How do Points on Driver’s License Affect Insurance in California?


In the US State of California, drivers can get penalty points or a demerit point where their driving license can be canceled or suspended. A driving license can be suspended or canceled based on the number of penalty points accumulated by California State drivers over some time because of the traffic offenses or infringements they committed during that period.

You can contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for your State to check your penalty points. To check If Speeding Points Affect Insurance, read our article.

How do Points on a Driver’s License Affect Insurance in California?

In California, license points affect insurance premium costs. Based on our case study, California’s average car insurance premium is $1,771 per year for no violation points. If you get driving penalty points for a fault accident, your insurance premium cost will increase by an average of 35%, which will be $2,190 on average. Racing or reckless driving points can grow up to 66% of your insurance premium policy, so these offenses generate an average insurance cost of $3,208 in California.

However, each insurance company has its driving points records ranking system. For the same offenses or penalty points, you can have different insurance premium increases in various companies.

For example, for a same-fault accident in California, Nationwide can increase the insurance policy by 10%, while Allstate and Progressive insurance can increase up to 38%.

How long do points stay on your driving record in California?

In California, driving penalty points will always be present in your driving record. However, points will not count for suspension if a traffic conviction is two years old.

How much do 2 points affect insurance in California?

In California, on average, 2 penalty points affect a 4% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will not increase your car insurance coverage policy, some can increase costs up to 65%.

How much do 3 points affect insurance in California?

In California, on average, 3 penalty points affect a 6% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will not increase your car insurance coverage policy, some can increase costs by up to 70%.

How much do 4 points affect insurance in California?

In California, four penalty points will affect an average 8% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will not increase your car insurance coverage policy, some can increase costs up to 100%.

How much do 5 points affect insurance in California?

In California, five penalty points will affect an average 8% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will increase your car insurance coverage policy by just a few percent, others can increase costs up to 100%.

How much do 6 points affect insurance in California?

In California, 6 penalty points will affect an average 10% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will increase your car insurance coverage policy by just a few percent, some can increase costs up to 100%.

How much do 7 points affect insurance in California?

In California, seven penalty points will affect an average 30% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will increase your car insurance coverage policy by just a few percent, some can increase costs up to 100%.

How much do 8 points affect insurance in California?

In California, eight penalty points will affect an average 46% premium insurance increase. However, while some insurance companies will increase your car insurance coverage policy by just a few percent, some can increase costs up to 100%.

The length of a suspension period for any California license holder

  • In California, a driver may fadriver’sr’s license suspension or revocation if they accumulate:
  • (i) 4 points within 12 months,
  • (ii) 6 points within 24 months, or
  • (iii) 8 points within 36 months.
  • The number of points you receive for an offense depends on the offense.

Offense and driving points record in California

  • The points stay on your record for 3-7 years. Getting too many poindoesn’tn’t just look bad on your driving record. California drivers who get four points within 12 months may have their driver’s license revoked or suspended.
Jason Martin

Jason Martin

Jason Martin is an experienced and knowledgeable professional in the insurance industry, with over 26 years of relevant knowledge under his belt. After completing his Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Jason got Actuary Insurance Certification in 2005. From 2022., Jason writes educational insurance articles for Promtinsurance.com. Please read : Jason Martin biography Write email: jason@promtinsurance.com

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