Traffic Tickets

Every moving violation removes money from your wallet, but it also adds points to your driving record. Points range from one to fifteen. If you amass more than 30 points within a three-year span, your license will be revoked by the Records and Driver Control Bureau for three years.

Points

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI): 10 points

• Speeding: 3 points

• Reckless Driving: 5 points

• Drag Racing: 5 points

• Hit and Run (property): 5 points

• Insurance Violations: 5 points

• No Driver's License: 2 points

• All other moving violations: (illegal U-turn, running a stop sign, unsafe lane change) 2 points

Getting slapped with a moving violation carries financial repercussions. Not only must you pay the ticket, but depending on the severity of your breach, you may also see a spike in your car insurance premiums. Getting fined for an unbuckled seatbelt will not make it back to your insurance carrier. But if you get ticketed for zooming down the Interstate at more than 100 MPH or arrested while driving under the influence (DUI), you can expect a long-term financial fallout with your insurance company, regardless of how clean your driving record was up to that point.

Driving points have a three-year shelf life during which they can affect your license and/or your insurance rates. Multiple DUI convictions are the exception and remain active for five years. Successfully passing a defensive driving school will look good in the eyes of the court but will not remove your driving points.

Keep in mind that even though driving points do expire they will remain permanent on your record. Sections 33-18-210(9) and 61-5-208 of the Montana Annotated Code provide full explanation.