1.How demerit points work
- You do not "lose" demerit points on your driving record. You start with zero points and gain points for being convicted of breaking certain traffic laws.
- Demerit points stay on your record for two years from the offence date.
- A driver with a full licence gets a warning letter at 6 to 8 points, a second warning letter at 9 to 14 points, and a 30-day suspension at 15 or more points.
- You are considered a novice — or new — driver if you have a G1, G2, M1, M2, M1-L or M2-L licence. A new driver gets a warning letter at 2 to 5 points, a second warning letter at 6 to 8 points, and a 60-day suspension at 9 or more points.
- When your licence is suspended you get a letter from the Ministry of Transportation telling you when the suspension takes effect and that you must surrender your licence. If you do not surrender it, you can lose your licence for up to two years.
- After a suspension you may need to take your vision, written and road tests again. Once reinstated, a full licence holder’s points are reduced to 7 and a novice licence holder’s points are reduced to 4.
- You may not drive, under any circumstances, when your licence is suspended. If you are convicted of driving while your licence is suspended for a Highway Traffic Act offence, you will face fines in the thousands of dollars and the court may order you to spend up to six months in jail.
| Driver | Points | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Full licence | 6 to 8 | Warning letter |
| Full licence | 9 to 14 | Second warning letter |
| Full licence | 15 or more | Licence suspended for 30 days |
| Novice (G1 / G2 / M1 / M2) | 2 to 5 | Warning letter |
| Novice (G1 / G2 / M1 / M2) | 6 to 8 | Second warning letter |
| Novice (G1 / G2 / M1 / M2) | 9 or more | Licence suspended for 60 days |
Official source: Understanding demerit points ↗ · Other ways lose your licence ↗
2.What common offences are worth
- Seven demerit points are added for failing to remain at the scene of a collision, and for failing to stop when signalled or asked by a police officer.
- Six points are added for careless driving, racing, exceeding the speed limit by 40 km/h or more on roads with a speed limit of less than 80 km/h, exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h or more, and failing to stop for a school bus.
- Five points are added for failing to stop at an unprotected railway crossing (for bus drivers only).
- Four points are added for exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/h, following too closely, and failing to stop at a pedestrian crossover.
- Three-point offences include exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/h, failing to yield the right-of-way, failing to obey a stop sign or traffic light, driving while holding or using a hand-held wireless communications or entertainment device, improper passing, and failing to slow and carefully pass a stopped emergency vehicle.
- Two-point offences include an improper right or left turn, improperly opening a vehicle door, prohibited turns, unnecessary slow driving, backing on a highway, failing to lower headlamp beams, failing to obey signs, failing to share the road, failing to signal, and the driver failing to wear a seat belt.
| Points | Offences |
|---|---|
| 7 | Failing to remain at the scene of a collision; failing to stop when signalled or asked by a police officer |
| 6 | Careless driving; racing; exceeding the speed limit by 40 km/h or more on roads with a speed limit of less than 80 km/h; exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h or more; failing to stop for a school bus |
| 5 | Failing to stop at an unprotected railway crossing (for bus drivers only) |
| 4 | Exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/h; following too closely; failing to stop at a pedestrian crossover |
| 3 | Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/h; driving while holding or using a hand-held wireless communications or entertainment device; driving through, around or under a railway crossing barrier; driving the wrong way on a divided road; driving or operating a vehicle on a closed road; failing to yield the right-of-way; failing to obey a stop sign, traffic light or railway crossing signal; failing to obey the directions of a police officer; failing to report a collision to a police officer; failing to slow and carefully pass a stopped emergency vehicle; improper passing; improper driving when road is divided into lanes; going the wrong way on a one-way road; crowding the driver’s seat; driving a vehicle equipped with a radar detector; improper use of an HOV lane |
| 2 | Improper right turn; improper left turn; improper opening of a vehicle door; prohibited turns; towing people on toboggans, bicycles or skis; unnecessary slow driving; backing on a highway; failing to lower headlamp beams; failing to obey signs; failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing; failing to share the road; failing to signal; driver failing to wear a seat belt |
Official source: Understanding demerit points ↗
3.Escalating penalties for novice drivers
- Novice drivers can receive "escalating" penalties — consequences that get stiffer with each similar offence — for breaking certain laws, on top of the penalties every driver faces.
- Escalating penalties can apply if you are convicted of breaking graduated licensing rules, convicted of a Highway Traffic Act offence that results in four or more demerit points, or subject to a court-ordered suspension for a Highway Traffic Act offence that would otherwise have resulted in four or more demerit points.
- For a first offence your driver’s licence is suspended for 30 days.
- For a second offence your driver’s licence is suspended for 90 days.
- For a third offence you lose your novice licence. You must re-apply and start all over, taking all tests and paying all fees, and you also lose any time discount you earned, any time you were credited, and any fees you have paid.
- A novice driver convicted of a novice-condition violation or an offence worth four or more demerit points receives the Novice Driver Escalating Sanction suspension, and the demerit points are then recorded as zero and do not count towards the accumulated demerit point system.
Official source: Understanding demerit points ↗ · Keeping your drivers licence ↗
4.Alcohol and drugs
- Impaired driving means operating a vehicle while your ability to do so has been compromised to any degree by alcohol, cannabis, over-the-counter drugs, prescription medication, illegal substances or a combination of these.
- You can face charges if your blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 or more, or if you are in the warn range (blood alcohol concentration between 0.05 and 0.079).
- In the warn range you face a 7-day immediate licence suspension, an 8-hour education course and a $250 penalty the first time; 14 days, a 16-hour treatment program and $350 the second time; and 30 days, a 16-hour treatment program, a six-month ignition interlock condition and $450 the third time.
- With a BAC of 0.08 or more, or if you fail or refuse to comply with a demand for alcohol or drug testing, you face an immediate 90-day suspension, a 7-day vehicle impoundment and a $550 penalty.
- Under Ontario’s zero tolerance law you cannot have any alcohol in your system if you are age 21 or under, or a driver of any age who holds a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence. The zero-tolerance laws also apply to cannabis.
- Breaking the zero-tolerance rule brings a 7-day immediate licence suspension and a $60 to $1,000 fine if convicted for a first occurrence, 14 days for a second and 30 days for a third. If you are convicted, your licence can be suspended for an additional 30 or 90 days, or cancelled, depending on your age and licence class.
- If you are convicted criminally of impaired driving you can face additional fines and jail time, plus a licence suspension of at least 1 year, a mandatory education or treatment program, and an ignition interlock device for at least 1 year.
- When you drink you may experience blurred or double vision, difficulty paying attention to the road and your surroundings, and slowed reflexes.
Official source: Impaired driving ↗
5.Stunt driving and other serious offences
- Stunt driving includes driving 40 km/h or more over the speed limit on roads with a speed limit less than 80 km/h, and driving 50 km/h or more over the speed limit. Drivers caught driving 150 km/h or more are subject to stunt driving charges anywhere in the province.
- Stunt driving or street racing brings an immediate 30-day driver’s licence suspension, an immediate 14-day vehicle impoundment at roadside (whether it is your vehicle or not), a minimum fine of $2,000 and a maximum fine of $10,000, six demerit points, and a jail term of up to six months.
- A stunt driving or street racing conviction also brings a licence suspension of a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years for a first conviction, rising to a lifetime suspension for repeat convictions.
- If you are convicted of careless driving you can face fines of up to $2,000, six demerit points, a maximum of six months in jail, and a driver’s licence suspension of up to two years.
- Novice drivers face at least a 30-day licence suspension and possible licence cancellation for any conviction for speeding 30 km/h or more over the speed limit, following too closely, careless driving, failing to remain at the scene of a collision, or stunt driving.
- Fines for speeding in a construction zone are doubled when workers are present, and traffic-related offences committed within a community safety zone are subject to increased fines.
Signs in this section
Official source: Speeding and aggressive driving ↗ · Dealing particular situations ↗ · Signs ↗
6.Insurance, records and other long-term costs
- Drivers convicted of aggressive, careless or stunt driving will experience a substantial increase in their insurance rates or could become uninsurable.
- If you drink and drive and are involved in a collision, your insurance company might not pay for your medical or rehabilitation costs, or for the damage to your or the other person’s vehicle. Your insurance costs may rise significantly, and you may have to pay substantial legal costs as well.
- You receive a one-year licence suspension the first time you are convicted of a Criminal Code offence, subsequent offences increase substantially to a lifetime ban from driving, and convictions remain on your driver’s record for a minimum of 10 years.
- Depending on your number of prior convictions for impaired driving, you may be fined up to $50,000, serve time in jail or lose your licence permanently.
- If you are convicted of impaired driving causing bodily harm you may be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison, and impaired driving causing death can carry a sentence of imprisonment for life.
- If you are required to drive on the job, a licence suspension could mean losing your employment.
Official source: Speeding and aggressive driving ↗ · Other ways lose your licence ↗