In California the Department of Motor Vehicles keeps a public record of all your traffic convictions and accidents. Tickets and accidents are assigned points. Each incident is assigned a point. Depending on the type of traffic ticket, you can get from 1 - 2 points for a traffic ticket, 1 point for an accident.

The length of time the offense and its associated points stay on your CA driving record depends on the severity of the offense. For most offenses (illegal turn, not making a complete stop, driving over the speed limit, etc.) and/or accidents are assessed 1 point will stay on your driver record for 36 months (3 years). There are 2 points assessed for serious offenses, such as hit-and-run or a DUI, will stay on your record for up to 10 year. Speeding over 100 mph falls into the serious offenses of CA law and assigned 2 points and stays on your record for the longer period of time.

The CA Vehicle Code section 22348 deals with excessive speed. Here it states in section (b) that a person who drives a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than 100 miles per hour is guilty of an infraction punishable, as follows:

(1) Upon a first conviction of a violation of this subdivision, by a fine of not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500). The court may also suspend the privilege of the person to operate a motor vehicle for a period not to exceed 30 days pursuant to Section 13200.5.

(2) Upon a conviction under this subdivision of an offense that occurred within three years of a prior offense resulting in a conviction of an offense under this subdivision, by a fine of not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars ($750). The person’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle shall be suspended by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13355.

(3) Upon a conviction under this subdivision of an offense that occurred within five years of two or more prior offenses resulting in convictions of offenses under this subdivision, by a fine of not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). The person’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle shall be suspended by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 13355.

The CA points schedule shows speeding over 100 mph is a 2 point offense as we previously noted and as you see stays on your record for the extended period of time since if you are convicted of 2 or more excessive speeding tickets within 5 years you can receive higher fine and license suspension.

You need to report offenses that you were convicted of to auto insurance companies that request information on your driving record or incidents you had within a certain period of time. Normally if you take traffic school for a ticket you are getting it dismissed or adjudication withheld, meaning that you were not convicted of it and thus the traffic violation does not appear on your motor vehicle record (MVR).

If you are uncertain if you were convicted of an offense or what is on your driving record then contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles and request a copy of your driver's history so that you can give your insurance company the correct information. If you give incorrect information on a car insurance application then your rate quote will be incorrect and have to be adjusted once the insurance provider pulls your MVR and gets the correct information.If you are shopping for affordable car insurance you can get a quote here for California.