Ohio Traffic Violations

Drivers in Ohio who sustain traffic violations will be issues a citation on behalf of the local Ohio county court in the area where they received the violation. If you receive a moving violation in Ohio, your traffic citation will provide you with the contact information for the local Ohio county court handling the violation. If you wish to pay your ticket right away, you can simply mail in your payment to the local Ohio county court address. If you wish to appear in the same Ohio county court in order to dispute the charges or plead guilty, your citation will include your court date as well.

Ohio's 12-Point System

The state of Ohio manages a "points" system for all Ohio drivers and drivers who have received traffic violations in Ohio. If you decide to mail in payment of your traffic violation fine or plead guilty in court to the Ohio traffic violation, the local Ohio county court handling your citation will notify the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles ("BMV"), which will then assess points to your Ohio driving record based on the severity of your offense. The Ohio BMV provides a complete list of point values associated with each moving violation. Some examples of points assigned to your Ohio driving record for certain traffic violations are:

• Speeding by less than 30mph: 2 points
• Running a Red Light: 2 points
• Speeding by over 30mph: 4 points
• Reckless Driving: 4 points
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident: 6 points
• Driving with a Suspended License: 6 points

Ohio's point system is somewhat more detailed than the points system in most states, but here are some helpful basics. If you get six points on your Ohio driving record in a 24-month span, the Ohio BMV will mail a written warning to the address on your driver's license detailing to you the repercussions of committing additional traffic violations in Ohio. If your Ohio driving record amasses twelve points in that same two-year timeframe, the Ohio BMV will suspend your Ohio driving privileges for six months, and require you to take some form or traffic school or driver improvement program. Thankfully, your Ohio driving record will not retain points against your Ohio driving privileges indefinitely; the Ohio BMV has stated that points will be removed from your Ohio driving record automatically after a three-year time period. This is especially helpful for purposes of lowering your auto insurance, as car insurance in Ohio is usually interrelated with points against your license. The Ohio BMV commits a page of its website to detailed information about its 12-Point System.

Suspension of Your Ohio Driving Privileges

The Ohio legislature, Ohio BMV and Ohio court system have established several reasons for your Ohio driving privileges to be suspended based on your commission of traffic violations. Under Ohio law, your Ohio driving privileges may be suspended for any of these reasons:

• A medical condition that would impair your driving ability
• Convicted of a traffic violation and ordered by court
• Failure to appear in court on a bond
• Unresolved out-of-state tickets
• Accumulating 12 points on your Ohio driving record in a two-year period
• Being tagged as a "problem driver" in the National Driver Registry
• Refusing a BAC test when pulled over
• Testing positive for blood alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit
• Driving under the influence as a juvenile
• First DUI offense
• Second DUI offense
• Failing to comply with auto insurance requirements
• Causing an accident while uninsured

The requirements to have your Ohio driving privileges suspended will vary significantly based on the severity of your traffic violation, the state of your Ohio driving record and the potential penalty or sentence assessed against you by the Ohio county court overseeing your traffic violation. However, all documents and fees you need to have your Ohio driving privileges reinstated must be handled in person at one of the Ohio BMV Regional Service Centers. If your driving privileges are suspended and you are seeking to have them reinstates, you should find out which of the seven BMV field offices are closest to you or the local Ohio county court handling your traffic violation and suspension: Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Jackson, Toledo and Youngstown. In many cases, the Ohio court overseeing your suspension may request that you participate in some form of Ohio traffic school or Ohio driver improvement program in order to get your Ohio driving privileges back. Even if your Ohio driving privileges have not been suspended, you may be able to participate in traffic school or a driver improvement program in order to have the traffic violation against you reduced or dismissed. In order to determine if this is possible, you should appear in court on the date provided on your citation and see if such an opportunity exists. In addition, Ohio state law allows you to take an eight-hour remedial traffic school program in order to increase the total amount of points required before your Ohio driving privileges are suspended, from 12 to 14. You can take this course once every three years.

Attending Ohio Traffic School and Online Defensive Driving Programs

If you are either ordered to participate in a traffic school, driver improvement program or defensive driving program, or if a court has allowed you to participate in a traffic school, driver improvement program or defensive driving program, you likely have the option of participating in an Ohio online traffic school or Ohio online defensive driving program. Some Ohio courts will also consider mitigating or dismissing your traffic ticket by attending an online Ohio traffic school or driver improvement program, depending on the nature of your traffic violation and the state of your Ohio driving record. Again, because the local Ohio county court handling your traffic violation has authority over your moving violation, you should either appear in the local Ohio county court handling your ticket to make such a request, or contact the local Ohio county court to see if this is a common opportunity among traffic law offenders and request a list of pre-approved Ohio online traffic schools and defensive driving programs. In addition, the Ohio Department of Public Safety may be able to help you. You can contact them at (614) 466-2550.

The Benefits of a Clean Ohio Driving Record

Ohio online traffic school and online Ohio driver improvement programs are created to help you hone your driving abilities and instill good defensive driving habits so you can help keep Ohio roads safe. Learning these skills from an online Ohio traffic school or driver improvement program will also help you avoid traffic tickets and keep your Ohio driving record as clear as possible.

An Ohio driving record that is clear of traffic violations and points is beneficial to you in many ways. Foremost, a clean Ohio driving record means no costly fines. Further, your clean Ohio driving record, or a driving record that shows you have attended an Ohio online traffic school or driver improvement program will help prevent you from losing your Ohio driving privileges should you have to appear in Ohio court for a severe traffic violation or series of infractions later on.

Just as important, an Ohio driving record that includes Ohio online traffic school or an Ohio online defensive driving program helps keep your auto insurance costs down. The less points against your record and the better your Ohio driving record looks, the less reasons auto insurance companies will have to raise your insurance premiums. This is especially true for mature and younger drivers

Ohio Mature Driver Insurance Discounts

The Ohio BMV provides specific opportunities for Ohio Mature Drivers, those drivers ages 60 and up. While you should contact your Ohio auto insurance provider to make certain you qualify, many drivers can receive an auto insurance discount for successfully completing a state-approved mature driver course.

In addition, the Ohio BMV is considering changes to its Senior Driver Program. These changes may provide additional opportunities for mature drivers to improve their Ohio driving record. If you would like to know more about these new Mature Driver initiatives, you can call the Ohio Traffic Safety Office at (614) 466-3250.

Ohio Juvenile Driver Insurance Discounts

If you are an Ohio Juvenile Driver under the age of 18, you may also have an opportunity to receive an insurance discount by participating in an Ohio online traffic school or driver improvement program. The Ohio BMV offers classes, unique to teens, that can increase defensive driving skills and possibly reduce their auto insurance premiums. The Ohio BMV has offered a list of these schools here.

Ohio Classroom Traffic Schools

If you would like to consider attending the eight-hour remedial Ohio traffic safety course, or attend traffic school in a more traditional classroom setting, here is a list of Ohio BMV-approved course providers by county.