WA DMV Point System

Drivers in Washington aren’t treated in the same way as other state drivers. In fact, Washington traffic tickets and violations aren’t assigned points on a point system like many other states. Instead the Washington traffic violation system includes penalties that are intact with the violation severity and frequency of violation.

If you show a pattern of unsafe and reckless driving, expect the Washington DOL to penalize you through license suspension, revocation, and fines. You can receive these penalties for excessive speeding tickets and other excessive crimes, or even for a one time DUI/DWI or other severe traffic crime.

The rules and regulations set forth for Washington drivers must be followed at all times, whether on the:

  • Streets
  •  Roads
  •  Highways
If you are unsure of the laws you must follow or need a recap for any reason, they are all listed and detailed within the Washington Driver Guide, which can be downloaded online for no cost

While there is no point system in place within Washington State, it is important that you are aware that recurring tickets and violations will cause ramifications, including:

  • license suspension for 30 days if you accrue 4 traffic moving violations within one year
  • or 5 traffic moving violations during 2 consecutive years.
It is possible, however, to avoid this penalty by attending an awareness meeting approved by the Department of Licensing in Washington.

The most common Washington license suspensions, revocations, and cancellations are due to failure to appear to court summons for traffic case or pay your traffic tickets, and DUI/DWI related offenses.

Checking License Status in Washington

There are definitely times when you can let your license status get away from you – especially when you have had a few traffic tickets and just a lot of life situations to keep your mind elsewhere. At the same time, not knowing about license suspension or revocation is not enough to get you out of trouble when you are caught driving without a valid license. If you want to be sure that you are safe to drive, or just see how many tickets are present and if they have been settled, there are driver’s records in Washington to help you find all this information and more.