Many people wonder what the points system breakdown is for a California traffic violation. Some haven't had a ticket in years and wonder how many points they'll receive for a speed violation and how long the points will remain on their license.

The California DMV keeps a public record of all your traffic convictions and collisions for a minimum of 36 months, and sometimes longer, depending on the law you violated. The points system, which is called the Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) is based on negligent operator points. The system automatically sends warning letters to violators and sanctions your driving privileges when it deems necessary.

Under the NOTS system, you may be considered a negligent operator , when your driving record accumulates "point count" totals of:

One point violations may consist of:

Two point violations may consist of :

If you get 4 points in 12 months, the California DMW will move to revoke your driver license . For drivers of commercial vehicles, each infraction carries one and one-half times the point count normally assessed.

The system is NOT foolproof; however, and some drivers receive a notification of suspension or an accumulation of points that does not belong to them. There are also other arguments that experienced legal counsel can bring to keep your license from a suspension. For instance, you may get some extra latitude if you can show that you drive an extraordinary amount of mileage, or perhaps I can reopen an old case for you and clear it from your record. These are just some of instances you need an experienced traffic ticket attorney who can help.