How Many Points to Suspend Your License in Indiana? The Thresholds, Explained
In Indiana, 20 points is the number that triggers a suspension. Reaching 20 active points on your driving record brings a one-month suspension, and every additional two points adds another month — so 22 points means two months, 24 means three, and it climbs from there.
Before that, there's a warning stage: accumulate 14 to 18 points and the BMV sends a warning notice rather than a suspension. That warning is the moment to act, because the gap between 18 and 20 points is a single ordinary traffic ticket.
Two other things worth knowing up front: points aren't permanent — they fall off your record two years after the conviction date — and there's a way to reduce your active total before then.
Indiana Point Thresholds at a Glance
|
Active points (24-month window) |
What happens |
|
14–18 points |
Warning notice from the BMV — no suspension yet |
|
20 points |
1-month suspension |
|
22 points |
2-month suspension |
|
24 points |
3-month suspension |
|
26 points |
4-month suspension |
|
42+ points |
1-year suspension (the maximum) |
Separately, three or more moving violations within a 12-month period can trigger an administrative hearing regardless of your point total.
The Suspension Schedule
Indiana's Administrative Code (140 IAC 1-4.5-4) lays out the thresholds precisely, and the escalation is steady rather than dramatic.
At 14 to 18 points, you receive a warning notice from the BMV. Nothing is suspended yet, but the bureau is telling you where you stand.
At 20 points, an administrative hearing is set and a suspension follows — starting at one month. From there each additional two points adds a month, and the scale continues upward until 42 points, which carries a one-year suspension.
Because the increments are small, the difference between an inconvenience and a serious problem can be one more conviction. A driver sitting at 18 points who picks up a two-point speeding ticket has just crossed into suspension territory.
Importantly, the BMV applies the 20-point limit after any credits awarded for completing a driver safety program — which is why the credit below matters so much.
How Quickly Points Add Up
Point values in Indiana run from zero to ten depending on severity. Speeding 1 to 15 mph over the limit is 2 points; speeding 16 to 25 over is 4 points; a hands-free/texting violation is 4 points; and serious offenses like operating while intoxicated carry 8. Most ordinary moving violations land somewhere in the middle, which is why drivers are often surprised by their totals. A handful of unremarkable tickets across two years can quietly put you in warning range.
It's worth checking your actual record rather than estimating. Indiana's myBMV system lets you see your current point total, and knowing the real number is the difference between managing the problem and being blindsided by a notice.
Reducing Your Points Before You Reach the Threshold
If you're in the warning range — or simply want to build a buffer — completing a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program (DSP) applies a 4-point credit to your official driving record. That credit lowers your active total, which can be enough to move you out of warning range or keep a future ticket from tipping you into suspension.
The credit is available once every three years, so it's worth using deliberately. A driver at 16 or 18 points is precisely the person who gains most from it, since four points is the difference between a warning and a suspension in that range.
A few official details worth knowing:
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Any Indiana driver can take a DSP course — you don't have to wait for the BMV to require it.
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All BMV-approved courses run a minimum of four hours and share the same curriculum standards.
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The BMV caps DSP course cost at $55.
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Allow 7 to 10 business days for your completion to be processed.
Sitting at 14 or 18 points? ABetterDriver offers the BMV-approved Indiana Driver Safety Program fully online for $28.95 — self-paced, with completion reported directly to the BMV and a 4-point credit applied to your record. Check your points and get started →
If the BMV Requires a DSP
Separately from the voluntary credit, state law provides that drivers convicted of two or more traffic offenses within a 12-month period may be required to complete a BMV-approved DSP. Drivers under 21 are required to complete one after two or more convictions. When the BMV is notified, the course must be completed within 90 days or driving privileges will be suspended — and the BMV mails notice of this requirement.
If you've received that notice, the 90-day clock is real. Don't let it lapse.
If You Have Already Received a Suspension Notice
There's a deadline here that catches people out. If the BMV sends you a notice of suspension, you generally have 18 days to request an administrative hearing to contest it. Missing that window means losing the chance to be heard.
At such a hearing, an administrative law judge reviews your record and circumstances, and under certain conditions the judge can stay the suspension — including where the driver completes a safe driving course. The presiding officer may also place you on probation instead of suspending, or impose additional requirements.
That's not a guarantee, and it depends on your specific situation, but it does mean a suspension notice isn't always the end of the conversation. If you receive one, act inside the 18 days rather than waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points suspend a license in Indiana? Twenty active points triggers a one-month suspension. Every additional two points adds another month, up to a one-year suspension at 42 points.
What happens at 14 points in Indiana? You receive a warning notice from the BMV. Nothing is suspended, but you're close enough that one more conviction could push you over the 20-point line.
How long do points stay on your license in Indiana? Two years from the conviction date, after which they fall off your active total. The underlying conviction itself remains on your driving record.
Can I remove points from my Indiana record? You can offset them. Completing a BMV-approved Driver Safety Program applies a 4-point credit, available once every three years. The underlying conviction remains on your record.
How much does the Indiana Driver Safety Program cost? The BMV caps DSP course cost at $55, and approved providers price below that — ABetterDriver's online course is $28.95. All approved courses run a minimum of four hours.
How do I check my current point total? Through the BMV's myBMV system, which shows your official driving record. Checking is far more reliable than estimating from memory.
How many points is speeding in Indiana? Speeding 1–15 mph over the limit is 2 points; 16–25 mph over is 4 points. Point values across all violations range from zero to ten depending on severity.
The Bottom Line
Twenty points suspends your license in Indiana, with a warning arriving somewhere between 14 and 18, and each two points beyond 20 adding another month. Since points last two years and ordinary tickets carry two to four each, the safest approach is to know your real total and act while you're still in the warning range.
ABetterDriver offers the BMV-approved Indiana Driver Safety Program fully online for $28.95 — self-paced, with completion reported directly to the BMV and a 4-point credit applied to your record. Check your points through myBMV, and if you're close to the line, you can start today →.
