Demerit points, tickets and licence suspension in Ontario

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain how long demerit points stay on your record.
• You can state the point levels that trigger letters and suspensions for novice drivers.
• You can compare the novice and fully licensed systems.
• You can name offences that lead to suspensions regardless of points.

What you need to know and understand

• Demerit points stay on your record for two years from the date of the offence.
• Novice drivers get a warning letter at two or more points and a second warning at six points.
• At nine or more points, a novice licence is suspended for 60 days.
• Fully licensed drivers are suspended for 30 days at 15 points.
• Breaking a novice condition brings a suspension under the novice escalating sanctions, even without reaching nine points.
• Failing to surrender a suspended licence can mean losing it for up to two years.

Point thresholds side by side

• Novice (G1, G2): 2+ points warning letter; 6 points second warning; 9+ points 60-day suspension, after which points drop to four. Reaching nine again can bring a six-month suspension.
• Full G: 6 points warning letter; 9 points second warning; 15 points 30-day suspension, after which points drop to seven. Reaching 15 again brings a six-month suspension.

Examples from the table of offences

• 7 points: failing to remain at the scene of a collision; failing to stop for police.
• 6 points: careless driving; racing; failing to stop for a school bus; 50 km/h or more over the limit.
• 4 points: 30 to 49 km/h over; following too closely; failing to stop at a pedestrian crossover.
• 3 points: 16 to 29 km/h over; failing to yield; running a red light or stop sign; a radar detector.
• 2 points: failing to signal; improper turns; driver not wearing a seatbelt.

Escalating sanctions for novices

If you are a novice driver and you break a novice condition, are convicted of an offence worth four or more points, or receive a court-ordered suspension, you face an escalating sanction suspension. A violation of novice conditions brings a 30-day suspension. Repeat events bring longer suspensions and can lead to cancellation, as the distracted driving rules show: 30 days, then 90 days, then cancellation. Our guide on Ontario demerit points for new drivers works through examples.

Driving while suspended is serious: fines in the thousands, up to six months in jail, six more months added to your suspension, and your vehicle may be impounded.

Common mistakes

• Thinking points disappear when you pay the ticket. They count for two years from the offence date.
• Assuming novices have the same 15-point limit as full drivers. Novices are suspended at nine.
• Ignoring a suspension notice. Not surrendering your licence can extend the loss to two years.
• Lending your licence or car to a suspended driver. The vehicle can be impounded whoever owns it.

Test yourself: Demerit points, tickets and licence suspension in Ontario

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Ontario Demerit Points for New Drivers and Escalating Sanctions
• How to Get a G Licence in Ontario
• New to Ontario