pulled over in Michigan, the question that usually follows the fine is: how many points is this going to cost me? The Michigan driver points system is run by the Secretary of State (SOS), and the point values are set in statute — MCL 257.320a of the Michigan Vehicle Code. Here's how the tiers work, what triggers a problem, how long points actually stick around, and the one legitimate way to keep eligible points off your record.

How Michigan points work

When you're convicted of (or found responsible for) a moving violation in Michigan, the SOS records points against your driving record. Different offenses carry different point values, ranging from 2 points for the most minor moving violations up to 6 points for the most serious. Points are cumulative, and your running total over a rolling two-year window is what the state watches.

The point values come straight from MCL 257.320a, restated in the SOS guide What Every Driver Must Know. Here are the tiers.

The Michigan point tiers (6 / 4 / 3 / 2)

• 6 points — the most serious offenses: manslaughter, negligent homicide, or any felony involving a motor vehicle; operating while intoxicated (OWI) or with any presence of a Schedule 1 drug or cocaine; and failing to stop and give identification at the scene of a crash.
• 4 points — reckless driving (a misdemeanor); drag racing; operating while visibly impaired (OWVI); a moving violation causing injury or death; and going 16 mph or more over the speed limit.
• 3 points — careless driving (a civil infraction); disobeying a traffic signal or stop sign; improper passing; going 11 to 15 mph over the limit; failure to stop at a railroad crossing; and failure to stop for a school bus or school crossing guard.
• 2 points — going 6 to 10 mph over the limit; an open alcohol container in the vehicle; a Preliminary Breath Test refusal by anyone under 21; and all other moving violations not listed above.

A couple of distinctions on this list trip people up constantly. Let's clear them up.

OWI vs. OWVI: not the same number of points

People assume any alcohol-related driving conviction is the same hit. It isn't. Operating while intoxicated (OWI) is a 6-point offense. The lesser operating while visibly impaired (OWVI) charge carries 4 points. They're distinct offenses with distinct point values, so the exact charge on your record matters a lot.

Reckless vs. careless: 4 points vs. 3 points

This is the other common mix-up. Reckless driving under MCL 257.626 is a misdemeanor — it requires "willful or wanton disregard" — and it carries 4 points. Careless or negligent driving under MCL 257.626b is a civil infraction and carries 3 points. Same vibe in everyday speech, very different in the eyes of the law and your driving record.

Speeding points, by how fast over you were

Speeding isn't one flat number — it scales with how far over the posted limit you were cited:

• 6 to 10 mph over → 2 points
• 11 to 15 mph over → 3 points
• 16 mph or more over → 4 points

(One thing this post is not covering: special work-zone speeding rules use a different scale. Don't assume the general tiers above apply inside a posted work zone — that's a separate calculation.)

What happens when points add up

Here's where accumulation matters. If you rack up 12 or more points within a 2-year period, the Secretary of State may require a driver assessment reexamination (this can also be triggered by six or more 1-point violations in two years). That's not just a letter — it's a sit-down review of your driving record.

At the reexamination, an analyst issues an Order of Action that can impose:

• license restrictions,
• suspension (days to months), or
• revocation (with reapplication in 1 to 5 years).

If you disagree with the outcome, it's appealable to circuit court within 63 days. The takeaway: long before you're near a suspension threshold, a busy two-year stretch of tickets can put your license under formal review.

How long do points actually last?

This is the most misunderstood part of the whole system, so read it carefully.

Points stay active for 2 years from the date of conviction. After that, they no longer count toward your running total. So the 12-points-in-2-years math is always looking at a rolling window — old points drop out of the count over time.

But "the points expired" does not mean "the ticket disappeared." The conviction itself stays on your driving record far longer than the points do. Most convictions remain for at least 7 years; some licensing actions stay at least 10 years; and a fatality or impaired-driving conviction stays permanently. So if you're hoping a conviction quietly vanishes once the points expire — it doesn't. The points stop counting; the record of the conviction lives on.

How to avoid them

Two real strategies. One is obvious; the other is the part most drivers don't know about.

1. Drive clean (and let the clock work for you)

Because points expire two years after the conviction date, the simplest "point management" is time plus a clean record. Avoid new convictions and your active total falls on its own. There's no class you can pay for to erase points that are already posted — be skeptical of anyone who tells you otherwise.

2. The BDIC path (invitation-only)

Michigan's Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC), run under MCL 257.320d, is the one program that keeps an eligible minor violation's points off your record in the first place — so those points never enter your 2-year accumulation total and never get reported to insurers. The catch: it's invitation-only. The Secretary of State decides eligibility from your record and mails you an eligibility letter; you can't self-elect into it for point avoidance. It also keeps points off before they post — it doesn't remove points already on your record.

If a letter shows up, it's a genuine (and one-time) chance worth taking seriously. We've broken down both halves of it:

• Michigan BDIC: How to Keep Points Off Your Record — how the program works.
• Michigan BDIC Eligibility Letter: What the 60-Day Deadline Means — what to do when the letter arrives.

Point values and rules change, and your exact situation may differ. Always confirm with the Michigan Secretary of State — see the official Michigan SOS driver assessment page and the point statute, MCL 257.320a.

The short version

Michigan points run on a 6 / 4 / 3 / 2 scale set by MCL 257.320a. Speeding scales with how far over you were (2 / 3 / 4 points), OWI (6) is heavier than OWVI (4), and reckless (4, a misdemeanor) is heavier than careless (3, a civil infraction). Points stay active for 2 years from the conviction date, 12 in a 2-year window can trigger an SOS reexamination, and the conviction itself outlasts the points by years. The one way to keep eligible minor points off entirely is the invitation-only BDIC — watch your mailbox for that letter.

For more on diverting tickets and protecting your record, browse our tickets and traffic court guide.