National Teen Driver Safety Week runs October 18 through 24 this year, and it lands at the point in the fall when a lot of Plymouth and Canton teenagers have been driving on their own for a few months, long enough to get comfortable and not long enough to have learned what a ticket actually does. For an adult, a first speeding ticket is points, a fine, and an insurance bump. For a teen on a graduated license, it's all of that plus a reset of the clock that decides when they get a full license, which is why the envelope that comes home after a traffic stop deserves more attention than the fine printed on it.
How does Michigan's graduated license work?
It moves a new driver through three levels under MCL 257.310e. A Level 1 license is available at 14 years and 9 months, after a vision test, the first segment of driver education, and parent approval, and the teen can only drive with a licensed parent or guardian, or another licensed adult 21 or older that the parent approves. After at least six months at Level 1, the second segment of driver education, 50 hours of supervised driving including 10 at night, and a road test, the teen can move to Level 2, which allows driving alone with restrictions.
Level 3, a full license, is available at 17, but only after 12 consecutive months at Level 2 without a moving violation, an at fault crash, a license suspension, or a violation of the Level 2 restrictions. That clean record requirement is the piece most families don't focus on, and it's the piece a ticket affects most.
What does a ticket do to a graduated license?
It extends the level the teen is on. Under MCL 257.310e, a moving violation, an at fault crash, a suspension, or a violation of the graduated license restrictions extends a Level 1 license until the teen has gone 90 consecutive days without one, and extends a Level 2 license until they've gone 12 consecutive months without one, or until age 18. The Secretary of State sends notice by mail, and the extension comes on top of the points and fine from the ticket itself.
For a teen who's a few months away from turning 17, that can mean the full license arrives a year later than planned, with the curfew and passenger limits staying in place the whole time. Moving up from Level 1 also requires no moving violation or at fault crash in the 90 days before applying, so a ticket during the supervised stage can push back the first solo drive as well.
What are the Level 2 restrictions, and what happens if they're broken?
A Level 2 driver can't drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and can't have more than one passenger under 21 in the car. Both rules have the same exceptions: they don't apply when a parent or guardian, or a licensed driver 21 or older the parent designates, is in the car, or when the teen is driving to or from work or an authorized activity. The passenger limit also doesn't count immediate family. The statute defines authorized activities to include school and school events, organized sports and extracurriculars, vocational classes, religious events, and emergencies.
Breaking a restriction is a civil infraction that carries two points, the Secretary of State notifies a designated parent, and it counts as a violation that extends the graduated license. That makes a Friday night drive home from a friend's house at 10:30 with three classmates in the back more expensive than it looks, especially in October, when football games and Halloween parties put a lot of teens on the road after dark.
Can a teen use a phone while driving?
Not at all on a Level 1 or Level 2 license. Kelsey's Law, MCL 257.602c, bars those drivers from initiating, answering, listening to, or taking part in a phone call while driving, with exceptions for reporting a crash, a medical emergency, a road hazard, a personal safety threat, or a crime. A violation is a civil infraction, and the points statute specifically says no points are entered for it.
The general hands free law, MCL 257.602b, applies to every driver, teens included, and it covers holding or using a phone while driving, even while stopped at a light. A first violation is a $100 fine or 16 hours of community service, a second or later violation is $250 or 24 hours, and the fines double if the driver caused a crash. A second violation carries one point and a third carries two, and three violations in three years mean a court ordered driver improvement course.
How do points work for a new driver?
The same schedule applies to everyone under MCL 257.320a, but a new driver has less room. Speeding 1 to 5 over the limit is one point, 6 to 10 over is two, 11 to 15 over is three, and more than 15 over is four. Careless driving is three, reckless driving is six, and a moving violation that causes an at fault collision is four. When one stop produces several violations, only the highest point offense counts.
What makes it different for a teen is the probationary license. Every new Michigan driver, including teens on a graduated license, is on probation for at least three years under MCL 257.310d. During the first 12 months, a moving violation can lead to a suspension or added probationary terms. After that, the Secretary of State can require a reexamination for a single four point violation, three moving violations, six or more points, or a violation combined with an at fault crash. The Secretary of State's own guidance confirms that graduated license drivers are part of that probationary system.
What about alcohol?
Michigan's zero tolerance law, MCL 257.625(6), makes it a misdemeanor for a driver under 21 to have a blood alcohol content of 0.02 or more, well below the 0.08 adult limit. A first offense carries up to 360 hours of community service, a fine of up to $250, four points, and a 30 day license sanction, with a restricted license possible during it. For a teen on a graduated license, it's also a violation that extends the level, and it shows up on a record that colleges, employers, and insurers will see.
It's also a different kind of case than a traffic ticket, because it's criminal rather than civil. Our piece on Michigan's zero tolerance law for teen drivers covers that side in detail, and it's worth reading before a Halloween weekend with a new driver in the house.
Should your teen just pay the ticket?
Usually not without looking at it first. Paying a civil infraction is an admission of responsibility, which locks in the points, triggers the graduated license extension, and starts the probationary consequences, and none of that can be negotiated afterward. Many moving violations can be resolved for fewer points or none, and some drivers qualify for the basic driver improvement course under MCL 257.320d, which keeps points off the record. The course isn't available for violations with four or more points, careless driving, or criminal offenses, and whether a graduated license affects eligibility is worth checking for your teen's specific situation.
Tickets written in Plymouth, Canton, and Northville go to the 35th District Court, and the date on the citation is the deadline that matters. Our traffic ticket defense practice handles teen tickets with the graduated license consequences in mind, not just the fine. Call Boria Law at (734) 453-7806, and Attorney Aaron J. Boria will look at the ticket, the license level, and the timing before anything gets paid. The envelope that comes home after a traffic stop is easy to handle quickly, but for a teen driver it's worth handling carefully.
Quick answers
Does a parent get notified when a teen gets a ticket in Michigan?
For a violation of the graduated license restrictions, the Secretary of State notifies a designated parent. Graduated license extensions are also sent by first class mail, so the household usually learns about the consequences that way.
Can a Level 2 driver drive to a job after 10 p.m.?
Yes. The nighttime restriction doesn't apply when a Level 2 driver is going to or from work or an authorized activity, such as a school event, organized sport, or religious event, or when a parent or designated adult 21 or older is in the car.
How long do points stay on a Michigan driving record?
Points stay on a Michigan driving record for two years from the conviction date. For a new driver, the three year probationary period runs alongside that, so a violation early on can matter for longer than the points themselves.
Related reading
- Michigan's Zero Tolerance Law for Teen Drivers
- Should You Just Pay the Ticket?
- Back to School Traffic Enforcement in Michigan
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