How Do You Get Points Off Your License in Virginia?

You do not remove demerit points in Virginia. You offset them.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles runs a two-direction point system. Violations add demerit points, and good driving earns safe driving points, which are positive points that sit on the same record and counterbalance the negative ones. Completing an approved driver improvement clinic awards 5 safe driving points, available once every 24 months.

The demerit points stay where they are, and so does the conviction. What changes is the balance between them.

Virginia's Two Kinds of Points

A demerit point is a negative mark assigned when you are convicted of a traffic violation. Virginia groups violations into 3-point, 4-point, and 6-point categories, and demerit points remain on your record for two years from the date of the offense.

A safe driving point is a positive credit. You earn one for each full calendar year holding a valid Virginia license without a violation or suspension, awarded each April for the previous year. You can also earn five at once by completing a driver improvement clinic.

Your safe driving balance is capped at 5 points, so this is a buffer rather than a bank.

The Choice You Make at Enrollment

This is the part that costs people the benefit they wanted, and it happens before the course even starts.

Under Virginia Code § 46.2-498, you must declare your purpose when you register, and you cannot receive both safe driving points and an insurance discount from the same attendance. One clinic, one benefit. There is no way to claim the second afterward.

Virginia recognizes four reasons for attending, each with its own code:

• VOL — voluntary attendance to earn safe driving points

• INS — voluntary attendance for an insurance premium reduction

• COU — attendance required by a court

• DMV — attendance required by the DMV after demerit point accumulation

Decide which outcome you actually need before you register. If your balance is climbing toward a suspension, take the points. If your record is clean and your premium is the concern, take the insurance route.

Court-Ordered Attendance Does Not Automatically Award Points

If a court orders you to attend a clinic, the court decides whether safe driving points are awarded, not the DMV.

Where the court does grant them, you must present documentation from the court to the clinic before the DMV can add the points. Without that paperwork, no points are awarded no matter how well you complete the course. Bring it with you rather than assuming the court sent it.

DMV-required attendance works differently again. For drivers 18 and older, the DMV directs you to attend at 12 or more demerit points in 12 months, or 18 or more in 24 months, and you have 90 days to complete the clinic before your license is suspended.

Drivers Under 18 Face Stricter Rules

The thresholds for young drivers are far lower. After a third demerit point conviction for a violation committed under age 18, the DMV revokes the permit or license for one year or until the driver turns 18, whichever is longer.

Safe driving points are available to drivers under 18, but only for voluntary attendance. If the clinic was required by the DMV or ordered by a court, no safe driving points are awarded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a driver improvement clinic remove points in Virginia?

No. It awards 5 safe driving points that offset your demerit points. The demerit points and the underlying conviction both remain on your record.

How often can I earn safe driving points from a clinic?

Once every 24 months, and your total safe driving balance cannot exceed 5 points.

Can I get both safe driving points and an insurance discount?

No. Virginia Code § 46.2-498 requires you to choose one at enrollment, and the same attendance cannot produce both.

What happens if the court ordered my clinic?

The court decides whether safe driving points are awarded. If it grants them, you must bring court documentation to the clinic, or the DMV cannot add the points.

How long do demerit points last?

Two years from the date you committed the offense, not the date of conviction.

The Bottom Line

Virginia offsets rather than erases. A driver improvement clinic adds 5 safe driving points against your demerit total, once every 24 months, and the choice you make at registration determines whether you receive those points or an insurance discount instead.

GoToTrafficSchool offers two Virginia DMV approved online courses at $28.99 each: the Driver Improvement Clinic for satisfying a court or DMV requirement, and the Safe Driving Points Course for voluntarily earning points. Completion is reported to the Virginia DMV for you. Confirm which purpose applies to your situation before you enroll, because that decision cannot be changed later.