How many penalty points cost you your licence?
Sixteen — but only ten for new drivers. Once you accumulate 16 penalty points, a ban on using your driving rights is imposed. Drivers with less than two years of experience reach that point at just 10 points — the threshold is lowest precisely for them. The ban lasts one year. And your licence does not simply come back afterwards: to restore it you must pass both the theory test and the driving test again at CSDD. Points are recorded in the CSDD state register of vehicles and drivers, and you can check your own total in the e-services portal at any time. And there is a harsher threshold: if a ban is imposed twice within 10 years, the driving rights are lost outright.
📋 The rules
- Ban is triggered at 16 points
- Under 2 years experience — at 10 points
- The ban lasts one year
- Afterwards: theory and driving tests
- Points are recorded by CSDD
🔓 Exceptions
- If a ban is imposed twice within 10 years, the driving rights are lost
- New rights may then be obtained no earlier than after five years
- The whole process must then be completed again, as for a first licence
⚠️ Penalties & fines
It is the second ban that destroys you. If a driving ban is imposed on you twice within 10 years, you lose your driving rights entirely. And then: new rights may be obtained no earlier than after five years, by going through the entire process again — exactly like someone who has never driven: driving school, medical certificate, all the exams. This is precisely why “minor” offences are not minor. A phone at the wheel is one point; a child without a car seat, two. They accumulate quietly, and one day the sixteenth point costs you a year without a car and two exams. Check your points total in the CSDD e-services before that happens.
📎 Official sources
- CSDD · Penalty points →
- likumi.lv · Penalty point regulations →
- LV portāls · Fines and penalty points →
❓ Frequently asked
How many points can I accumulate?
At 16 penalty points a ban on using your driving rights is imposed. Drivers with less than two years of experience reach that threshold at just 10 points, so the limit is lowest for them.
How long does the ban last?
One year. When it ends, your rights are not restored automatically — you must pass both the theory test and the driving test again at CSDD. Until you do, you may not drive at all.
What happens after a second ban?
If a ban is imposed twice within 10 years, you lose your driving rights entirely. New rights may be obtained no earlier than after five years, going through the whole process again, driving school included.
Where can I see my points?
Points are recorded in the CSDD state register of vehicles and drivers. You can check your current total at any time through the CSDD e-services portal, and it is worth doing so regularly.
How many points for a phone or a missing car seat?
Using a phone at the wheel earns one point, while carrying a child without a proper car seat earns two. They accumulate quietly and bring you closer to the sixteen-point threshold.
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