Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Excessive speeding is the fastest way for a new Canadian driver to lose a licence. In Ontario, 40 km/h over on a road posted under 80 km/h, or 50 km/h over anywhere, is stunt driving, with a 30-day roadside suspension and a 14-day impoundment. BC impounds the car for 7 days at 40 km/h over, Saskatchewan for 30 days at 50 km/h over, and Quebec suspends your licence on the spot for 7 days. This page lists the thresholds and penalties in each province and explains what one ticket does to your graduated licence.
Key facts
- Thresholds start at 40 km/h over in Ontario (on roads under 80 km/h), BC and Quebec (zones of 60 km/h or less).
- Penalties often hit the vehicle as well as the driver. Impoundment applies even if you borrowed the car, and the owner pays the towing and storage.
- Alberta: 51 km/h or more over means a mandatory court appearance and 6 demerit points.
- For an Ontario G1 or G2 driver, any conviction for 30 km/h or more over brings at least a 30-day suspension.
- In BC, an excessive speeding conviction during your N stage stops you passing the Driving Record Assessment.
Excessive speeding and stunting thresholds by province
| Jurisdiction | Threshold | Immediate penalty | On conviction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario (stunt driving) | 40 km/h or more over on a road under 80 km/h; 50 km/h or more over on any road; 150 km/h or more anywhere | 30-day licence suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment at the roadside | $2,000 to $10,000, 6 demerit points, a 1 to 3-year suspension for a first conviction, possible jail up to 6 months |
| British Columbia | 40 km/h or more over (excessive speeding) | Police can impound the vehicle for 7 days | Fine and penalty points; triggers the Driver Risk Premium and blocks the Driving Record Assessment for N drivers |
| Alberta | 51 km/h or more over | Mandatory court appearance | Fine set by the court; 6 demerit points (GDL suspension at 8) |
| Saskatchewan | 50 km/h or more over, double the posted limit or more, stunting, racing | 30-day vehicle impoundment; SGI says drivers also lose their licence for a week | Fine and demerits; GDL Improvement Program action |
| Quebec (grand excès de vitesse) | 40 km/h over in zones of 60 km/h or less; 50 km/h over in zones over 60 up to 90; 60 km/h over in 100 km/h zones | 7-day licence suspension | Doubled fine and doubled demerit points. Repeat offences within 10 years bring longer suspensions and possible 30-day impoundment |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 51 km/h or more over | 7-day licence suspension | Demerit points enough on their own to reach the 6-point novice limit |
| Prince Edward Island | 30 to under 60 km/h over: 6 points. 80 km/h or more over: 12 points. Racing: 9 points | Check with Highway Safety | Stage 1: any demerit offence suspends the permit for at least 30 days |
| Nova Scotia | Speeding more than 15 km/h over, and racing or stunting | Check with Service Nova Scotia | Court-certified suspension of 7 days (first), 15 days (second) or 30 days (third within 5 years). Demerit points: 2, 3 or 4 depending on the speed (N.S. Reg. 223/2026, Schedule C, Schedule A, item 9) |
| Manitoba, New Brunswick, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | Check current thresholds with the licensing office | Check | Points count towards low GDL limits (New Brunswick: 5 points for 25 km/h or more over) |
As of November 2026. Thresholds and penalties change; check the government page before relying on a figure.
Ontario stunt driving: worked examples
| Speed | Limit | Over by | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 km/h | 50 km/h | 20 | Speeding: 3 points. Not stunt driving |
| 90 km/h | 50 km/h | 40 | Stunt driving (road under 80 km/h) |
| 130 km/h | 100 km/h | 30 | Speeding: 4 points. G1/G2: at least a 30-day suspension on conviction |
| 150 km/h | 100 km/h | 50 | Stunt driving |
| 150 km/h | 110 km/h | 40 | Stunt driving (150 km/h or more anywhere) |
Stunt driving in Ontario also covers driving to stop another car passing, deliberately cutting a vehicle off and deliberately driving too close to another vehicle, a pedestrian or an object. More in distracted, careless and stunt driving in Ontario.
What counts as stunting or racing elsewhere
Saskatchewan’s handbook lists actions that can mean a ticket, suspension and impoundment:
- racing side by side while breaking the speed limit
- chasing another vehicle
- speeding in and out of lanes to pass unsafely
- trying to lift some or all tires off the road, or to spin the vehicle
- driving while not in the driver’s seat
- blocking another vehicle from passing, or stopping or slowing to interfere with it
PEI’s handbook says it is illegal to race or stunt drive a vehicle on any street or highway, and drivers can lose their driving privileges on conviction.
How a speeding conviction affects your graduated licence
| Jurisdiction | Effect on a learner or novice |
|---|---|
| Ontario | 30 km/h or more over: at least a 30-day suspension and possible cancellation. These are escalating sanctions; a third occurrence cancels the licence. |
| British Columbia | Excessive speed during the N stage blocks the Driving Record Assessment. A prohibition in the N stage resets your N time to zero. |
| Alberta | A conviction in your last 12 months delays your exit from GDL. 8 points suspends a GDL licence. |
| Saskatchewan | A Novice 2 traffic conviction restarts the 12-month incident-free period. |
| Quebec | Doubled points on an excessive speeding ticket easily pass the 4-point limit for learner and probationary licences, which leads to revocation. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 6 points in a year means a 2, 4 or 6-month suspension. |
| Nova Scotia | Learners are suspended at 4 points, newly licensed drivers at 6. |
Speeding fines double in work and school zones
- Alberta doubles speeding fines when construction workers or emergency responders are present. At 40 km/h over the doubled fine is $1,120, and from 43 to 50 km/h over it is $1,200.
- Saskatchewan triples speeding fines when passing highway workers or occupied equipment in a work zone. Slow to the posted speed through the zone, and to 60 km/h or less when passing a worker, a flag person or equipment occupied by a worker. The same 60 km/h applies when passing stopped emergency vehicles, tow trucks and highway equipment with lights flashing.
- Quebec doubles fines in roadwork and school zones.
Move-over rules by province: slow down, move over.
Common questions
Is 50 over stunt driving everywhere in Canada?
No. In Ontario it is. In Saskatchewan it brings a 30-day impoundment. In Quebec the threshold depends on the zone. In Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador, the big step is at 51 km/h over.
Can police take my parents’ car if I’m caught?
Yes. Ontario’s 14-day impoundment applies whether or not you own the vehicle, and Saskatchewan says the vehicle is impounded even if you are not the owner, with the owner paying towing and storage.
How much is a stunt driving fine in Ontario?
$2,000 to $10,000 on conviction, plus 6 demerit points and a suspension of 1 to 3 years for a first conviction.
Does excessive speeding affect insurance?
Heavily. In BC, one excessive speeding conviction can trigger the Driver Risk Premium. Ontario says aggressive and stunt driving convictions bring a substantial insurance increase or can make you uninsurable.
I was 35 over on the highway. Is that excessive speeding?
Not under Ontario’s stunt rules or BC’s 40 km/h impoundment, but for an Ontario G1 or G2 driver anything 30 km/h or more over brings a suspension. In Alberta, 31 to 50 over is 4 demerit points.
Can I fight a roadside suspension?
The roadside suspension and impoundment take effect immediately. Contesting the charge in court is a separate process, so plan to be without the licence and the car for the roadside period.
Related: distracted driving penalties across Canada, Saskatchewan speeding and stunting, Alberta demerits, BC penalty points, Quebec demerit points. Back to learning to drive in Canada.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, “Speeding and aggressive driving” and “Understanding demerit points” (ontario.ca)
- Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Other ways to lose your licence” (ontario.ca)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, Chapter 9: Your licence” and “Driver Risk Premium” (icbc.com)
- Government of British Columbia, RoadSafetyBC, “Vehicle impoundment” (gov.bc.ca)
- Government of Alberta, “Speeding fines in Alberta” and “Demerit points” (alberta.ca)
- SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook: A guide to safe driving 2026-27”, section 3.1 and “Vehicle impoundments” (sgi.sk.ca)
- SGI, “Longer impoundments and new suspensions for stunting, street racing and high-speed offences” (sgi.sk.ca)
- Gouvernement du Québec, “Speed limits” (quebec.ca)
- Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, “Speeding: There’s a Price to Pay!” and “Excessive Speeding: Stiffer Penalties” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, “Driver’s Handbook” and “Demerit Point System” (gov.nl.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, “Driver’s Handbook”, February 2022, and “Highway Traffic Act Demerit Point System Regulations” (princeedwardisland.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Graduated licences” (gnb.ca)
- Service Nova Scotia, “Newly Licensed Driver” (novascotia.ca)
- Government of Nova Scotia, N.S. Reg. 223/2026, Schedule C (novascotia.ca)