Pennsylvania Traffic Tickets: How the Point System Works, When You Can Lose Your License, and How CDM LAW Can Help

A traffic ticket can feel minor: pay the fine and move on. In Pennsylvania, though, paying a ticket is a guilty plea. That conviction can put points on your driving record, raise your insurance costs, and, once enough points accumulate, lead to a mandatory hearing or an automatic license suspension. Before you pay, it helps to understand how the system works and what your options are.

Pennsylvania's Point System Under the Vehicle Code

Pennsylvania's point system is set out in the Vehicle Code, Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Chapter 15. Section 1535 (Schedule of convictions and points) assigns a point value to many moving violations. PennDOT records the points when it receives notice of a conviction, not when the ticket is written.

Common violations and their points under PennDOT's published schedule include:

• Failure to stop for a school bus with red signals flashing (§ 3345(a)): 5 points, plus a 60-day suspension
• Failure to comply with railroad crossing gate or barrier (§ 3341(b)): 4 points, plus a 30-day suspension
• Leaving the scene of a property-damage-only accident (§ 3745): 4 points
• Running a red light (§ 3112(a)(3)(i) or (ii)): 3 points
• Failure to stop at a stop sign (§ 3323(b)): 3 points
• Following too closely (§ 3310): 3 points
• Passing in a no-passing zone (§ 3307): 3 points
• Careless driving (§ 3714(a)): 3 points
• Exceeding a special school zone speed limit (§ 3365(b)): 3 points
• Failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk (§ 3542(a)): 2 points
• Driving too fast for conditions (§ 3361): 2 points

Speeding (§ 3362)

• 6 to 10 mph over the limit: 2 points
• 11 to 15 mph over: 3 points
• 16 to 25 mph over: 4 points
• 26 to 30 mph over: 5 points
• 31 mph or more over: 5 points, plus a PennDOT departmental hearing that can result in a 15-day suspension and/or a special driving examination

Speeding 11 mph or more over the limit in an active work zone can also carry a 15-day suspension.

How Points Lead to a Suspension

Reaching 6 points

Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1538, consequences begin when your record reaches 6 points:

• First time at 6 or more points: PennDOT will require a written special point examination or Driver Improvement School. Completing the requirement reduces your points. Failing to comply can result in a suspension.
• Second time at 6 or more points: You must attend a departmental hearing. The hearing examiner may recommend Driver Improvement School, a special on-road examination, and/or a suspension of up to 15 days.
• Third or later time at 6 or more points: You must attend another departmental hearing, which can result in a suspension of up to 30 days.

If you miss a required hearing or do not complete the sanctions, PennDOT can suspend your license until you comply.

Reaching 11 points: automatic suspension

Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1539, when your record reaches 11 or more points, PennDOT shall suspend your operating privilege:

• First suspension: 5 days for each point
• Second suspension: 10 days for each point
• Third suspension: 15 days for each point
• Any later suspension: one year

Example: a driver with 12 points and no prior point suspension faces a 60-day suspension (12 × 5 days). When the license is restored after a point suspension, PennDOT generally resets the record to 5 points (75 Pa.C.S. § 1545), so you start out close to the 6-point threshold.

Drivers under 18: PennDOT suspends a junior driver's license if the record reaches 6 or more points, or upon a conviction for driving 26 mph or more over the limit: 90 days for the first occurrence and 120 days for each one after that.

How Often Points Come Off Your Record

Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1537, PennDOT removes 3 points for every 12 consecutive months you go without a suspension or revocation and without a violation that results in points. Once your record reaches zero and stays at zero for 12 consecutive months, any new points are treated as a first accumulation again.

A single conviction can therefore affect your record for a year or more, and a second ticket before the first points are gone can push you over a threshold quickly.

Don't Ignore the Ticket

• Respond on time. Under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, you generally have 10 days to plead guilty or not guilty to a summary traffic citation.
• Failing to respond has its own penalty. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1533, failing to respond to a citation or to pay the fines and costs can lead to an indefinite suspension until you comply.
• Paying is pleading guilty. Once the conviction is entered, PennDOT records the points.
• Appeal deadlines are short. A conviction at the magisterial district court can be appealed to the county Court of Common Pleas within 30 days (Pa.R.Crim.P. 460). A PennDOT suspension notice can generally be appealed to the Court of Common Pleas within 30 days of the mailing date (75 Pa.C.S. § 1550).

How CDM LAW Can Help

Christopher D. Mandracchia has years of experience handling traffic and motor vehicle matters as both a defense attorney and a prosecutor. He knows how these cases are charged, how they are prosecuted, and how they are tried and resolved in the magisterial district courts of Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

Depending on the facts of your case, CDM LAW can help you:

• Fight the ticket. We review the citation and the evidence, including whether the citation was properly issued and whether a speed-timing device was approved and tested as required by 75 Pa.C.S. § 3368, and we take the case to a hearing where appropriate.
• Negotiate to reduce or avoid points. Where the officer and the court agree, a charge may be amended to a lesser offense or one that carries fewer or no points.
• Address fines and costs. We work to reduce what you owe where possible and to set up a payment arrangement when needed.
• Handle suspensions. We represent clients at PennDOT departmental hearings, file appeals of suspension notices with the Court of Common Pleas, and evaluate eligibility for relief such as an Occupational Limited License.
• Appear for you. In many cases, an attorney can appear on your behalf so you miss less work.

Every case depends on its own facts, and no attorney can guarantee a particular result. What we can promise is a careful review of your case and a straightforward explanation of your options before you decide what to do.

Received a traffic ticket or a PennDOT notice? Contact CDM LAW before you pay or before your deadline passes.

Call (610) 994-0281, email cdm@cdmattorneys.com, or schedule a consultation.

815 Fayette Street, Suite 200, Conshohocken, PA 19428

Magisterial District Courts in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery Counties

Traffic citations are filed with the magisterial district court that covers the location where the violation happened. Your citation lists the court. To look up a case or find the right court for an address, use the UJS Web Portal and the Pennsylvania Courts magisterial district court map.

Bucks County (7th Judicial District)

Official sources: Bucks County District Courts · Magisterial District Judges directory (PDF) · Interactive court map

• Court 07-1-01 – MDJ Michael W. Gallagher, 2404 Byberry Road, Bensalem, PA 19020, 215-638-1040
• Court 07-1-02 – MDJ David J. Chichilitti, 501 Bath Street, Bristol, PA 19007, 215-785-3521
• Court 07-1-03 – MDJ Kevin P. Wagner, Sr., 3030 Bath Road, Bristol, PA 19007, 215-788-5561
• Court 07-1-04 – MDJ Terrence P. Hughes, Sr., 7325 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA 19055, 215-943-9414
• Court 07-1-07 – MDJ Daniel Baranoski, 142 Centre Street, Penndel, PA 19047, 215-757-6761
• Court 07-1-08 – MDJ Charles D. Jonas, 2661 Trenton Road, Levittown, PA 19056, 215-946-5450
• Court 07-1-09 – MDJ Christopher E. O'Neill, 567 Newtown Road, Warminster, PA 18974, 215-672-5853
• Court 07-1-10 – MDJ John T. Galloway, 9187 New Falls Road, Fallsington, PA 19054, 215-736-0231
• Court 07-1-11 – MDJ Corryn L. Kronnagel, 31 East Cleveland Avenue, Morrisville, PA 19067, 215-736-1121
• Court 07-1-12 – MDJ Joseph P. Falcone, 3101 Bristol Road, Suite 7, Bensalem, PA 19020, 215-741-3501
• Court 07-2-01 – MDJ Brian M. Marriott, 60 Township Road, Richboro, PA 18954, 215-322-0144
• Court 07-2-02 – MDJ Mark D. Douple, 1277 Almshouse Road, Warrington, PA 18976, 215-343-7961
• Court 07-2-05 – MDJ Lisa J. Gaier, 281 California Road, Quakertown, PA 18951, 215-536-9650
• Court 07-2-07 – MDJ Michael W. Petrucci, 28 North State Street, Newtown, PA 18940, 215-968-1657
• Court 07-2-08 – MDJ Regina Armitage, 962 Town Center, New Britain, PA 18901, 215-230-7265
• Court 07-3-01 – MDJ Timothy J. Barton, 4001 Durham Road (Rt. 413), Doylestown, PA 18902, 215-345-7516
• Court 07-3-02 – MDJ Stacy Wertman, 1720 Kendarbren Drive, Suite 711, Jamison, PA 18929, 215-343-0627
• Court 07-3-03 – MDJ Gary Gambardella, 276 Tabor Road, Ottsville, PA 18942, 610-847-5164

Delaware County (32nd Judicial District)

Official sources: Delaware County Magisterial District Courts · Magisterial District Judge list, effective April 8, 2026 (PDF)

• Court 32-1-20 – MDJ Wilden H. Davis, 529 Penn Street, Chester, PA 19013, 610-876-2151
• Court 32-1-21 – MDJ Dawn L. Vann, 529 Penn Street, Chester, PA 19013, 610-874-7180
• Court 32-1-22 – MDJ Shepard Garner, 529 Penn Street, Chester, PA 19013, 610-874-1790
• Court 32-1-23 – MDJ Lee Grimes, 100 Clifton Avenue, Collingdale, PA 19023, 610-534-3443
• Court 32-1-27 – MDJ David H. Lang, 796 Parkway Boulevard, Broomall, PA 19008, 610-338-2250
• Court 32-1-28 – MDJ Elizabeth Gallard, 349 West Baltimore Avenue, Media, PA 19063, 610-566-0872
• Court 32-1-30 – MDJ George B. Dawson, 1936 MacDade Boulevard, Woodlyn, PA 19094, 610-532-0320
• Court 32-1-32 – MDJ Michael Culp, 56 Powell Road, Springfield, PA 19064, 610-543-2366
• Court 32-1-33 – MDJ Harry J. Karapalides, 1500 Garrett Road, Suites 150 & 200, Upper Darby, PA 19082, 610-626-6900
• Court 32-1-34 – MDJ Benjamin Johns, 1500 Garrett Road, Suites 150 & 200, Upper Darby, PA 19082, 610-626-6900
• Court 32-1-36 – MDJ David R. Griffin, 526 W. Ridge Road, Linwood, PA 19061, 610-859-9748
• Court 32-2-37 – MDJ Tammi L. Forbes, 150 S. MacDade Boulevard, Suite E, Darby, PA 19023, 610-534-3504
• Court 32-2-38 – MDJ Diane Holefelder, 2901 Dutton Mill Road, Suite 120, Aston, PA 19014, 610-558-3520
• Court 32-2-39 – MDJ Georgia L. Stone, 2 Cambridge Road, Suite 300, Brookhaven, PA 19015, 610-874-8178
• Court 32-2-40 – MDJ Steven A. Sandone, 11 Bartram Avenue, Glenolden, PA 19036, 610-583-6646
• Court 32-2-42 – MDJ Michael A. Burns, 11 Bartram Avenue, Glenolden, PA 19036, 610-583-6647
• Court 32-2-43 – MDJ Sloan Walker, 4655 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073, 610-356-2997
• Court 32-2-44 – MDJ Mary Hopper, 1028 Lincoln Avenue, Prospect Park, PA 19076, 610-534-5627
• Court 32-2-46 – MDJ Andrew Goldberg, 939 N. Providence Road, Media, PA 19063, 610-566-3495
• Court 32-2-47 – MDJ W. Keith Williams, 60 W. Marshall Road, Lansdowne, PA 19050, 610-259-8848
• Court 32-2-48 – MDJ Jennifer M. DiPillo, 27 S. Pennell Road, Lima, PA 19037, 610-565-4110
• Court 32-2-49 – MDJ Wendy B. Roberts, 485 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342, 610-558-3605
• Court 32-2-51 – MDJ Christopher R. Mattox, 1500 Garrett Road, Suites 150 & 200, Upper Darby, PA 19082, 610-626-6900
• Court 32-2-52 – MDJ Gabriella H. Coleman, 409 Ashland Avenue, Suite 1, Secane, PA 19018, 610-622-8102
• Court 32-2-53 – MDJ Elysia J. Mancini Duerr, 525 West Chester Pike, Suites 103 & 105, Havertown, PA 19083, 610-449-5189
• Court 32-2-54 – MDJ James Merkins, 56 Powell Road, Springfield, PA 19064 (per the county list, temporarily with Court 32-2-43; hearings held at Court 32-2-52), 610-690-7668

Montgomery County (38th Judicial District)

Official sources: Montgomery County Magisterial District Courts directory (addresses, judges and jurisdictions for every court). For more on the Montgomery County courts, see CDM LAW's guide, Montgomery County Magisterial District Courts.

Court assignments and addresses change from time to time. Always confirm the court, date and location listed on your citation or hearing notice.

Sources

• 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 1533, 1535, 1537, 1538, 1539, 1545, 1550, 3362 and 3368 (Pennsylvania Vehicle Code)
• PennDOT Online Driver's Manual, Chapter 4: Pennsylvania's Point System
• PennDOT Fact Sheet: The Pennsylvania Point System (PDF)
• Pa.R.Crim.P. 460 (Notice of Appeal from summary convictions)

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. The law can change, and the outcome of any case depends on its specific facts and circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Christopher D. Mandracchia, Esq., CDM LAW, 815 Fayette Street, Suite 200, Conshohocken, PA 19428, is responsible for the content of this article.