Ways to Get Points Removed from Your Texas Driver’s License

First, take a breath. If you're here because of a ticket, the situation is almost certainly more manageable than it feels right now. 

And there's an immediate piece of good news: Texas got rid of its points system years ago, so the thing you came here worried about doesn't even exist anymore. Let's walk through what's actually true and the straightforward way to keep this ticket from following you around.

Does Texas Still Have a Points System?

No, and That's One Less Thing to Worry About

From 2003 to 2019, Texas ran the Driver Responsibility Program, which tacked points and annual surcharges onto drivers' records. The state repealed it through House Bill 2048, effective September 1, 2019, as confirmed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. When it ended, existing surcharges were waived and old points were wiped from records. So if you've been picturing a points tally creeping toward some scary number, you can let that worry go. It isn't there.

So Does a Ticket Even Matter Anymore?

It Does, but It's Manageable

No points doesn't mean no consequences, and it's better to know what they are than to guess. A ticket you simply pay becomes a conviction, and that conviction can:

• Stay on your driving record for roughly three years
• Show up to your insurer at renewal, often nudging your premium up for a few years
• Count toward a suspension if you stack up four moving-violation convictions in 12 months, or seven in 24 months
• Appear when an employer checks your record

That sounds like a lot, but here's the reassuring part: a single ticket, handled well, usually never becomes a conviction at all.

What's the Simple Way to Protect Your Record?

Defensive Driving for Ticket Dismissal

This is the part to focus on. The cleanest way to keep a Texas ticket off your record is to complete a TDLR-approved defensive driving course with your court's approval. When the court signs off and you finish the course, the ticket is dismissed, which means no conviction, no insurance bump, and nothing counting toward a suspension. It's the same outcome people are really after when they ask about "removing points," and it's very doable.

Are You Eligible?

Most Drivers With a Minor Ticket Are

Your court has the final say, but the common requirements are reasonable:

• You hold a valid, non-commercial Texas driver's license
• You haven't used defensive driving for dismissal in the past 12 months
• You ask the court for permission before your deadline
• Your violation is eligible, and most everyday moving violations are

A Few Tickets Don't Qualify

So you know going in: dismissal generally isn't available for speeding 25 mph or more over the limit, driving without insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, passing a stopped school bus, or certain construction-zone violations. If your ticket is one of these, defensive driving can still help with your insurance even when it can't dismiss the ticket.

How Do You Set It Up?

Five Straightforward Steps

1. Before your ticket's deadline, ask the court for permission to take a defensive driving course.
2. Once they say yes, enroll in a TDLR-approved course.
3. Order your driving record if the court asks for it.
4. Complete the six-hour course, which you can do online whenever it suits you.
5. Send your certificate and any required paperwork to the court by the deadline.

The only real trick is staying ahead of the court's deadline, so handle the request early and the rest is easy.

Does It Help Your Insurance Too?

Yes, on Top of the Dismissal

Finishing a defensive driving course can also earn you an auto insurance discount of up to 10%, separate from the ticket dismissal. So even in the rare case your ticket can't be dismissed, the course can still leave you better off. To see how a ticket fits into the bigger picture of your record, our guide to the difference between suspended and revoked licenses lays it out, and our guide to what to do after a speeding ticket covers all your options.

What Could Trip You Up?

• Missing the court's deadline. This is the big one, so put it on your calendar the day you get the ticket.
• An ineligible violation. Serious offenses can't be dismissed this way.
• Having taken a course recently. Dismissal is usually limited to once every 12 months.
• A non-approved course. Only a TDLR-approved course counts, so check before enrolling.
• Holding a commercial license. CDL holders generally can't use dismissal.

How Does Texas Compare to Other States?

Plenty of states still run points systems, so Texas is actually ahead of the curve here by scrapping its program entirely. The practical upshot is friendly: instead of chipping away at a points total, you just focus on keeping a single ticket from becoming a conviction, and defensive driving handles that. If you want to understand how records work more broadly, our guide to checking points on your license walks through it.

You've Got This

A ticket feels bigger in the moment than it turns out to be, and you have a clear path forward. I Drive Safely's Texas defensive driving course is TDLR-approved, takes six hours, and dismisses eligible tickets with court approval so the conviction never lands on your record. It's fully online and self-paced, so you can take care of it on your own time, at your own speed. See the course and put this behind you.