Suspended license in Arkansas: points, other causes, and how to reinstate
In Arkansas, the first points threshold is 14 points: A hearing is automatically scheduled; the Hearing Officer may impose probation or suspension of driving privileges, and failing to attend the hearing brings automatic suspension.
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 Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services 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.
Arkansas' Administrative Point System is used to identify problem drivers; every moving violation carries 3 to 8 points depending on severity. A warning letter is mailed when a ticket brings the driver to 10 points, and at 14 or more points a hearing is automatically scheduled whose consequences can include probation or suspension of driving privileges.
| Points | Within | Consequence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 points | — | A hearing is automatically scheduled; the Hearing Officer may impose probation or suspension of driving privileges, and failing to attend the hearing brings automatic suspension | dfa.arkansas.gov |
“14 or more points, a hearing is automatically scheduled. A Hearing Officer will explain laws and regulations concerning the points system and the consequences violations, which could include probation or suspension of driving privileges.”
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| S93 Speeding | 3 |
| S15 Speeding 15 mph or more above regulated or posted speed limit | 5 |
| S95 Speed contest (racing) on road open to traffic | 8 |
| B01 Hit and run – failure to stop and render aid after accident | 8 |
| M03 Failure to obey construction or maintenance zone markers | 3 |
| D72 Inability to control vehicle | 3 |
Check points or the driving record: dfa.arkansas.gov
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Point System | Moving violations carry 3 to 8 points; a warning letter is sent at 10 points and a hearing is automatically scheduled at 14 or more points, which may end in probation or suspension. If the licensee fails to attend the hearing the license is automatically suspended. | Attend the Driver Control hearing and comply with the probation or suspension the Hearing Officer imposes; a reinstatement letter can then be requested online. | — |
| Medical/Physical Disabilities | When the Office of Driver Services has good cause to believe a licensed driver is incompetent or otherwise not qualified, it may require an initial evaluation by a Driver Control Hearing Officer; law enforcement, medical professionals and relatives may report drivers, and age alone is not a basis. | Complete the evaluation and any medical evaluation or driver examination the Office requires. | — |
| Safety Responsibility (financial responsibility after an accident) | After an accident with more than $1,000 damage to any one person's property or any injury or death, an SR-1 report is due within 30 days; a driver who cannot show liability insurance receives a notice of security requirement or suspension unless a security deposit, release, adjudication of non-liability or other listed proof is provided. | Provide proof of liability insurance in effect at the time, a security deposit, a written release, a final adjudication of non-liability, an installment agreement, or proof of reimbursement; a hearing may be requested within 20 days of the notice. | — |
| Underage DUI/BUI and Minor in Possession | A first underage DUI, BUI or refusal brings a 90-day suspension and a second a 1-year suspension; a first Minor in Possession or misrepresentation-of-ID alcohol offense brings a 60-day suspension. | Complete the statutory requirements listed for the offense and pay the $25 reinstatement fee in person at a Revenue Office, by mail or online at mydmv.arkansas.gov; a Restricted Driving Permit may be issued for the suspension period at the Hearing Officer's discretion. | $25 |
| Failure to attend the points hearing | A licensee who does not attend the automatically scheduled points hearing has the license automatically suspended. | Contact Driver Control to attend a hearing and satisfy its outcome. | — |
Source quotes for each cause
Administrative Point System
“If the licensee fails to attend the hearing, the license is automatically suspended.”
Medical/Physical Disabilities
“The Office of Driver Services, having good cause to believe that a licensed driver is incompetent or otherwise not qualified to be licensed may require the licensee to submit to an initial evaluation by a Driver Control Hearing Officer.”
Safety Responsibility (financial responsibility after an accident)
“A written request to this Department for a hearing to determine if there is a reasonable possibility that a judgment may be rendered against you as a result of the accident must be received within twenty (20) days of receipt of the notice of security requirement or suspension.”
Underage DUI/BUI and Minor in Possession
“1st offense Underage DUI/BUI/Refused to Test = 90-day suspension.”
Failure to attend the points hearing
“If the licensee fails to attend the hearing, the license is automatically suspended.”
Reinstating after a non-DUI suspension
Attend the Driver Control hearing
For a points action, the automatically scheduled hearing determines whether the driver is placed on probation or suspended; not attending results in automatic suspension.
“A Hearing Officer will explain laws and regulations concerning the points system and the consequences violations, which could include probation or suspension of driving privileges.”
Pay the reinstatement fee
Driver Services accepts reinstatement fees in person at any state Revenue Office, by mail, or online at mydmv.arkansas.gov; the amount depends on the type of action.
“Payments may be made in person at any state Revenue Office, by mail or online at mydmv.arkansas.gov.”
Request a reinstatement letter
The Office of Driver Services issues an online reinstatement letter confirming that the requirements to reinstate after a suspension or revocation have been met.
“This letter confirms that you have met the requirements to reinstate your driver’s license after suspension or revocation.”
Official page: dfa.arkansas.gov
After a DUI the steps are different: how to get a license back after a DUI in Arkansas.
Driving during a non-DUI suspension
Pending verification. For a points action the Driver Improvements page states only that the hearing may result in probation or suspension. The Restricted Driving Permit described on the Underage Offenses page, issued at a Driver Control Hearing Officer's determination for the length of the suspension, is stated for underage alcohol suspensions; no Driver Services page states whether it is available for a points or other non-DUI suspension.
“The individual may be issued a Restricted Driving Permit for a period equal to the length of the driver’s license suspension. A Driver Control Hearing Officer will make the determination of eligibility.”
For the privilege after a DUI, see driving after a DUI in Arkansas.
Questions about a suspended license in Arkansas
- How does the Arkansas point system work?
- The Office of Driver Services states that moving violations carry 3 to 8 points, a warning letter is mailed when a ticket brings a driver to 10 points, and 14 or more points triggers an automatic hearing whose outcome can be probation or suspension. Missing the hearing results in automatic suspension.
- How many points is speeding in Arkansas?
- The Violations and Points table lists general speeding (code S93) at 3 points and speeding 15 mph or more over the limit (S15) at 5 points; speed contests or racing (S95) carry 8 points.
- Can a defensive driving course reduce points in Arkansas?
- Driver Services records a defensive driving course on the record under code DDC with zero points, but no Driver Services page states that a course removes points or dismisses a ticket.
- How is an Arkansas license reinstated after a non-DUI suspension?
- Driver Services accepts reinstatement fees at any Revenue Office, by mail or at mydmv.arkansas.gov, and its online service issues a reinstatement letter confirming the requirements for the suspension have been met.
Sources
- Arkansas DFA Office of Driver Services – Driver Improvements (Arkansas Points System, medical evaluations)
- Arkansas DFA Office of Driver Services – Violations and Points (ACD code table with point values)
- Arkansas DFA Office of Driver Services – Safety Responsibility
- Arkansas DFA Office of Driver Services – Underage Offenses (suspension periods, $25 fee, restricted permit)
- Arkansas DFA – Online Services for Drivers (reinstatement letter, driving record)
- Arkansas DFA Office of Driver Services – Driving Records
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. "Arkansas license suspension, points and reinstatement rules." Verified against primary sources August 29, 2026; sources re-checked September 4, 2026. https://wheelsback.com/arkansas/suspended-license/