Can I still drive if my driver's license has accumulated 12 penalty points?
2 Answers
You cannot drive if your driver's license has accumulated 12 penalty points. According to regulations, if a motor vehicle driver accumulates 12 penalty points within one scoring cycle, the traffic management department of the public security authority shall confiscate their motor vehicle driver's license. The driver must, within 15 days, attend a seven-day study session on road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge at the traffic management department of the public security authority where the driver's license was issued or where the violation occurred, and take an exam. If the exam is passed, the penalty points will be cleared, and the motor vehicle driver's license will be returned. If the exam is not passed, the driver must continue studying and retake the exam. If the driver refuses to participate in the study or take the exam, the traffic management department of the public security authority will announce the suspension of the driver's license.
Last time I got all my points deducted for speeding, and that experience was absolutely awful. When the traffic cop pulled me over and checked my license, they made it clear that the moment my points were maxed out, my license became invalid—no chance of driving at all. The system automatically locks your license status, and if you drive anyway, it counts as driving without a license. Not only was my car towed, but I also got slapped with a 2,000-yuan fine. The biggest hassle was having to report to the traffic police station and attend mandatory safety education classes for seven straight days, clocking in early every morning. Only after passing the theory test could I get my license back. Those weeks of commuting by subway every day were brutal. Take my advice: if your points run out, don’t even think about testing your luck behind the wheel. With so many cameras at intersections these days, getting caught means game over.
