Demerit points and penalties

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain how demerit points are added to your record.
• You can state the point limit for your licence stage in your province.
• You can describe what happens when you reach a warning or suspension level.
• You can explain that tickets also bring fines and can raise insurance costs.
• You can name which provinces use a rating or premium system instead of simple demerit totals.

What you need to know and understand

• In Ontario and Alberta you start at zero and gain points; you do not lose points from a full total.
• In Ontario and Alberta, points stay on your record for two years.
• Ontario suspends G1 and G2 drivers for 60 days at 9 points; fully licensed drivers are suspended at 15.
• Alberta suspends learner and GDL drivers at 8 points within two years, and full licence holders at 15.
• Quebec revokes a learner or probationary licence at 4 points.
• BC uses penalty points that lead to premiums billed by ICBC; Manitoba uses a Driver Safety Rating scale.
• Some serious offences bring an immediate suspension or vehicle impoundment as well as points.
• Convictions from other provinces can add points to your home record.

How a point system works

Points go on your record when you are convicted, for example when you pay a ticket or a court finds you guilty. The number depends on how serious the offence is. In Ontario, failing to signal is 2 points, a hand-held phone conviction for a fully licensed driver is 3 points, and careless driving is 6. As your total rises, the province steps in.

Points are separate from the fine. A single ticket can mean a fine, points, a higher insurance premium and, for new drivers, a delay in moving to the next licence stage.

Limits compared: new drivers versus full licences

• Ontario: novices get a warning letter from 2 points, a second warning at 6 and a 60-day suspension at 9. Full licence holders are warned from 6 and suspended for 30 days at 15.
• Alberta: learner and GDL drivers get a caution from 4 points and a one-month suspension at 8. Full licence holders are suspended at 15.
• Quebec: learner and probationary licences are revoked at 4 points. Regular licences are revoked at 8 points under age 23, 12 at 23 or 24, and 15 at 25 or older.
• British Columbia: penalty points lead to a yearly Driver Penalty Point premium billed by ICBC, and L and N drivers face warning letters or driving prohibitions at lower levels than other drivers.
• Manitoba: convictions and at-fault collisions move you down the Driver Safety Rating scale, which affects what you pay.
• Other provinces and territories: check your handbook for your stage's limit.

Extra sanctions for new drivers

On top of points, many graduated programs have their own penalties. Ontario's Novice Driver Escalating Sanctions apply when a G1 or G2 driver breaks a licence condition or is convicted of an offence worth 4 or more points: 30 days off the road the first time, 90 days the second time, and cancellation of the novice licence the third time. In Alberta, a suspension or traffic violation in the last 12 months of the probationary stage delays leaving the GDL program, and in BC a prohibition during the N stage resets your N time to zero.

After a suspension you may have to pay a reinstatement fee, and in some cases retake tests.

Common mistakes

• Thinking a small ticket does not matter. On a novice licence, two or three minor tickets can reach the limit.
• Paying a ticket without realizing it is a conviction. Paying usually means points go on your record.
• Believing points disappear when you move. Convictions in other provinces can count on your home record.
• Ignoring suspension notices. Driving while suspended brings further suspensions and vehicle seizure.
• Looking only at the fine. Insurance increases and lost licence time often cost far more.

Test yourself: Demerit points and penalties

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