Texas · Tickets, Points & Your Record
How many points is a speeding ticket in Texas?
Zero. Texas ended its point system on September 1, 2019. Any site still quoting "2 points for speeding" is years out of date. But a ticket isn’t harmless. What counts now is your driving record. With your court’s permission, a defensive driving course can keep a ticket off it.
Approved statewide · TDLR License CP994
The answer, in numbers
0 points on every Texas license — the system no longer exists.
A short history
When did Texas end its point system?
The Driver Responsibility Program put points on your license and billed you a yearly surcharge for them.
Your license was suspended — over the surcharge, not the driving.
Lawmakers repealed the whole program (House Bill 2048). Points: gone. Outstanding surcharges: waived. Surcharge-only suspensions: lifted.
What counts now is the conviction on your driving record — and the two ways to keep a ticket off it: defensive driving or deferred disposition.
Old surcharge debts were waived with the repeal — but fines, fees, and suspensions unrelated to the program weren’t. If you owe something else, you still owe it.
Before and after
Points on your Texas license: what the repeal changed, and what it didn’t
Until August 31, 2019
Under the Driver Responsibility Program
- Points on your license
- Assessed for the conviction
- The yearly surcharge
- Billed every year you stayed over the line
- If you fell behind on it
- License suspended over the money
- The conviction itself
- On your driving record
Since September 1, 2019
Under House Bill 2048
- Points on your license
- None — Chapter 708 is repealed
- The yearly surcharge
- Waived, including what was already billed
- If you fell behind on it
- Surcharge-only suspensions reinstated
- The conviction itself
- Still on your driving record
No points ≠ no consequences
What counts against a Texas driver now that there are no points?
Your driving record
Pay the fine and the ticket becomes a conviction. A conviction goes on your Texas driving record. Insurers, employers, and the DPS can all see it. The record is the new points.
Your insurance premium
Insurers never needed the state’s points. They price your premium off the convictions on your record. How much a ticket costs you, and for how long, is up to your insurer. A clean record is the only reliable discount. Some insurers also discount for a voluntary course — the Texas insurance discount guide covers that path.
A DPS suspension — still possible
The DPS can still suspend your license. The trigger is 4 moving-violation convictions in 12 months, or 7 in 24 months. Each one has to come from a separate incident. The law calls this being a habitual violator. The rule is Texas Transportation Code §521.292. Out-of-state convictions count toward those totals too.
Fines that replaced the surcharges
The state still collects money on a ticket. It just does it once. Most moving-violation convictions now carry a $50 state traffic fine on top of the court’s fine. Intoxication offenses carry separate state fines of up to $6,000 on conviction.
The way out
How does a dismissed ticket affect your Texas driving record?
No conviction. No record entry. Nothing to count.
Ask your court for permission to take defensive driving when you respond to your citation. Finish the 6-hour course by your deadline. Get your signed certificate to the court. The court can then dismiss the ticket. No conviction for your record. Nothing for your insurer to price. Nothing counting toward a DPS suspension. That’s $25, once, against a conviction that can follow you for years.
Not sure your ticket qualifies? Run the 30-second eligibility check — seven rules from Texas law decide it, and court permission comes first. New to the process? How it works, in six steps. Weighing a dismissal against deferred disposition or paying the fine? The ticket dismissal guide compares all three. Ticketed outside Texas? Every state scores tickets differently.
Points questions, answered
Texas ticket points FAQ
How many points is a speeding ticket in Texas?
Zero. Texas abolished its point system on September 1, 2019, when the Driver Responsibility Program was repealed. No Texas ticket carries points anymore. But a conviction still goes on your driving record, where your insurer and the DPS can see it.
When did Texas get rid of the point system?
September 1, 2019. House Bill 2048 repealed the Driver Responsibility Program. That was the system that gave out points and billed yearly surcharges. Every surcharge still pending was waived. And the DPS had to reinstate any license that was suspended for one reason only: an unpaid surcharge.
Do I still owe old Driver Responsibility Program surcharges?
No. All outstanding DRP surcharges were waived when the program ended on September 1, 2019. Fines, fees, and suspensions unrelated to the DRP weren't affected — those are still owed.
Does a speeding ticket go on my driving record in Texas?
Yes — if it ends in a conviction. Paying the fine counts as a conviction, and it goes on your record. A ticket dismissed through defensive driving never becomes a conviction, so it never touches your record.
Can my Texas license be suspended if there are no points?
Yes. The DPS can still suspend you as a habitual violator. The trigger: 4 or more moving-violation convictions from separate incidents within 12 months, or 7 within 24 months (Texas Transportation Code §521.292). Out-of-state convictions count toward those totals too.
Will a Texas ticket raise my insurance?
It can. Insurers price your premium off the convictions on your driving record — no state point system needed. Each insurer sets its own rules, so how much (and for how long) varies. A conviction-free record is the reliable way to keep rates down.
How do I keep a ticket off my record in Texas?
Ask your court for permission to take defensive driving when you respond to the citation. Finish the 6-hour course by the court's deadline. Then get your signed certificate to the court. The court can then dismiss the ticket — no conviction, no record entry, nothing for your insurer or the DPS to count.
Do points from other states transfer to Texas?
There are no Texas points for them to become. But out-of-state moving-violation convictions can still count toward the DPS's habitual-violator totals, and they can appear on your record. A ticket in another state is worth taking as seriously as one at home.
What replaced the surcharges after 2019?
Lawmakers replaced the revenue, not the points. The state traffic fine on convictions rose from $30 to $50. Intoxication offenses now carry separate state fines of up to $6,000 on conviction. Neither involves points or yearly surcharges.
Keep it off your record entirely.
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