Georgia DUI Risk Reduction Course: Does It Remove Points?

Georgia's DUI Risk Reduction course is a 20-hour state-certified program required after DUI convictions, refusals to submit to chemical testing, and certain underage alcohol violations. Completing the course satisfies one of several mandatory reinstatement requirements before the Georgia Department of Driver Services will restore a suspended license. The course does not remove points from your driving record. A DUI conviction adds zero points to your Georgia record because DUI is not part of the state's point system — it triggers an automatic suspension instead. The course is a reinstatement condition, not a point-removal tool. Most drivers with standard point violations — speeding tickets, following too closely, failure to yield — do not need this course. Georgia's point system requires a defensive driving course to remove points, which is a separate 6-hour program covered under a different statute.

Georgia mandates the DUI Risk Reduction course in three scenarios: DUI convictions, administrative license suspensions for refusing a chemical test, and certain underage alcohol violations under Georgia's Zero Tolerance law. For a first DUI conviction, drivers must complete the course before applying for license reinstatement. The suspension period is 12 months minimum, and reinstatement also requires proof of installation of an ignition interlock device, payment of a $210 restoration fee, and proof of SR-22 insurance for 3 years. For a refusal to submit to testing, the administrative suspension is 12 months for a first offense. The Risk Reduction course is required before reinstatement, even if no DUI conviction follows. This catches drivers who refused testing and later had charges dropped or reduced — the refusal alone triggers the course requirement.

Completing the DUI Risk Reduction course does not automatically reduce your insurance premium. Carriers surcharge DUI convictions based on the violation itself, not on whether you completed reinstatement requirements. A DUI conviction typically raises Georgia auto insurance premiums by 60% to 120%, and that surcharge lasts 3 to 5 years depending on the carrier's underwriting rules. Some Georgia carriers offer a discount for completing a state-certified Risk Reduction or defensive driving course, but the discount applies to the base premium — it does not erase the DUI surcharge. On a policy that jumped from $140/mo to $280/mo after a DUI, a 5% course completion discount saves roughly $14/mo, leaving the premium at $266/mo. The larger insurance impact comes from satisfying the SR-22 filing requirement. Without completing the Risk Reduction course, you cannot reinstate your license, and without a valid license you cannot maintain SR-22 coverage. Carriers cancel SR-22 policies for unlicensed drivers, which restarts the 3-year filing clock and adds a lapse surcharge on top of the DUI surcharge.

Georgia operates two separate driver education programs with different purposes and different statutory authority. The DUI Alcohol or Drug Risk Reduction course is a 20-hour program required only after alcohol-related violations. The defensive driving course is a 6-hour program used to remove up to 7 points from your driving record once every 5 years. If you have a speeding ticket that added 4 points to your record, the defensive driving course removes those points. The Risk Reduction course does not. If you have a DUI conviction, the defensive driving course does not satisfy reinstatement requirements — only the Risk Reduction course does. Drivers who complete the defensive driving course for point reduction must submit the certificate to the Georgia DDS within 120 days of course completion. The points are removed from the DMV record, but carriers maintain their own violation lookback periods. Most Georgia insurers surcharge moving violations for 3 years from the violation date, regardless of when points fall off the state record.

Georgia accepts a DUI Risk Reduction course certificate for 5 years from the date of completion. If you complete the course during your suspension period, the certificate remains valid for reinstatement as long as you apply within 5 years. Most drivers complete the course midway through their suspension period to satisfy the requirement early, then complete the ignition interlock installation, SR-22 filing, and fee payment closer to the reinstatement eligibility date. Completing the course early does not shorten the suspension period — it only checks one box on the reinstatement requirements list. If your certificate expires before you apply for reinstatement, you must retake the full 20-hour course. The Georgia DDS does not accept expired certificates or partial course credits. The course costs between $275 and $360 depending on the provider, so missing the 5-year window means paying again.

Georgia certifies private providers to deliver the DUI Risk Reduction course. The Department of Driver Services maintains a list of approved providers on its website, and all certified providers deliver the same 20-hour curriculum covering alcohol and drug effects, decision-making, and risk assessment. Providers offer the course in-person or online. In-person courses typically run over two consecutive weekends or four weekday evenings. Online courses allow self-paced completion but require proctored exams and identity verification at multiple checkpoints to prevent fraud. Cost varies by provider but generally falls between $275 and $360. Some providers include the state processing fee in the course price; others charge it separately. After completion, the provider submits your certificate electronically to the Georgia DDS within 10 business days. You do not need to file the certificate yourself, but request a copy for your records in case of processing delays.

Driving on a suspended license in Georgia is a misdemeanor punishable by 2 days to 12 months in jail and fines up to $1,000 for a first offense. If the suspension resulted from a DUI conviction, the mandatory minimum jail sentence increases to 2 days, and repeat offenses carry felony charges. Insurance carriers cancel policies for unlicensed drivers. If your SR-22 policy is cancelled due to license suspension, the carrier files an SR-26 notice with the state, which extends your suspension period and restarts the 3-year SR-22 filing clock when you finally reinstate. Georgia does not offer a hardband limited permit during a DUI suspension. The only exception is a limited driving permit available 120 days into a first-offense DUI suspension, which requires proof of Risk Reduction course enrollment, ignition interlock installation, and SR-22 coverage before the permit is issued. The permit allows driving to work, school, medical appointments, and the ignition interlock service center only.