Demerit points, fines and licence suspension in Tasmania

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the demerit point limit for your licence type.
• You can describe the suspension periods for reaching the limit.
• You can name offences that lead to disqualification.
• You can list the P1 restart offences.
• You can explain how to check your points.

What you need to know and understand

• Learner and provisional drivers are liable for suspension if they record 4 or more demerit points within 12 months.
• Full licence holders reach the limit at 12 or more points within 3 years.
• Suspension is 3 months for up to 15 points, 4 months for 16 to 19 points and 5 months for 20 or more.
• Points are counted from the date of the offence, not the date of conviction.
• Only full licence holders can apply for a Period of Good Behaviour instead of serving a demerit suspension.
• Tasmania's official demerit point pages do not describe double demerit periods, unlike some mainland states.

Suspension, cancellation and disqualification

Offences that can bring disqualification include a first-offence BAC between 0.05 and 0.1, a learner driving without a supervisor, and excessive speeding of 38 km/h or more over the limit.

• Suspended: you cannot drive for a set time, then your licence returns automatically.
• Cancelled: you cannot drive for a set time and must then apply to get a licence back, possibly with conditions.
• Disqualified: your licence is suspended or cancelled for a period, often after a court order or serious offence. You may have to restart as a non-novice learner.

P1 restart offences

As well as points and fines, these offences make a P1 driver restart their 12-month P1 period:

• not wearing a seatbelt
• using a mobile phone, including hands-free
• speeding by 10 km/h or more
• not displaying P plates
• carrying more than one peer passenger without an exemption

Checking and disputing points

Our article on Tasmanian demerit points for learners and P platers goes into more examples.

1. Call Service Tasmania to check the points recorded on your licence. Unpaid fines and offences waiting for court will not show yet.
2. Use the Tasmania Police infringement lookup to see how many points an offence carries.
3. If you believe points were given wrongly, contact Tasmania Police Traffic Liaison Services.
4. Returning after a suspension or disqualification may mean novice case management, which can include courses, licence conditions, night curfews or extra logbook hours.

Common mistakes

• Thinking a learner has 12 points like a full licence holder. The limit for Ls and Ps is 4 points in 12 months.
• Assuming points disappear once you pay the fine. They stay active for the set period from the offence date.
• Thinking an offence waiting for court does not count yet. It may not show when you check, but points are calculated from the offence date.
• Forgetting that any demerit point during P1 or P2 rules you out of the safer driver reward.

Test yourself: Demerit points, fines and licence suspension in Tasmania

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

Go deeper

• Getting Your Full Licence in Tasmania and the Safer Driver Reward
• Tasmanian Demerit Points for Learners and P Platers
• Learning to Drive in Tasmania