Verified as of 2026-10-23 against SOS

Illinois · Point Reduction and Your Driving Record

Illinois Point Reduction: Points, Triggers and Your Options

This page is for Illinois drivers trying to work out whether their tickets put their license at risk. Illinois puts points on moving violation convictions, but points by themselves never suspend you. The Secretary of State steps in once you have 3 convictions in 12 months, or 2 in 24 months if you were under 21, and then uses your total to set the length. No course subtracts points. Your real decision is whether to ask for court supervision on the next ticket, since supervision keeps it from becoming a conviction.

Trigger at 21+: 3 moving convictions in 12 months
Trigger under 21: 2 moving convictions in 24 months
Lowest suspension band, 21+: 15 to 44 points: 2 months
Lowest suspension band, under 21: 10 to 34 points: 1 month
Revocation at 21+: 110 points or more
Course that removes points: None; supervision avoids them
Certified driving record: $20, or $21 online

Step by step

Get your driving record
Order a certified copy of your record. It is $20 by post or at a facility; online it is $21 because a $1 processing charge is added, and the website only sells you your own.
Count convictions in the window
Write down each conviction with the date of the offense. Review starts at three in a year for adults; drivers who were under 21 hit it at two in two years.
Add the points
Find each offense in the state's points table (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1040.20), total them, and see which band your total falls in.
Protect yourself on the next ticket
If one more conviction would trigger a review, request supervision on the new ticket. Finishing the court's safety class then keeps it from counting.
Use relief if you are suspended
Adults whose suspension is three months or shorter can apply for a probationary permit once they sit an 8 hour defensive driving class. Younger drivers may be sent to the state's remedial course before reinstatement.

First, how points get on your record

Courts send moving violation convictions to the Secretary of State, which logs each one at the value printed in the state's offense table, 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1040.20. Tickets from other states can be scored as well. Forfeiting bond on a moving violation is treated exactly like being convicted of it.

Here is the part people miss: a pile of points does nothing on its own. The count of convictions is what opens the door. 625 ILCS 5/6-206(a)(2) lets the state act once a driver has three convictions for offenses committed inside one year, and only during the six months that follow the latest of them.

What common tickets are worth

These values come from the current offense table. Several also count as serious violations in a commercial vehicle, which affects CDL disqualification separately from points.

Speeding, 1 to 10 over: 5
Speeding, 11 to 14 over: 15
Speeding, 15 to 25 over: 20
Aggravated speeding, 26 or more over: 50
Running a light or traffic control device, or a stop sign: 20
Improper lane use: 20; tailgating: 25
Failing to yield at an intersection: 15; improper left turn across oncoming traffic: 25
Handheld phone while driving: 20; any phone use by a driver under 19: 10
Reckless driving: 55; head, tail or side light violation: 10

If you are 21 or older: the suspension table

The table for adults is in 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1040.30, and it only comes into play after the third conviction in a year. If you have not been suspended in seven years, a total under 15 brings nothing. Totals from 15 up to 44 cost two months, 45 up to 74 three months, 75 up to 89 half a year, 90 up to 99 nine months, and 100 up to 109 a full year. Hit 110 and the license is revoked.

A driver already suspended or revoked once in that seven year stretch faces steeper steps: four months from 15 points, half a year from 45, a year from 75, and revocation from 110.

Worked example: three speeding tickets at 11 to 14 over, each worth 15, total 45 points. For a driver with a clean history, that is a three month suspension.

If you are under 21: the tighter table

Young drivers are judged faster. If the driver was not yet 21 when stopped, two convictions in two years is enough under 625 ILCS 5/6-206(a)(36), and 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1040.29 sets the lengths. For someone with no recent suspension, 10 points brings a month off the road, 35 brings three months, 50 brings half a year, 65 brings a year, and 80 or more means revocation.

After that first suspension, the GDL page warns, every new moving violation brings yet another. Getting the license back costs $70 each time and can require the Graduate to Safety remedial class. Any suspension lasting half a year or longer sends the teen back to apply and test from scratch.

Can any course take points off?

Illinois has nothing that shaves points off old convictions. The tool it does have works in advance: on a fresh ticket, ask the judge for supervision, complete the safety program the court attaches, and the case never turns into a scored conviction.

After a suspension, an 8 hour defensive driving class can lead to a probationary license for drivers 21 and older suspended 3 months or less for three tickets in 12 months. That lets you drive during the suspension; it does not erase the points.

How long tickets stay

Ordinary moving tickets, like speeding, a red light or a lane violation, remain visible for four to five years after conviction, per the Secretary of State. If a ticket was part of the reason for a suspension or revocation, count on seven years or more after you are reinstated. Alcohol and drug convictions never leave.

Reviews only count what falls inside the one or two year window. Older entries still matter in two ways: they can move you onto the harsher table, and your insurer can see them.

Checking your record, or your teen's

The certified abstract lists crashes, convictions and any withdrawals of your privileges. Buying online is limited to your own record and costs $21 in all, and the site lets you reprint it for five days. Parents get a free look too: if your teen is under 18 and on a permit or graduated license, you can see the teen's record online at no charge.

Spot a supervision or a dismissal listed as a conviction? Call the circuit clerk who handled it before calling Springfield. The Secretary of State only records what the court reports.

Illinois defensive driving: common questions

How many points get an Illinois license suspended?

It is not one number. First you need enough convictions (three in a year, or two in two years if you are under 21). After that, adults start at a two month suspension at 15 points, and under-21 drivers at a one month suspension at 10.

How many points is a speeding ticket?

It scales with speed: 10 or less over is worth 5; 11 to 14 over, 15; 15 to 25 over, 20; and 26 or more over jumps to 50.

Does traffic school remove points?

No, it prevents them instead. Ordered as part of supervision, it stops that one ticket from becoming a conviction, so nothing is scored.

How long do tickets count?

For suspensions, only the last one or two years count. The entries themselves linger longer: four to five years for an ordinary ticket, and seven or more past reinstatement for one that led to a suspension.

How do I check my points?

Buy a certified abstract from the Secretary of State, $21 online or $20 at a facility, then match each conviction to the offense table.

Is a phone ticket a moving violation?

Yes, and it scores. Holding a phone while driving is 20 points; a driver under 19 using any phone gets 10.

Can I see my teen's driving record?

You can, for free, through the Secretary of State's website, as long as your teen is under 18 and holds a permit or graduated license.

Point Reduction and Your Driving Record in another state

Was this guide helpful?

Sources

Rules change. If a source above says something different from this page, the source is right. Last checked 2026-10-23.

Step by step

Get your driving record

Count convictions in the window

Add the points

Protect yourself on the next ticket

Use relief if you are suspended