{"id":5681,"date":"2026-10-17T14:31:41","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T13:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/violations\/driving-licence-points\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T14:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T13:31:41","slug":"driving-licence-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/araujoassociados.pt\/en\/violations\/driving-licence-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Loss of Points on the Driving Licence – What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Since 1 June 2016, all driving licences in Portugal have been linked to a points system, introduced by Law No. 116\/2015 of 28 August, which added Article 148 to the Highway Code. Alongside the fine and any ancillary sanctions, committing certain road traffic offences has the additional consequence of a deduction of points, which can culminate in the loss of the driving licence itself. This article forms part of the Administrative Offences<\/a> area of Ara\u00fajo & Associados.<\/p>\n

How the points system works<\/h2>\n

All drivers start with 12 points on their driving licence. Offences committed before 1 June 2016 do not remove points, and are subject only to the sanctions regime that applied before this system came into force. The points are not tied to a separate physical document – they are managed electronically, and the driver can check their points balance through the electronic services provided by the State.<\/p>\n

Which offences cause a loss of points<\/h2>\n

Minor offences (contraordena\u00e7\u00f5es leves<\/em>) do not entail a loss of points on the driving licence. Points are deducted only for serious and very serious offences or road traffic crimes, and the number of points deducted varies according to the specific seriousness of the offence – for example, drink-driving with a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 0.79 g\/l (a serious offence) results in the deduction of 3 points, whereas driving with a level between 0.8 and 1.19 g\/l (a very serious offence) results in the deduction of 5 points, and road traffic crimes – such as driving with a blood alcohol level equal to or above 1.20 g\/l – result in the deduction of 6 points, which may be combined with an ancillary penalty of a driving ban imposed by a court.<\/p>\n

Limit on points lost for offences on the same day<\/h2>\n

Where several offences are committed on the same occasion, the deduction of points for serious and very serious offences is, as a rule, subject to a maximum limit of 6 points – a rule intended to prevent a single moment of distraction from resulting in the immediate revocation of the licence through an accumulation of simultaneous offences. This limit does not apply, however, where the offences relate to driving under the influence of alcohol or psychotropic substances, or to road traffic crimes, in which cases the points are deducted in full, regardless of this limit.<\/p>\n

Consequences of losing points – training and exam<\/h2>\n

The deduction of points has practical consequences that become progressively more serious as the balance falls, pursuant to Article 148(4) of the Highway Code:<\/p>\n