Points-Based Driving Licence in Portugal: How the 12-Point System Works

The points-based driving licence has been in force since 1 July 2016, so it can hardly be called new. Even so, despite being in place in Portugal for some time, how it works still raises questions.

From the offences that lead to points being deducted, to the minimum number of points you can hold, and the ways you can recover - or even build up - points on your driving licence, this article sets out how the system operates. According to ANSR (Autoridade Nacional de Segurança Rodoviária), it is simpler and more transparent than the system it replaced.

When are points deducted?

When the points-based driving licence came into effect, each driver was given 12 points. Points are lost when a driver commits a serious offence, a very serious offence, or a road traffic crime.

Even so, points are not taken away the moment the offence occurs. In practice, points are only deducted on the date the administrative decision becomes final, or when the court judgment becomes final and binding. If you want to check how many points you have on your driving licence, you can do so via the Offences Portal.

Serious offences

Serious offences (set out in Article 145 of the Road Traffic Code) cost between 2 and 3 points. Examples where a serious offence results in the loss of 2 points include:

• Driving a car without third-party liability insurance;
• Stopping or parking on the hard shoulder of motorways or equivalent roads;
• Driving against the flow of traffic;
• Exceeding the speed limit by 30 km/h outside built-up areas or by 20 km/h within built-up areas.

Among the situations where serious offences cost 3 points, you can find:

• Speeding by more than 20 km/h (motorcycle or light vehicle) or more than 10 km/h (another motor vehicle) in shared-space zones;
• Driving with a blood alcohol level equal to or above 0.5 g/l and below 0.8 g/l. For professional drivers, drivers transporting children, and probationary drivers (licensed for under three years), the relevant range is between 0.2 g/l and 0.5 g/l;
• Overtaking immediately before, and on, marked crossings for pedestrians or bicycles.

Very serious offences

As for very serious offences (listed in Article 146 of the Road Traffic Code), these lead to the loss of between 4 and 5 points.

Examples of cases where you lose 4 points include:

• Failing to obey a STOP sign;
• Entering a motorway or equivalent road via a place other than the designated entry;
• Using full beam (main beam) in a way that dazzles other road users;
• Failing to stop at a red traffic light;
• Exceeding the speed limit by 60 km/h outside built-up areas or by 40 km/h within built-up areas.

To lose 5 points on your driving licence, situations include, for example:

• Driving with a blood alcohol level equal to or above 0.8 g/l and below 1.2 g/l, or equal to or above 0.5 g/l and below 1.2 g/l when the driver is probationary, drives an emergency or urgent-service vehicle, transports children and young people up to the age of 16, drives a taxi, drives heavy passenger or goods vehicles, transports dangerous goods, or where the driver is deemed to be under the influence of alcohol in a medical report;
• Driving under the influence of psychotropic substances;
• Speeding by more than 40 km/h (motorcycle or light vehicle) or more than 20 km/h (another motor vehicle) in shared-space zones.

Road traffic crimes

Finally, road traffic crimes deduct a total of 6 points from the driver who commits them. One example of a road traffic crime is driving with a blood alcohol level above 1.2 g/l.

How many points can you lose at once?

As a rule, the maximum number of points that can be lost for simultaneous offences is 6 (six). However, there are exceptions - one of them is when driving under the influence of alcohol is among the offences that resulted in points being deducted.

In that scenario, the total points removed can exceed the six-point limit. For example, if a driver is caught outside a built-up area travelling 30 km/h above the limit and has a blood alcohol level of 0.8 g/l, they not only lose two points for speeding, but also lose five points for driving under the influence of alcohol - seven points in total.

No points or only a few? Here’s what happens

If a driver is left with 5 or 4 points, they are required to attend a Road Safety training course. If they do not attend and cannot justify their absence, they lose their driving licence and must wait two years before taking it again.

When a driver drops to 3, 2 or just 1 point on their driving licence, they must sit the theory test component of the driving exam. If they do not do it, they lose their licence and must wait two years to obtain it again.

Lastly, as you would expect, if a driver ends up with no points at all, their driving licence is automatically revoked and they must wait two years before they can take it again.

Is it possible to gain points? How?

To begin with: yes, it is possible to gain points on your driving licence. To do so, a driver must go three years without committing any serious offence, very serious offence, or road traffic crime. Overall, the points-based driving licence system allows a maximum accumulated balance of 15 points.

There is more, though. As stated on the ANSR website: “For each period of driving licence renewal, provided no road traffic crimes are committed and the driver has voluntarily attended a road safety training course, one point is awarded to the driver, and the limit of 16 (sixteen) points may not be exceeded“.

This 16-point ceiling applies only where the driver has obtained that “extra point” through road safety training courses; in all other situations, the applicable limit remains 15 points.

Source: ANSR.