Suspended license in Alaska: points, other causes, and how to reinstate
In Alaska, the first points threshold is 12 points within 1 year: 30-day suspension for a first point accumulation; 90 days if points again require withdrawal within 24 months of a prior point suspension; one-year revocation after two prior point suspensions or revo. A Defensive Driving Course (DDC) / department-approved driver improvement course removes 2 points, once every 12 months. The fee to reinstate after a suspension that is not alcohol-related is $100.
A DUI is only one of the ways a license gets suspended. Points from ordinary tickets, an unpaid ticket, a lapse in insurance, unpaid child support or a missed court date each carry their own suspension and their own path back. The rules below are the ones the State of Alaska, Department of Administration, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) states, each quoted from its page or from the statute.
How the points system works
Most states assign points to moving violations and suspend the license when the total inside a set window crosses a threshold. The threshold, the window and how long each violation keeps counting are all set by the state.
Alaska's demerit point system assigns 2 to 10 points to convictions for moving violations to identify problem drivers. Accumulating 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months requires mandatory suspension or revocation of the driving privilege, and a warning letter is sent at the halfway mark.
| Points | Within | Consequence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 points | 1 year | 30-day suspension for a first point accumulation; 90 days if points again require withdrawal within 24 months of a prior point suspension; one-year revocation after two prior point suspensions or revo | akleg.gov |
| 18 points | 2 years | 30-day suspension for a first point accumulation; 90 days for a repeat within 24 months; one-year revocation after two prior point actions within 24 months | akleg.gov |
Points period stated by the agency: 2 years. Points are counted in 12-month and 24-month periods measured from the date of violation, though they are not assessed until conviction. Two points are deducted after 12 violation-free months following the last violation. The DMV page does not state a separate period for which a conviction stays on the record.
“The department will suspend a person's driving privilege for 30 days upon an initial accumulation of 12 or more points as the result of offenses committed during a consecutive 12-month period or 18 or more points as a result of offenses committed during a consecutive 24-month period.”
“The time periods provided for in this section for the accumulation of points shall be based upon the date of violation, but points may not be assessed until after conviction”
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| 3 to 9 mph over limit | 2 |
| 10 to 19 mph over limit | 4 |
| 20 mph or more over limit | 6 |
| Reckless driving | 10 |
| Leaving the scene of a crash | 9 |
| Driving without insurance | 6 |
Check points or the driving record: dmv.alaska.gov
The statute: AS 28.15.221
“provide for suspension, revocation or denial of a driver's license, privilege to drive, or privilege to obtain a license for an accumulation of 12 or more points as a result of offenses committed during any consecutive 12-month period or 18 or more points”
Traffic school and point reduction
| Course | Defensive Driving Course (DDC) / department-approved driver improvement course |
|---|---|
| Effect | Removes or prevents points |
| Points removed | 2 |
| How often | once every 12 months |
The DMV states that credits may be earned for violation-free driving and for completing a defensive driver course, and that a DDC may be taken once every 12 months for a point reduction. Under AS 28.15.241(b), two points are deducted on proof of completing a department-approved driver improvement course within 12 months of the last violation, with no more than one course counted in any 12-month period. The DMV advises paying the ticket before taking the course so the credit applies.
“Credits may be earned for violation-free driving and/or completion of a defensive driver course (DDC). A DDC may be taken once every 12 months for a point reduction.”
Other reasons a license is suspended, and what ends each one
These are the causes the licensing agency itself lists on its suspension pages, with what it requires to lift each one. Court-imposed suspensions and DUI suspensions are covered on the state's DUI pages.
| Cause | What the agency states | To reinstate | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points suspension | 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months requires mandatory suspension or revocation regardless of hardship; 30 days for a first action, 90 days for a repeat within 24 months, one-year revocation after two prior actions. | Apply through DMV Online Services at my.alaska.gov: signed D1 application, written test if it is the third point suspension in 2 years, vision test, proof of SR-22 insurance dated in the last 30 days, and payment of the reinstatement fee by electronic invoice. | $100 |
| Medical cancellation | A license cancelled for medical reasons is reinstated by following the DMV letter, which primarily requires the confidential eye/medical/mental examination report (Form 468). | Submit Form 468 examination report; the DMV reviews it and may then require a D1 application, written test if cancelled more than 1 year, vision test, road test if cancelled more than 5 years, and fees. | — |
| Failure to Maintain Mandatory Insurance | A mandatory insurance suspension is one of the two situations for which the DMV issues limited licenses; a driver not previously suspended for this in the previous 10 years may be eligible for a work or medical limited license. | Proof of SR-22 insurance and the reinstatement fee, as listed for reinstatement on the DMV page. | $100 |
| Default on payments for collision damages | Default means the driver has not made payments agreed to or ordered by a court for damages caused in a collision; the DMV directs the driver to resolve it with the person, insurer or law firm involved. | Resolve the default with the creditor, then complete the DMV reinstatement steps including SR-22 proof and the fee. | $100 |
| Unpaid fines of $1,000 or more (cancellation) | Under AS 28.15.161(a)(7) the department cancels a license when the licensee owes $1,000 or more in unpaid fines for moving-vehicle offenses and has not paid in full or made good-faith payments under a plan; a new license may be applied for once the cause is removed. | Pay the fines in full or make payments under a department payment plan, then apply for a new license. | — |
| Failure to appear for a driver improvement interview | A problem driver who fails without good cause to appear for a driver improvement interview may be suspended for one year or until the driver appears, whichever comes first. | Appear for the interview and comply with the hearing officer's recommendations. | — |
Source quotes for each cause
Points suspension
“Accumulating 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months requires the mandatory suspension or revocation of the driving privilege, regardless of the hardships involved.”
Medical cancellation
“Primarily you will complete and email to Driver Services the 468 Form CONFIDENTIAL EYE/MEDICAL/MENTAL EXAMINATION REPORT”
Failure to Maintain Mandatory Insurance
“You may be eligible for a limited license to use for work or medical care purposes if you have not been previously suspended for Failure to Maintain Mandatory Insurance in the previous 10 years.”
Default on payments for collision damages
“Default means that you have not made the payments you agreed to or were ordered by a court to make for damages you caused in a collision.”
Unpaid fines of $1,000 or more (cancellation)
“(7) the licensee owes $1,000 or more in unpaid fines for offenses involving a moving motor vehicle and failed to”
Failure to appear for a driver improvement interview
“If a problem driver, without good cause, fails to appear for a driver improvement interview, the department may notify and suspend the driver's license for a period of one year, or until the driver appears for the interview, whichever occurs fi”
Reinstating after a non-DUI suspension
Reinstatement fee: $100. $100 if the license has been suspended, revoked or limited only once in the preceding 10 years; $250 if two or more times. DUI revocations under AS 28.35.030 or .032 carry $200 (once) or $500 (two or more).
“(A) $100 if the person's driver's license has, within the 10 years preceding the application, been suspended, revoked, or limited under the provisions of this chapter, except as provided by (C) of this paragraph, only once;”
Apply online after the points suspension
The DMV's points-suspension checklist starts with applying through DMV Online Services at my.alaska.gov.
“To get your license back following the loss of your driving privileges, you may apply through DMV Online Services at my.alaska.gov.”
Submit a signed D1 application and pass any required tests
A completed and signed D1 application is required; the written test applies if the license has been cancelled for more than 1 year or this is the third point suspension in 2 years, plus a vision test, and a road test if revoked more than 5 years.
“If your license has been canceled for more than 1 year or if this is your 3rd point suspension in 2 years, pass the written test which may be done online here”
Provide proof of SR-22 insurance
Proof of SR-22 insurance dated in the last 30 days is listed for points reinstatement.
“Proof of SR-22 insurance, dated in the last 30 days”
Pay the reinstatement and license fees
The DMV emails an electronic invoice for the reinstatement and license fees, payable online; allow about 10 business days for review.
“An electronic invoice will be sent to your email, allowing you to pay the fee online.”
Official page: dmv.alaska.gov
After a DUI the steps are different: how to get a license back after a DUI in Alaska.
Driving during a non-DUI suspension
Available in some cases · Limited license. No limited work-purpose license is available for a points suspension or revocation. Limited licenses are issued only after a DUI or a mandatory insurance suspension; for an insurance suspension a work or medical limited license may be available if the driver was not suspended for that reason in the previous 10 years. The application fee under AS 28.15.271(b)(2) is $100.
“No limited “work purpose” license is available should a suspension or revocation of the driving privilege be required.”
For the privilege after a DUI, see driving after a DUI in Alaska.
Questions about a suspended license in Alaska
- How many points suspend an Alaska license?
- The Alaska DMV points page states that 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months requires mandatory suspension or revocation. Under 2 AAC 90.330 the first point suspension is 30 days, a repeat within 24 months is 90 days, and a third within 24 months is a one-year revocation.
- Does a defensive driving course reduce points in Alaska?
- Yes. The DMV states a defensive driver course may be taken once every 12 months for a point reduction, and AS 28.15.241 deducts two points for a department-approved course completed within 12 months of the last violation, plus two points for 12 violation-free months.
- What does reinstatement cost after a points suspension in Alaska?
- AS 28.15.271(b)(3) sets the reinstatement fee at $100 if the license was suspended, revoked or limited only once in the preceding 10 years, and $250 if two or more times. The DMV also requires a D1 application, SR-22 proof and, in some cases, testing.
- Is a work license available during an Alaska points suspension?
- No. The DMV points page states that no limited work-purpose license is available when a points suspension or revocation is required. Limited licenses are described only for DUI and mandatory insurance suspensions.
Sources
- Alaska DMV – Points (schedule, thresholds, DDC credit)
- Alaska DMV – Reinstate Your Driving Privileges (points, medical, default procedures)
- Alaska DMV – Limited License
- Alaska DMV – Driving Record
- AS 28.15.221–28.15.241 Point system, assessment, reduction of points (akleg.gov print view)
- AS 28.15.271 Fees (akleg.gov print view)
- AS 28.15.161 Cancellation of driver's license (akleg.gov print view)
- 2 AAC 90.310–90.470 Demerit point schedule, accumulation, suspension duration, driver improvement interview (akleg.gov print view)
Cite this page
Every state page quotes the statute or agency page each value comes from; when citing this page, include the verification date shown above.
WheelsBack. "Alaska license suspension, points and reinstatement rules." Verified against primary sources August 29, 2026; sources re-checked September 4, 2026. https://wheelsback.com/alaska/suspended-license/