NY drivers now face steeply increased points for several serious driving offenses

Drivers ticketed for a range of serious traffic offenses in New York now face higher point penalties under revised DMV regulations that became enforceable last week. The changes include new points for alcohol- and drug-related incidents, aggravated unlicensed operation and certain high-risk violations like passing a stopped school bus. 

The State Department of Motor Vehicles said the changes are intended to strengthen the state’s ability to take action against “persistently dangerous drivers” and improve safety for people who drive, ride, walk and bike. 

What’s changed

In a press release, the DMV lists these point increases and new point assignments for violations committed beginning Feb. 16: 

• any alcohol- or drug-related conviction or incident: 11 points (was 0 points)

• aggravated unlicensed operation: 11 points (was 0 points)

• overtaking/passing a stopped school bus: 8 points (was 5 points)

• speeding in a construction zone: 8 points (points previously based on speed)

• over-height vehicle/bridge strike: 8 points (was 0 points)

• leaving the scene of a personal injury crash: 5 points  (was 3 points)

• failure to exercise due care: 5 points (was 2 points)

• facilitating aggravated unlicensed operation: 5 points (was 0 points)

• speed contests and races: 5 points (was 0 points)

What the points system is — and why it matters

New York’s driver violation point system is the DMV’s way of identifying drivers with repeated or serious violations and taking licensing action. Points are added only after a conviction, and the DMV calculates a driver’s point total based on the date of the violation. 

In practical terms, points can trigger license consequences and added costs. The DMV says a driver who reaches 11 points within an 18-month period may have their license suspended, and points can remain on a driver’s record and be used by insurance companies when setting premiums. 

Separately, the DMV can impose a driver responsibility assessment, an additional fee paid over three years, if a driver accumulates six or more points within 18 months, or for certain alcohol- or drug-related offenses. The DMV’s published fee schedule includes $100 per year (three years) at six points, plus $25 per year for each point above six; for alcohol/drug-related offenses or a chemical test refusal, the annual assessment is $250 for three years. 

The revised regulations expand the “look-back” window it can use for administrative action against a “persistent violator,” from 18 months to 24 months. 

The agency emphasized that many existing point assignments are unchanged, citing as examples the five-point penalty for handheld phone or portable electronic device violations, and continuing to assign zero points for equipment violations. 

“These updated regulations will have no impact on drivers who follow the rules of the road, but they will have a big impact on dangerous drivers and repeat offenders,” DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder said in the release. 

The point changes were first announced as proposed regulatory amendments in September 2023, following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2023 State of the State proposal aimed at removing high-risk drivers from the road. The DMV said the proposal proceeded through the State Administrative Procedure Act process, including postings in the State Register and public comment periods. 

An earlier regulatory change tied to the same initiative, a rule allowing permanent license denial for anyone with four alcohol- or drug-related convictions or incidents, became enforceable in January 2025.