License Suspensions in Pennsylvania
Your license may be suspended by the Pennsylvania DMV if you commit a serious driving violation or accumulate too many penalty points on your driving record.
Written by Joshua Levy
Edited by Pat Roache
The
Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation (PennDOT) can suspend your driver’s license
if you accumulate too many penalty points on your driving record
or commit a serious traffic violation, such as driving under the influence
. - You may face a Pennsylvania license suspension for committing a serious driving violation like driving under the influence, reckless driving, or causing serious injury or death in an accident.
- Depending on the circumstances, you may also lose your driving privileges if you accumulate more than six penalty points.
- If you receive a suspension notice in the mail, you’ll need to surrender your license and follow the restoration requirements spelled out by PennDOT.
- You may face aPennsylvanialicense suspension for committing a serious driving violation like driving under the influence, reckless driving, or causing serious injury or death in an accident.
- Depending on the circumstances, you may also lose your driving privileges if you accumulate more than six penalty points.
- If you receive a suspension notice in the mail, you’ll need to surrender your license and follow the restoration requirements spelled out by PennDOT.
What happens when your Pennsylvania license gets suspended
If PennDOT suspends your license, here’s what you can expect to do:
- Note the start date of your suspension period: You will receive a written notice in the mail that will notify you of the suspension and include important information.
- Appeal your suspension (optional): If you don’t believe the license suspension is warranted, you have 30 days after your notice was mailed to submit an appeal to the Court of Common Pleas (Civil Division) in your county.
- Surrender your driver’s license: You will need to return your license to the Bureau of Driver Licensing by the required date. Otherwise, the police will pick it up.
- Read your license restoration requirements letter: Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device,submit an SR-22 form, or follow other steps toreinstate your license. You canaccess your restoration requirements letter onlineor wait for it to be mailed to you to find out exactly what you need to do.
- Apply for an occupational limited license (OLL) (if applicable): Depending on your eligibility, you may be able to apply for this limited-use license that would allow you to drive to work, school, or medical appointments under certain conditions during your suspension period.
Your Pennsylvania driver’s license will be suspended if you have too many points on your driving record
When you commit a traffic violation, you’ll likely have to pay a fine, and you may notice an increase in your
car insurance
rate down the line. Additionally, you will have penalty points applied to your Pennsylvania driving record based on the state’s point system.Common traffic ticket violations include:
- Failing to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk: 2 points
- Running a red light: 3 points
- Illegal U-turn: 3 points
- Careless driving: 3 points
- Speeding: 2 to 5 points
If you accumulate six or more points on your driving record, you will receive a notice in the mail, requiring you to pass a written exam or else face further consequences.
Once you follow the steps outlined in your notice, you can have some points removed from your record, and the total count will continue to decrease the longer you drive without committing additional violations.
But: every time you accumulate additional points and reach that six-point total again, you will face increased penalties—including the possibility of a license suspension.
Here are the scenarios in which your license will be suspended for point-related reasons in Pennsylvania:
You’ve accumulated six points for the… | Results in a license suspension if… | Suspension lasts… |
|---|---|---|
… first time | … you don’t pass the required written exam within 30 days | … until you pass the exam |
… first time | … you were driving above the speed limit by 31 mph or more, and you fail to show up for your mandatory PennDOT hearing | … 60 days |
… first time | … you were driving above the speed limit by 31 mph or more, and PennDOT recommends a suspension | … 15 days |
… second time | … you fail to show up for your mandatory PennDOT hearing | … 60 days |
… second time | … your PennDOT examiner recommends a suspension | … 15 days |
… third or more time | … you fail to show up for your mandatory PennDOT hearing | … until you attend the hearing |
… third or more time | … your PennDOT examiner recommends a suspension | … 30 days |
If you accumulate 11 or more points on your driving record at one time, your driving privileges will be suspended automatically. The period of time for the suspension depends on how many times you’ve reached this point:
- First offense: 5 days per point
- Second offense: 10 days per point
- Third offense: 15 days per point
- Subsequent offenses: 1 year
Your Pennsylvania driver’s license will be suspended automatically for serious offenses
Here are some of the moving violations that result in an automatic suspension or revocation in Pennsylvania, regardless of how many points are on your driving record:
- Vehicular homicide: 3 years
- Felonies involving a motor vehicle: 1 year
- Moving violations that cause death or serious injury: 1 year
- Attempting to evade law enforcement: 1 year
- Reckless driving: 6 months
- Driving without car insurance: 3 months
- Failing to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights: 2 months
On top of a license suspension, you could also face fines, jail time, and other consequences for the above violations.
Teen driver’s license suspensions
In addition to the offenses and punishments listed above, drivers under the age of 18 can have their Pennsylvania licenses suspended for:
- Accumulating 6 or more points
- Driving 26 mph or more over the speed limit
For minors, the first-offense license suspension will last 90 days, and any subsequent license suspensions will last 120 days.
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