What are the rules for reducing penalty points through traffic law study?
3 Answers
According to Article 5 of the Notice issued by the Ministry of Public Security on January 14, 2020 (Gongjiao Guan [2020] No. 14), titled 'Regulations on Reducing Traffic Violation Points Through Traffic Safety Education (Trial)': Motor vehicle drivers who apply to participate in traffic safety education to reduce traffic violation points must attend corresponding road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge study sessions or exams, or participate in traffic safety public welfare activities based on their highest permitted vehicle type and meet relevant requirements to apply for point reduction. The point reduction through study is a measure for licensed drivers who have been penalized for traffic violations. After completing online traffic safety study and passing the exam, their penalty points can be reduced. This initiative is a public convenience measure uniformly deployed by the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. Specific considerations are as follows: Applicable Individuals: Motor vehicle drivers holding a People's Republic of China motor vehicle driver's license, regardless of the vehicle type permitted by the license or whether they are commercial vehicle drivers, can participate in the point reduction program. They must attend study sessions or exams on road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge according to their highest permitted vehicle type. Specific Rules: Motor vehicle drivers participating in online road traffic law and regulation study must complete a continuous 5-minute study session each time. Within 3 days, the cumulative study time must reach 30 minutes. Then, within 7 days, they can register for the exam. Upon passing the exam, 1 penalty point can be reduced. Drivers can also attend on-site study sessions, with each session lasting no less than 1 hour. After completing the required study hours, they can apply for the exam. Passing the exam will reduce 2 penalty points. Non-eligible Cases: The following situations will not be accepted: In the previous scoring cycle, the driver had two or more instances of full-point penalties. Within a 3-point cycle, the driver was involved in hit-and-run accidents, drunk driving, or the fabrication or alteration of documents or license plates. The motor vehicle driver's license is in the probationary period or has not been reviewed on time. The driver has unresolved traffic violation records under their name. The driver has a motor vehicle under their name that has not passed the safety technical inspection on time or has not been deregistered as required. The driver has already reduced the maximum of 6 penalty points in the current cycle.
The 'Study to Reduce Points' rule essentially gives drivers a chance to remedy their demerit points. The specific steps involve downloading the Traffic Management 12123 app, where you can apply for the 'Study to Reduce Points' feature. After approval, you must complete 30 minutes of traffic regulation video learning within three days, covering various driving norms and safety knowledge. After studying, you'll take a test with 20 multiple-choice questions, and scoring at least 18 correct answers counts as a pass—each pass deducts 1 point. You can reduce up to 6 points per traffic violation, but serious offenses like drunk driving are ineligible. I tried it last month—the study materials were practical, and the test questions were all based on the video content, so paying attention made it easy to pass. A reminder to apply early, as the approval and processing take time, especially before the demerit point cycle ends.
Last time I got points deducted for speeding, so I used the 'Study to Reduce Points' remedy. The whole process was done on the traffic management app. I submitted an application first, and it was approved in about half a day. Then the system provided some traffic safety education videos, and I just needed to watch 30 minutes' worth over three days. The content wasn't boring at all - it was all real road condition demonstrations, and after watching, I really understood traffic rules better. Finally, I took a test with 20 multiple-choice questions, all based on the study materials. If you watched the videos carefully, you could basically answer correctly. The point reduction of 1 was applied immediately after passing. The whole process took about an hour, much more convenient than going to the site. Of course, there are limitations - I had 5 points deducted that time, and after reducing 1 point, 4 remained. You can reduce up to 6 points in one scoring cycle. Remember, you must pay all the violation fines before you can apply.
