How to get back 15 driving licence points

The points-based driving licence has been in force in our country for several years now. It is a licence that starts with a base number of points, which can be deducted if several traffic offences are committed. It is not necessary for the offences to be serious: if an offence of moderate or serious severity is committed, points may be deducted in addition to the corresponding fine.

Every driver, when they receive their driving licence, starts with eight points. This number is kept for two years, provided no offence requiring a points deduction is committed. If that does not happen, four more points are added after those first two years. In this way, good drivers are rewarded, bringing their licence up to 12 points.

How to recover the 15 points on your licence

However, the driver can gain more points, because after that first two-year period two more points are added if, over the following three years, no penalty involving a points deduction has been received. This brings the total to 14 points, and one more can be added, up to fifteen, if no offence entailing a points deduction is committed during the following three years.

In other words, although you start with eight points, after eight years you can have fifteen points on your licence, which helps protect the driving permit should an offence deduct points. Points can be lost for offences such as running a red light or failing to yield (four points); driving under the influence of alcohol (4 to 6 points); speeding (6 points) or not wearing a seatbelt (3 points), for example.

But there may come a time when no points remain on the licence. So what can we do to recover those points?

Courses to recover points

If all the points on the licence are lost, the right to drive any vehicle is lost. While at least one point remains, you can keep driving, but it is advisable to have points to avoid any risk. There are two options for recovering points. One allows six points to be added to the licence, and the other restores the licence if all points, and with them the licence itself, have been lost.

The course that allows six points to be recovered on the licence lasts twelve hours and reviews road safety education. It costs approximately 190 euros. To get the licence back if it has been lost, the course lasts 24 hours and costs up to 400 euros.

With this second course the licence is recovered, but you start again with eight points, as if obtaining it for the first time. To avoid these situations, it is important to respect traffic rules and, above all, to respect the road and drive sensibly and responsibly.