How Long Do Points Stay on Your License in TN? The Rules

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you searched how long do points stay on your license in tn, the short answer is that Tennessee publishes no rule for when points expire. Instead, TDOSHS scans back 24 months each time a new violation posts, and it does not use convictions for violations that happened more than 2 years before it got the report. Your driving record (MVR) is a separate thing that shows the past 3 or 10 years.

Key Facts

  • No end date: no official Tennessee source says when points leave a record. See the short answer.
  • The 24-month scan: each new posting starts a look back of 24 months for 12 or more points. See the 24-month scan.
  • The 2-year rule: convictions reported more than 2 years after the violation are not used. See the 2-year rule.
  • Your record: the MVR shows 3 or 10 years and costs $5. See checking your own dates.
  • Ways to deal with points: the speeding removal rule and the 8-hour class at a hearing work in different ways. See your options.

How Long Do Points Stay on Your License in TN? The Short Answer

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) does not publish an expiration date for points. Its Points Accumulation page speaks only of points gained “within any 12-month period.” It does not say when points go away.

The timing rules are in Rule 1340-01-04, the Tennessee Driver Improvement Program rule. It sets two limits on which convictions count. Neither one is an expiration date.

So a better question is this: which convictions still count toward a notice of proposed suspension? The two rules below answer it. Your own MVR shows the dates that apply to you.

The 24-Month Scan

The first rule is about how far back TDOSHS looks. Rule .04(6) says, “Each time a crash or violation is posted to the driver’s record, the computer shall scan back for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the posted date.”

The scan checks whether you “accumulated twelve (12) or more points within a twelve (12) month period.” So the scan covers 24 months, but the test inside it is any 12-month stretch. A new posting is what starts each scan.

How the Window Works

Think of it as a sliding window, not a calendar year. TDOSHS asks whether any 12-month stretch inside the 24 months holds 12 or more points.

Here is simple math with Schedule values. A 36-45 mph speeding conviction is 6 points, and failing to yield the right-of-way is 4. Add a 1-5 mph speeding conviction (1) and an improper turn (3), and the total is 14 points.

If all four fall inside one 12-month stretch, the total passes the adult limit of 12. If no 12-month stretch holds 12 or more points, the scan finds no problem. The Schedule of Points Values lists each value used here.

Which Date Counts

The rule ties the scan to the “posted date,” which is when the violation is posted to your record. It does not say the window runs from the violation date or the court date. For your own dates, read your MVR or ask TDOSHS.

The 2-Year Rule

The second rule is about old convictions. Rule .02(3) says, “Convictions of moving traffic violations which occurred more than two (2) years prior to the Department’s receipt of such report or notice shall not be used within the Driver Improvement Program.”

In plain words, the clock runs from the day the violation happened to the day TDOSHS gets the report. If that gap is more than 2 years, the conviction is not used in the program. That covers convictions that reach TDOSHS late.

This rule does not set an end date for points. It also does not erase a conviction from your record. It only limits what the Driver Improvement Program uses.

What TDOSHS does each time a new violation posts, from the 24-month look back to the 12-point test

Points Versus Your Driving Record

Points and your driving record run on different clocks. The TDOSHS MVR page says the record “will show the past 3 or 10 years of your driving history.”

That span is longer than the 24-month scan. So your MVR history covers more time than the window TDOSHS checks for 12 points. The MVR page does not say whether points are printed on the record.

How long a ticket stays listed is its own question. Our guide on how long a ticket stays on your record covers it.

What Counts Toward a Notice

The time rules matter because of the point limits. For adults, 6 to 11 points in a year brings an advisory letter under Rule .04(1). At 12 or more points in any 12 months, TDOSHS sends “a notice of proposed suspension” with a chance at an administrative hearing.

For drivers under 18, the notice comes at 6 or more points. Rule .04(13)(a) uses the same 24-month look back from the posted date for minors.

The notice is not an automatic suspension. For the whole system, see our Tennessee points system guide.

Other Time Limits After a Notice

Once a notice arrives, new clocks start. These come from Rule 1340-01-04 and the TDOSHS Points Accumulation page:

  • Hearing request: with more than 20 points, or as a repeat offender, the written request must be received within 30 days of the notice date.
  • No request: TDOSHS says the license is suspended for six to 12 months.
  • Missed hearing: the rule sets a 6-month suspension, or 12 months after a Driver Improvement Program suspension in the last 5 years.
  • First offender: a driver who is not suspended and has not been in the program within 5 years is treated as a first offender.

A first offender with 12 to 20 points may waive the hearing and go straight into a defensive driving course instead of a 6-month suspension. For the hearing steps, see our guide to license suspension for points.

Your Options for Points

Waiting is not the same as removal. Points stop mattering for a notice only when no 12-month stretch in the scan holds enough of them. Two official rules act on points in other ways.

Speeding Point Removal

TCA 55-8-207 is the only rule that removes points. Finish a department-approved course within 90 days of a speeding conviction, and the points for that conviction come off, up to 5 points. It works for one speeding offense per course and only once in a four-year period.

The TDOSHS Traffic School page says, “Only the points will be removed, the conviction will remain.” It uses a 4-hour Driver Education Course. Providers must send certificates to TDOSHS within 30 days.

Since July 1, 2026, Public Chapter 993 lets a person who pays a speeding ticket instead of going to court also register for a department-approved course. These department-approved courses must be available online through the TDOSHS website. Like the rest of the rule, this covers speeding only.

The 8-Hour Class at a Hearing

TDOSHS says that “In most cases,” a driver who asks for a hearing may take a defensive driving class “in lieu of suspension or a reduction of suspension time.” It must be finished within 90 days of the letter or hearing. It counts “once every five (5) years to receive credit.”

The 8-hour class does not remove points. Under Rule .04(6)(a), any crash or violation with an event date before you finish the class still counts toward the 12 points. After the class, you are on probation for 12 months, and a new violation can count as a probation violation.

As for format, the Defensive Driving Schools page says “Live-stream classes are now approved.”

Checking Your Own Dates

Your MVR is the place to see your own violations and dates. TDOSHS offers it three ways, each for $5:

  • Online: for Tennessee residents, through TDOSHS e-Services.
  • In person: at any Driver Services Center.
  • By mail: to MVR Request, PO Box 945, Nashville, TN 37202. Allow two weeks.

Mail is the only way to get a certified copy. Our guide on how to check points walks through each method step by step.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the TDOSHS pages and rule we checked on October 27, 2026, three things stood out about time.

First, the Points Accumulation page, updated July 20, 2026, never gives a time limit for points. It only uses the phrase “within any 12-month period.” Second, the rule that holds the 24-month scan and the 2-year rule is the August 2014 revision of Rule 1340-01-04.

Third, the MVR page, updated August 14, 2026, gives a history span of 3 or 10 years. None of the three pages links that span to points.

Six time spans in Tennessee point rules and what each one controls

Common Mistakes

Each item below is checked against a TDOSHS page or Rule 1340-01-04:

  • Assuming a set expiration date. No official source gives one.
  • Treating the 12 months as a calendar year. TDOSHS checks any 12-month period.
  • Reading the 2-year rule as an end date. It only limits which late-reported convictions the program uses.
  • Expecting the 8-hour class to reset the count. Earlier violations still count, and probation lasts 12 months.
  • Missing the 90-day window. Speeding point removal needs the course done within 90 days of the conviction.
  • Guessing your dates. Your MVR shows the record that TDOSHS keeps.

How Requirements Can Vary

Tennessee point values, the Driver Improvement Program and the speeding point-removal rule come from state law and TDOSHS rules (TCA 55-50-505, TCA 55-8-207 and Rule 1340-01-04) and apply statewide. Whether a court orders a course for your ticket, which course it orders, and how your case is handled are up to the court on your ticket or the TDOSHS letter you received. Fines and court costs depend on the court and the charge.

Laws, rules and court practice can change. Check your ticket, any court order or TDOSHS letter, the TDOSHS website and the Tennessee Code before you enroll or pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do points expire in Tennessee?

No published Tennessee rule sets an expiration date for points. TDOSHS uses a 24-month scan and a 2-year rule to decide which convictions count. Your MVR shows your own dates.

Is the 12-month window a calendar year?

No. TDOSHS looks for 12 or more points “within any 12-month period.” That can be any stretch of 12 months inside the 24-month scan.

What does the 2-year rule mean?

It means a conviction is not used in the Driver Improvement Program if the violation happened more than 2 years before TDOSHS got the report. It does not erase the conviction. It also does not set an end date for points.

Does the 8-hour class reset my points?

No. The 8-hour class does not remove points, and earlier violations still count toward 12. You are on probation for 12 months after you finish.

Can a course remove old points?

Only speeding points, and only for a conviction that is recent enough. The course must be done within 90 days of that speeding conviction, it removes up to 5 points, and it works once in a four-year period. The conviction stays.

Do the same time rules apply to teens?

Yes, the look back is the same. Rule .04(13)(a) scans back 24 months from the posted date for drivers under 18. Their limit is 6 or more points in any 12 months.

Does a court-ordered course change how long points count?

No rule says it does. A court may require a course “in addition to or in lieu of any portion of other penalty imposed” (TCA 55-10-301(b)(1)), and the court decides what that means in your case. Ask the court clerk on your ticket.

Conclusion

Tennessee points have no published end date, so the 24-month scan and the 2-year rule decide what counts. Order your MVR to see your own dates, and read any TDOSHS letter with care. A speeding conviction from the last 90 days may still qualify for point removal, so compare the date with the TDOSHS 4-hour list in hand, and ask your court about online courses if it ordered one. Take the Tennessee Driver Education Course online when that fits your case.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, an online driver education course provider serving Tennessee and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Tennessee course rules, point values, fines and penalties depend on your ticket, court, TDOSHS notice and case facts, and they can change. Use official TDOSHS, Tennessee Code and court sources, and consult a qualified Tennessee attorney for advice about your own case.