Driving is a privilege, and that privilege can be taken away from you if you commit too many driving infractions in Minnesota. Many people wonder how many “points” it takes for you to lose your license in Minnesota, but Minnesota doesn’t operate on the points system like other states. So how can your license be taken away by the state if there’s no points system? We explain how your license can be restricted based on your driving history in today’s blog.
Driving Citations And Driver’s License Suspension
In Minnesota, you can end up losing your driving privileges if you earn a certain number of traffic citations in a set period of time. However, it’s important to remember that only tickets in which you are found guilty or you plead guilty or no contest will count towards this threshold, which speaks to the importance of challenging your citation in court. However, if you end up convicted or pleading guilty/no contest, that will count as a strike on your record.
The amount of strikes you can get on your record will depend on the type of traffic charge that you’re facing. In Minnesota, your driver’s license will be revoked if you:
- Have three or more misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor traffic convictions within a 12-month period (30-day revocation).
- Have four convictions within a 12-month period (90-day revocation).
- Have five convictions within a 12-month period (one year revocation).
This time period is measured from the date that you are ticketed, not when you are convicted, so once you are cited by police, the clock begins.
You can also lose your license if you are convicted of multiple petty misdemeanor violations within a certain time period. Under Minnesota law, your license can be suspended for:
- 30 days if you have four petty misdemeanor convictions within a 12-month period;
- 30 days if you have five convictions within a 24-month period;
- 90 days if you have five convictions within a 12-month period;
- 90 days if you have six convictions within a 24-month period;
- 180 days if you have seven convictions within a 24-month period;
- One year if you have eight or more convictions within a 24-month period.
Not only can these convictions lead to the loss of your license, but certain traffic violations will lead to a sizable increase in your car insurance premiums, meaning one little conviction could set you back thousands of dollars or more. To ensure that you aren’t financially burdened by a traffic citation or other criminal defense matter, make sure that you have a professional in your corner. For help with any type of criminal matter, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
