Arizona Traffic Survival School: Points, Red-Light Tickets and Suspensions
Do I have to go to Traffic Survival School in Arizona for points or a red-light ticket?
Maybe. With 8 or more points in any 12-month period, ADOT says you may be required to attend Traffic Survival School (TSS), or your driving privilege may be suspended up to 12 months. A red-light conviction is different: ADOT lists red-light running among the convictions that require TSS after assignment. The first moving violation under 18 also requires it.
Where the Arizona Traffic Survival School rules come from
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) explains points and TSS on its Suspension and Traffic Survival School page and its Driving Schools page. The point values come from the Arizona Driver License Manual (revised March 2026), and the reinstatement fee rules come from the ADOT driver license fees page. The law is in A.R.S. 28-3306 for TSS orders and suspensions and in A.R.S. 28-3321 for drivers under 18. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division (azdot.gov/mvd) before you drive.
How points and convictions lead to Traffic Survival School
Each time you are convicted or forfeit bail for a moving traffic violation, points go on your permanent driving record. Suspension is the temporary removal of your driving privilege, and it stays in effect until you apply for reinstatement.
Under A.R.S. 28-3306, the department may suspend or revoke a license, or require a driver to attend and finish approved TSS sessions. One ground is moving violations so frequent that they show disrespect for traffic laws. Others are a reckless driving conviction and being the driver in a crash that caused death, injury to another person or serious property damage.
Arizona violation points in the Driver License Manual
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| DUI | 8 |
| Reckless driving or aggressive driving | 8 |
| Leaving the scene of a crash | 6 |
| Failure to stop for a signal or stop sign, or to yield, causing a death | 6 |
| Failure to stop for a signal or stop sign, or to yield, causing a serious injury | 4 |
| Speeding | 3 |
| Wrong-way driving | 2 |
| All other moving violations | 2 |
Convictions that require Traffic Survival School in Arizona
| Source | Convictions that require TSS |
|---|---|
| ADOT Driving Schools page (April 2026) | Red-light running, flashing red-light running, aggressive driving, reckless driving, moving violations that cause death or serious injury, and the first moving violation of a driver under 18, after assignment |
| ADOT Suspension and Traffic Survival School page (February 2026) | Red-light or stop-sign running, aggressive driving, moving violations that cause death or serious injury, and the first moving violation of a driver under 18, after assignment |
| Arizona Driver License Manual (revised March 2026) | A red-light or flashing red-light conviction: TSS is mandatory in addition to all court fines and fees, and MVD must order TSS for every red-light conviction that the courts report |
| A.R.S. 28-3321 | The first record of judgment or conviction for a moving violation that a driver commits under 18, with some exclusions |
What to expect after a red-light, reckless or aggressive driving conviction
Traffic Survival School for drivers under 18
A.R.S. 28-3321 covers a moving violation that a driver commits under 18. On the first record of judgment or conviction, the department orders TSS. On the second, it suspends the driving privilege for three months. On the third, it suspends it for six months.
The rule excludes violations of sections 28-693 (reckless driving), 28-695, 28-708, 28-1381, 28-1382, 28-1383 and 28-3174 (the Class G license restrictions). The Class G restriction violations have their own penalties, which the Arizona teen driver penalties guide explains.
Online and virtual Traffic Survival School in Arizona
Virtual classroom courses are available at some Traffic Survival Schools. A person who must attend TSS may be granted a one-time waiver of the in-person requirement and finish a virtual course through an Arizona traffic survival school that ADOT MVD licenses. ADOT gives two reasons: the Governor declares a state of emergency, or the person shows the Division that attending in person would impose a substantial burden. An out-of-state TSS student must receive an approval letter from the Division before an online course.
If the department orders TSS or a suspension
- 1Read the written notice
The department notifies you in writing immediately when it orders TSS or a suspension.
- 2Ask for a hearing if you disagree
After you request a hearing, the department sets it within sixty days.
- 3Finish TSS when ordered
If the department learns that you did not comply with a TSS order, it amends the order to suspend or revoke your license.
- 4Pay the reinstatement fees
The department removes a suspension once you complete all requirements, including TSS. You pay the reinstatement fees when you do a transaction with the department. You may also have to pay another application fee, and you cannot pay reinstatement fees by check.
Key takeaways
- With 8 or more points in any 12-month period, you may be required to attend TSS, or your driving privilege may be suspended up to 12 months.
- Red-light running, aggressive driving and moving violations that cause death or serious injury are on both ADOT lists of convictions that require TSS.
- The manual gives 8 points for DUI, reckless driving and aggressive driving, 3 for speeding and 2 for wrong-way driving and all other moving violations.
- Under 18, the first moving violation brings TSS, the second a 3-month suspension and the third a 6-month suspension.
- Next step: practice on the free Arizona Instruction Permit practice test. It is in English only.
Arizona Traffic Survival School: common questions
How many speeding tickets lead to Traffic Survival School?
The manual gives speeding 3 points. Three speeding convictions in 12 months total 9 points, which is above the 8-point mark where TSS may be required or a suspension of up to 12 months may follow. Points count when you are convicted or forfeit bail, not when the officer writes the ticket.
If I pay my red-light ticket, do I still have to go to Traffic Survival School?
Yes. For a red-light ticket, the manual says that paying the fine means you accept responsibility for the violation, and MVD receives it as a conviction. MVD must order TSS for every red-light conviction that the courts report, and the points go on your driver record.
Is Traffic Survival School the same as defensive driving?
No. ADOT says Traffic Survival Schools are separate from Defensive Driving Schools, which the Arizona Supreme Court administers. TSS is the program that ADOT MVD orders after points or listed convictions, and an approved Traffic Survival School gives the course.
What happens if I do not finish Traffic Survival School?
ADOT says that if you do not finish TSS when ordered, your driving privilege is suspended. For a red-light TSS order, the manual says that the suspension is indefinite. The suspension stays in effect until you apply for reinstatement and pay the reinstatement fees.
Does a Class G curfew or passenger ticket mean Traffic Survival School?
Not under A.R.S. 28-3321. That law orders TSS for the first moving violation of a driver under 18, but it excludes section 28-3174, the Class G license restrictions. The manual says curfew and passenger violations have additional penalties, including fines and a mandatory extension of the 6-month restricted driving period.
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