You would need to contact the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to find out about your specific situation and why it is that you only have 3 safe driver points instead of 5, the maximum amount you can have at once in VA. We can however give you information on how you accumulate safe driver (+ or positive) points and demerit (- or negative) points.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, like most states, uses a point system to assign points for traffic violations to a driver's state driving record. Virginia DMV though is one of the few states that assigns both positive and negative points on a driver's motor vehicle record.

Negative points or demerit points are received from traffic violations. A Positive point is given by the state to drivers with a valid Virginia driver’s license, who maintain a violation free driving record for one full calendar year. You can earn a maximum of five positive points, and these positive points on your record help offset negative points you receive from traffic violations.

Each time you commit a traffic offense, DMV adds additional demerit points to your record. This can add up to big trouble for some drivers. If you have banked safety points it can help you though with the accumulation of demerit points.

Safety driving points are assigned for each full calendar year that you hold a valid Virginia driver’s license and drive without any violations or suspensions. In some cases, you may also earn safe driving points by completing a driver improvement clinic. You can accumulate a total of five safe driving points and you may use these safe driving points to offset demerit points.

For example if you for five years you have followed all the safe driving rules and not received any tickets you would accumulate a safe driving point each year, for a total of five points. If then one day you run a red light the VA DMV would assign four demerit points to your driving record. However, since you had earned five safe driving points, you would end up with one safe driving point left on your record.

The VA DMV notes you may be awarded five safe driving points, once every 24 months, after you successfully complete a driver improvement clinic but if a court requires you to complete a clinic, the court determines if you will be awarded safe driving points. So if you were court ordered to take a driver improvement course than it could be that you were awarded less than 5 safe driving points.

If you have had a valid Virginia driver's license for at least 5 years and have been free of any violations or suspensions than it would appear that you should have +5 instead of +3. If instead you have only carried your VA license for 3 years without incident than that would explain the +3 you have. Again contact the VA DMV directly to find out about your points total.

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