When Points Fall Off Your Record in Michigan: 24-Month Timeline

Points come off your Michigan driving record exactly 24 months after the violation occurred, not when you paid the ticket or when the court entered judgment. A speeding ticket dated March 15, 2023 drops off March 15, 2025, even if you didn't pay until April or contest it through May. The Secretary of State tracks violation dates, and that date starts the 24-month clock. Michigan assigns 2 points for most speeding violations under 10 mph over the limit, 3 points for speeding 11-15 mph over, and 4 points for violations 16 mph or more over the posted limit. Careless driving adds 3 points. Failing to stop for a school bus adds 3 points. Running a red light or stop sign adds 3 points. At-fault accidents without injuries typically add 2 points. The 24-month expiration applies to every violation individually. If you received a 3-point ticket in January 2023 and another 3-point ticket in June 2023, the first drops in January 2025 and the second drops in June 2025. Points do not expire as a block.

Most Michigan carriers apply rate increases based on violations for 36 months from the violation date, not the 24-month period the state uses for point tracking. Progressive, State Farm, and GEIC typically maintain surcharges for three years. The state clears the points at 24 months, but your insurer continues the elevated premium through month 36. A single speeding ticket 1-15 mph over the limit typically increases your premium 15-25% with a preferred carrier. That surcharge applies at each renewal for three years. If your six-month premium was $650 before the ticket, expect $750-$810 per six months for the next three years, even though Michigan removes the points after two years. Carriers review your motor vehicle record at renewal. Under current state DMV point rules, the violation itself remains visible on your record even after points expire, and insurers rate on the violation history, not the point total. Requesting a rate review at the 24-month mark rarely produces a decrease because the carrier's surcharge schedule runs to 36 months.

Michigan suspends your license when you accumulate 12 points within a 24-month period. The threshold calculation uses only points currently active on your record. When a violation reaches its 24-month expiration, those points no longer count toward the 12-point total. If you entered January 2024 with 9 points and received a 4-point speeding ticket in February 2024, you crossed the 12-point threshold and face suspension. If your oldest violation expires in March 2024, dropping 3 points, your total falls to 10 points. The Secretary of State recalculates the suspension risk after each expiration. Michigan does not offer a defensive driving course that removes points for drivers over 18. The only path to point removal is waiting out the 24-month expiration. States like California and Florida allow defensive driving courses to mask one ticket every 18-24 months; Michigan does not. The 24-month clock runs whether you take a course or not.

Request quotes from at least three carriers at each renewal. Progressive, GEICO, and Auto-Owners write non-standard policies in Michigan and rate violations differently. A ticket that triggers a 40% increase with one carrier may produce only a 20% increase with another, depending on how each company weights speeding violations in its underwriting model. Standard carriers like State Farm and Allstate typically decline new business or non-renew existing policies when a driver reaches 6 points within 24 months. Non-standard carriers like The General and Direct Auto accept drivers up to 12 points but charge higher base rates. Switching to a non-standard carrier at 8 points and returning to a standard carrier once violations expire often costs less over the full three-year surcharge period than staying with a standard carrier that non-renews you mid-term. Ask each carrier for the specific surcharge duration when you request a quote. Some regional Michigan carriers apply 24-month surcharge windows that align with state point expiration. Most national carriers apply 36-month windows. The difference in total cost over three years can exceed $1,200 for a driver with one 4-point speeding ticket.

Each violation triggers its own 36-month surcharge clock with most carriers. Two tickets six months apart mean you carry the first surcharge for 36 months and the second surcharge for 42 months total. The overlap period — months 6 through 36 — carries both surcharges simultaneously, producing the highest premium you'll pay during the recovery window. A driver with two 3-point speeding tickets 10 months apart typically sees a 35-50% increase over their clean-record premium during the overlap period. Standard carriers like Allstate and Liberty Mutual often non-renew at the second ticket. Non-standard carriers like Bristol West and National General accept multi-ticket risks but apply base rates 60-90% higher than standard markets. The recovery timeline extends with each new violation. A clean six-month period between tickets allows the first surcharge to begin decaying before the second one starts. Tickets spaced less than six months apart compress the recovery window and increase the likelihood of license suspension if you approach the 12-point threshold.

Request a copy of your driving record from the Michigan Secretary of State online or at a branch office 30 days after your violation's 24-month anniversary. The record costs $11 online and confirms the point removal. Errors occur when courts delay reporting or when the violation date in state systems differs from the ticket date. If points remain on your record past the 24-month expiration, file a correction request with the Secretary of State within 14 days. Bring the original ticket and any court documents showing the violation date. Correction processing typically takes 10-15 business days, and the updated record goes to insurers at the next reporting cycle. Insurance rate decreases typically occur at renewal, not mid-term. If your violation expires three months before your renewal date, expect the surcharge to continue through that renewal. Switching carriers before the surcharge expires rarely saves money because the new carrier applies its own surcharge schedule starting from the quote date.