The Overview

If you get a ticket from a school-bus stop-arm camera or another automated traffic enforcement device in Michigan, that violation can no longer add points to your driver's license. Michigan's driver license points bill, HB 5995, was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on July 21. Automated traffic cameras have spread across Michigan in recent years, with school-bus stop-arm cameras in particular deployed by districts statewide to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. The law took effect July 23, 2026, the date it was filed with the Secretary of State. ​

What the Law Does

The law amends section 320a of the Michigan Vehicle Code, the 1949 act that governs vehicle registration, driver licensing, and traffic regulation in the state. That section sets the point system the Secretary of State uses to track driver violations. Points matter because accumulating enough of them can trigger a license suspension or mandatory driving course, so removing them from camera-issued tickets has a direct effect on drivers' records.

Under the new law, the Secretary of State cannot add points to a driver's record for civil infractions captured by automated traffic enforcement devices, such as school-bus stop-arm cameras. The existing requirement that the Secretary of State record convictions and civil infraction determinations within five days of receiving a court abstract remains in place; the law simply bars points from being assessed for the covered camera-detected violations. That means a driver can still receive a fine for a camera-detected infraction, but the violation will not count against their license the way a ticket issued by a police officer would.

Legislative Status

Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R) sponsored the bill and introduced it May 20. The House passed it 106–0 on June 11, and the Senate passed it 36–0 on July 3, with no opposing votes in either chamber. From introduction to the governor's signature, the bill completed the full legislative process in 62 days. The unanimous votes in both chambers signal broad agreement across party lines.

Rep. Steve Carra, a Michigan House member, said he voted yes on the bill, describing it as specifying that violations detected through camera-based traffic enforcement systems and automated speed-enforcement zones do not add points to a driver's license, according to a statement reported by gophouse.org.

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