Traffic Tickets

Have you recently been found guilty of a traffic violation? Are you wondering how many points will be assessed on your license, or if any points will go on your driving record?

Well, see below to find the list of South Dakota traffic violations and their corresponding point values:

Offense―Points

• Driving while intoxicated―10

• Reckless driving―8

• Eluding/attempting to elude authorities―6

• Drag racing―6

• Failure to yield right of way―4

• Improper passing―4

• Driving on the wrong side of a roadway―4

• Stop sign/light violation―3

• Other moving violations―2

Unlike most other states, South Dakota does not assign points for speeding violations. Keep in mind, though, that you'll still have to pay the fine.

Also, insurance companies keep a close watch on traffic violations, even if you're not assessed any points for them. If you pile up enough violations―or even one or two― it may be enough to bump you into a higher premium rate.

At some point, your insurance company may cancel your policy, deciding that you're not worth the risk. Having this "high-risk" tag placed on you is a burden when shopping for car insurance. It limits the number of insurance companies who will welcome you as a customer. And, the ones who will take you will likely hit you with expensive premiums.

See our Insurance Center for more information.

Your license will be suspended if you accumulate 15 points within 12 months. The same thing will happen if you total 22 points within 24 months.

If you happen to be in an incident in which multiple violations occur, the offense with the highest point value will be marked on your license.

Also, if you're out of state and convicted of a traffic violation that carries points with it in South Dakota, you will receive the corresponding points on your South Dakota driving record. So, if you're convicted of drag racing in North Dakota, six points will be assessed on your South Dakota driving record.

Points remain on your license for three years.

You should also be aware that driving while intoxicated offenses carry an automatic license revocation, even if you didn't have any points on your license before the offense.

Parking violations don't carry any points. But, of course, you'll still need to pay the fine.

For additional information about the state's point system, as well as the reinstatement procedures and costs, visit our DMV Point System and Suspended License sections.