How Many Points Before License Suspension in Georgia?

Georgia suspends your license when you accumulate 15 points within any 24-month period. A speeding ticket 15-18 mph over the limit adds 2 points. A speeding ticket 19-23 mph over adds 3 points. A speeding ticket 24-33 mph over adds 4 points. An at-fault accident adds 3-4 points depending on severity. The 24-month window is a rolling calculation. Georgia recalculates your point total every time a new conviction posts to your driving record. Points fall off exactly 24 months after the violation date, not the conviction date or the payment date. Your insurance company uses a different timeline. Most carriers in Georgia review your driving record for the past 3 years at renewal, and some look back 5 years for major violations. This means a 3-point speeding ticket from 2022 has already fallen off your DMV record in 2024, but it still appears on your insurance quote and triggers a surcharge until the carrier's lookback window expires.

Georgia assigns 2 points for speeding 15-18 mph over the limit, 3 points for 19-23 mph over, 4 points for 24-33 mph over, and 6 points for 34+ mph over. Reckless driving carries 4 points. Following too closely adds 3 points. Running a red light or stop sign adds 3 points. Improper lane change adds 3 points. At-fault accidents add 3 points if no injuries occurred and 4 points if injuries resulted. Georgia does not assign points for parking tickets, seatbelt violations, or equipment violations unless they contributed to an accident. Drivers under 21 face harsher consequences. A driver under 18 with 4 points in 12 months loses their license for 6 months. A driver age 18-20 with 4 points in 12 months faces a 6-month suspension. These age-specific thresholds apply in addition to the standard 15-point rule.

Georgia removes points from your DMV record 24 months after the violation date. A speeding ticket from March 15, 2023 drops off your point total on March 15, 2025, regardless of when you paid the fine or when the court processed the conviction. Your insurance rate does not drop automatically when DMV points expire. Most Georgia carriers apply a surcharge for 3 years from the violation date. State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive typically review your driving record at renewal and remove the surcharge after 36 months. Some carriers extend the lookback to 5 years for violations involving speeds over 25 mph or reckless driving. This creates a gap. Your DMV record shows zero points after 24 months, but your insurance premium still reflects the violation for another 12-36 months. The only way to close that gap early is to request a manual re-rate after completing a defensive driving course approved by the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

A first speeding ticket for 15-18 mph over the limit typically increases your Georgia premium by 15-25% at renewal. A ticket for 19-23 mph over adds 20-30%. A ticket for 24+ mph over adds 30-50%. An at-fault accident increases your premium by 25-40% depending on claim severity. These surcharges compound if you accumulate multiple violations within the carrier's lookback window. Two speeding tickets within 3 years can double your base premium. Three violations often move you out of the preferred pricing tier entirely. Georgia carriers differ in how they tier pointed-record drivers. State Farm and GEICO typically keep first-offense drivers in standard pricing. Progressive and Allstate may shift you to a higher tier after a single major violation. Non-standard carriers like The General or Acceptance Insurance become the primary option once you cross 6-8 points or accumulate more than two violations in 3 years.

Georgia suspends your license for up to 12 months when you reach 15 points in a 24-month period. The suspension begins the day the Department of Driver Services processes the final conviction that pushed you over the threshold. You receive a suspension notice by mail at your address on file. You can request a hearing to contest the suspension within 10 days of the notice date. If you do not request a hearing or if the hearing officer upholds the suspension, your license becomes invalid immediately. Driving on a suspended license in Georgia is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail and fines up to $1,000. Georgia does not offer a hardship license or limited driving permit for point-suspension cases. You cannot drive to work, to school, or for any other reason during the suspension period. Once the suspension ends, you must pay a $210 restoration fee and provide proof of insurance before the DDS will reinstate your license.

Georgia allows you to remove up to 7 points from your driving record by completing a state-approved defensive driving course. You can take the course once every 5 years for point reduction. The course must be approved by the Georgia Department of Driver Services and completed through a certified provider. The 7-point reduction applies to your DMV record immediately after course completion, but it does not automatically reduce your insurance premium. You must contact your carrier after completing the course and request a manual re-rate. Most carriers require proof of completion and apply the discount at your next renewal, not mid-term. The course costs $25-$75 depending on the provider and takes 6-8 hours to complete online or in person. If you currently sit at 10-14 points, completing the course before your next violation can prevent a suspension. If you have already been suspended, the course does not shorten the suspension period but can help you avoid future suspensions once reinstated.

Georgia does not require SR-22 filing for standard point violations like speeding tickets or at-fault accidents. SR-22 becomes mandatory only after specific triggering events: DUI conviction, reckless driving with injury, driving without insurance, accumulating multiple major violations within a short window, or license suspension for habitual offender status. If your point-triggered suspension also involved one of these events, Georgia will require you to file SR-22 for 3 years after reinstatement. The SR-22 is not insurance — it is a certificate your carrier files with the Georgia DDS proving you carry continuous liability coverage at or above the state minimum of 25/50/25. SR-22 filing adds $25-$50 per year to your policy cost through the filing fee, but the bigger impact comes from the carrier restrictions. Many preferred carriers do not offer SR-22 filing, which forces you into the non-standard market where rates run 40-80% higher than standard pricing. Non-standard carriers like The General, Acceptance, and Bristol West specialize in SR-22 and high-point drivers.