Points stay active on your Indiana driving record for two years from the conviction date. After that they expire on their own and stop counting toward a suspension.
But the ticket does not disappear with them. The conviction stays on your record long after the points are gone, which matters because your insurance company is looking at the conviction, not your point total. Those are two different clocks, and confusing them is why drivers are surprised when their premium is still high a year after the points fell off.
Two Clocks, Not One
|
Active points |
The conviction |
|
|
How long it lasts |
2 years from conviction |
Far longer, commonly cited as 10 years |
|
What it affects |
Suspension risk, BMV action |
Your insurance premium |
|
Does it expire automatically? |
Yes |
No |
|
Can a course change it? |
Yes, a 4-point credit |
No |
Insurers typically review the past three to five years of driving history when setting rates, so a conviction can influence your premium for a year or more after the BMV points have already expired.
The Date That Starts the Clock
This detail matters more than people expect. The two years run from the conviction date, not the date you were pulled over.
Those can be weeks or months apart depending on how quickly your case moves through court. A delay in court pushes back when your points start, which also pushes back when they expire. If you are counting down, check your driving record for the actual conviction date rather than working from the day you got the ticket.
Points are added once the BMV processes the conviction, which for most people happens the moment they pay the ticket.
Out-of-State Tickets Count Too
Indiana participates in the Driver License Compact, so a conviction from Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, or Michigan gets reported back to Indiana. The BMV then assesses points as though the violation happened here, and those points run on the same two-year clock.
If you are tracking your total, do not assume a ticket from another state stays there.
Waiting Two Years Is Not Always the Right Move
Letting points expire on their own is free, and if you are sitting at 4 or 6 points with a clean stretch ahead, waiting is perfectly reasonable.
The calculation changes as your total climbs. Indiana sends a warning notice around 14 points, and a suspension notice at 20 or more. If a conviction from 18 months ago is what is keeping you under the line, one new ticket before it expires can push you over.
Completing a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program applies a 4-point credit, available once every three years. That does not erase any conviction, and it does not change either clock. What it does is lower the active total the BMV uses when deciding on a suspension, which is worth having when you are close to a threshold and cannot afford to wait out the calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do points stay on my Indiana license?
Two years from the conviction date. They expire automatically after that and stop counting toward suspension thresholds.
Does the ticket disappear after two years?
No. The points expire, but the conviction remains on your driving record and can still affect your insurance rate.
Does the clock start when I got the ticket?
No, it starts on the conviction date, which is often later. Court delays shift the start and therefore the expiration.
Do out-of-state tickets count?
Yes. Indiana is part of the Driver License Compact, so convictions from other states are reported and assessed here.
Can I remove points faster than two years?
You can offset them. A BMV-approved Driver Safety Program applies a 4-point credit once every three years, which lowers your active total without erasing the conviction.
The Bottom Line
Two years for the points, longer for the conviction, and the clock starts at conviction rather than at the traffic stop. If your total is comfortable, waiting costs nothing. If you are near a warning or a suspension threshold, waiting is a gamble on not getting another ticket first.
ABetterDriver offers the BMV-approved Indiana Driver Safety Program fully online for $28.95, self-paced, with completion reported directly to the BMV for your 4-point credit. Check your current total and your conviction dates through myBMV first, then decide whether to wait or act.
