Alaska’s Traffic Violation Point System

An Alaska traffic ticket will normally result in fines and fees. (Though a driver might have options for resolving a ticket that don't involve these payments.) However, the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) also records traffic violations to identify problematic and dangerous drivers using a point system. This article explains how Alaska's traffic violation point system works, including the consequences of getting too many points.

How Does Alaska's Traffic Ticket Point System Work?

The DMV assesses a certain number of points to a driver's record for traffic violations. The number of points roughly corresponds to the seriousness of the offense (see chart below).

Drivers who accumulate too many points within a certain time period face consequences such as license suspension. However, points eventually expire, and there are ways to proactively remove points from your record (explained below).

License Suspension Consequences of Traffic Violation Points in Alaska

Under Alaska's point system, drivers who rack up a certain number of points within 12 or 18 months face consequences. The specifics of the consequences depend on the number of points.

Warning Letters and DMV Interviews for 6 or 9 Points in Alaska

A driver who accumulates six points in a 12-month period or nine points in an 18-month period will receive a warning letter notifying the driver of his or her point record and the consequences of future violations. The DMV can also require the driver to appear for an informal driver improvement interview with a motor vehicle hearing officer. This interview is non-discretionary for provisional license holders.

At the interview, the hearing officer will look over the driver's record and can make recommendations such as reexamination, a driver improvement course, or other requirements to improve driving ability. Failure to appear at the interview or to comply with the recommendations can result in license suspension.

A court judge can also order a driver improvement course for drivers with at least six points in a year or nine points in two years.

Alaska Drivers With 12 or 18 Points Face License Suspension

A driver who has accumulated at least 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months will receive a notice of suspension. The suspension length will depend on the number of point-related suspensions the driver has within the last 24 months. A driver with:

• no prior suspensions will receive a 30-day suspension
• one suspension in the last 24 months will receive a 90-day suspension, and
• two suspensions in the last 24 months will receive a one-year revocation.

The suspension will be effective 30 days after the mailing of the notice, but the driver can request reconsideration or an administrative hearing to contest the suspension.

All drivers must provide proof of insurance to reinstate their license after serving a suspension. The DMV can also require proof of insurance for any driver with at least six points in the last 12 months or nine points in the last 24 months.

Getting Points Off Your Alaska Driving Record

Expiration. All license points expire after two years from the date of the violation.

Defensive driving course. Voluntary completion of a defensive driving course will remove two points from the driver's record. This reduction may be used once every 12 months.

Violation-free driving. For every 12 months that a driver doesn't have a traffic violation, two points will be removed. Finally, when a driver does receive points for a violation, the point total will be reduced one point for each 12-month period (up to five years) without violations preceding the traffic violation.

Points Values for Traffic Violations in Alaska

Alaska assigns the following point values for each traffic violation listed below.

Violation	Points Assessed
Driving while suspended	10
Driving under the influence	10
Refusal to submit to chemical test	10
Reckless driving	10
Racing	10
Assault with vehicle	10
Fleeing police officer	10
Negligent manslaughter with vehicle	10
Leaving scene of crash	9
Illegal use of an electronic device	6
Negligent driving	6
Underage operating after consuming alcohol	6
No insurance	6
Failure to yield to emergency vehicle	6
Failure to stop for school bus	6
School zone or playground violation	6
Speeding in school zone or playground area	6
Speeding 3 to 9 miles per hour over limit	2
Speeding 10 to 19 miles per hour over limit	4
Speeding 20 or more miles per hour over limit	6
Careless driving	4
Tailgating	4
Failure to stop or yield	4
Unlisted traffic violation	2

Parking and weight violations will not result in point assessments.