Delaware defensive driving course rules
In Delaware a defensive driving course puts a 3 point credit on your record; the ticket stays.
Rules checked
Delaware has no course that dismisses a ticket. A DMV approved Defensive Driving Course (6 hours for the basic course, 3 for the refresher) puts a 3-point credit on your record from the day you finish. The credit offsets later points; it does not erase a conviction and does not apply backward once the DMV has started an action. The same course earns a premium reduction for 3 years under state insurance law. You sign up and pay the provider yourself.
- What a course does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- How often
- Not published
- Deadline to ask
- Not published
- Speeding points
- 2 to 5 points
- Points count for
- 2 years
The Delaware rule
Every field of the rule. The number points to its source at the foot of the page.
- The program
- Defensive Driving Course (DDC), 3-point credit
- What it does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Set by each court
- No
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- Bar at double the posted limit
- Not published
- Open to CDL holders
- Not published
- Open to tickets in a commercial vehicle
- Not published
- Open to learner and provisional licenses
- Not published
- Open to drivers licensed in another state
- Not published
- How often
- Not published
- Lifetime limit
- Not published
- Deadline to ask
- Not published
- Court fee for the course
- Not published
- Course length
- 6 hours
- Course price the rule publishes
- Not published
- Crashes
- Not published
Who qualifies
- Not published for CDL holders. Ask your court.
- Not published for tickets written in a commercial vehicle.
- Not published for drivers licensed in another state.
- Speed limit for the course: not published. Your court decides.
- How often: not published.
Deadline and how to ask
- Ticket writtenDay 0
- Deadline to askBy the date on your citation
The state rule names no day count. The date on your citation or notice applies.
Points in Delaware
| Violation, as the state lists it | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding 1-9 miles per hour over posted limit | Speeding | 2points |
| Speeding 10-14 miles per hour over posted limit | Speeding | 4points |
| Speeding 15-19 miles per hour over posted limit | Speeding | 5points |
| Speeding 20 or more miles per hour over posted limit (may result in additional actions including suspension) | Speeding | 5points |
| Disregarding Stop Sign or Red Light | Red light or stop sign | 3points |
| Passing a Stopped School Bus (may result in additional actions including suspension) | Red light or stop sign | 6points |
| 21 Del. C. 4176C, electronic communication devices: no motor vehicle points | Phone use or texting | 0points |
| Reckless Driving | Other moving violation | 6points |
| Aggressive Driving (may result in additional actions including suspension) | Other moving violation | 6points |
| Moving violation contained in Chapters 27, 41 or 42 of Title 21 | Other moving violation | 2points |
Insurance
A voluntary course is published here for an insurance discount. Insurers set their own rates; ask yours.
Courses that serve Delaware
Listed by name. The order never changes with price or commission.
Points Clear may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never changes the verdict or the order.
DriversEd.com
- Price
- $11.95
- Length
- Not published
- Format
- Not published
DriversEd.com's own figures, as of October 2026. Confirmed on the state list. The record names I Drive Safely as the school that runs this course.
See the DriversEd.com course for Delaware (opens in a new tab)
Check a Delaware ticket
The form opens the checker with Delaware filled in. Add the violation and the date from your ticket.
Delaware traffic school questions
Can a defensive driving course take points off in Delaware?
In Delaware a defensive driving course puts a 3 point credit on your record; the ticket stays. The program: Defensive Driving Course (DDC), 3-point credit.
How many points is a speeding ticket in Delaware?
Delaware gives 2 points for 1 to 9 mph over (Speeding 1-9 miles per hour over posted limit); 4 points for 10 to 14 mph over (Speeding 10-14 miles per hour over posted limit); 5 points for 15 to 19 mph over (Speeding 15-19 miles per hour over posted limit); 5 points for 20 mph over or more (Speeding 20 or more miles per hour over posted limit (may result in additional actions including suspension)).
How long do points stay on your license in Delaware?
Points count for 2 years in Delaware.
Does a defensive driving course lower car insurance in Delaware?
A voluntary course is published here for an insurance discount. Insurers set their own rates; ask yours.
Sources
Checked against these pages in .
- 2 DE Admin. Code 2208, Concerning Driver Improvement Problem Driver Program (Delaware Administrative Code) (opens in a new tab)
- 2 DE Admin. Code 2224, Defensive Driving Course, Providers, and Instructors (Delaware Administrative Code) (opens in a new tab)
- Driving Courses: Defensive Driving, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (opens in a new tab)
- Defensive Driving FAQ, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- 18 Del. C. ch. 25, section 2503(a)(6), motor vehicle accident prevention course rate reduction (opens in a new tab)
- 21 Del. C. section 4176C, Electronic communication devices; penalties (opens in a new tab)