Photo: Mikmaq, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
New drivers in New Brunswick face two main ways to lose their progress: any alcohol or drug use while driving on a graduated licence brings a one-year suspension and a restart, and losing all your points brings a three-month suspension and a restart. On top of that, the province’s tougher roadside impaired driving penalties have applied to all drivers since 1 January 2025. This page sets out what each penalty means for a Level 1 or Level 2 driver.
Penalties for New Brunswick graduated drivers
| What happens | Penalty | Effect on your graduated licence |
|---|---|---|
| Any alcohol or drug use while driving (zero tolerance breach) | One-year suspension and a mandatory seven-day vehicle impoundment | Back to the start, with no credit for a road test or driver training course already passed |
| Losing all your points | Three-month suspension | Back to the start, with no credit for a road test or course already passed |
How zero tolerance works in New Brunswick
While you hold a graduated licence (Level 1 or Level 2), your blood alcohol concentration must be zero and you must not drive after using drugs. The Motor Vehicle Act sets the novice alcohol limit at zero milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. One drink is enough to breach it.
What a zero tolerance breach costs you, worked through
A Level 2 driver, 20 months into the 24-month graduated period, is caught after one beer:
- the car is impounded for seven days,
- the licence is suspended for one year, and
- after the suspension, the driver starts again at the beginning of the graduated period, with the earlier road test and any driver training course no longer counted.
How New Brunswick demerit points work
- Points are added for traffic offences and stay on your record for two years.
- For a fully licensed driver, reaching 10 points brings a three-month suspension.
- Criminal Code offences involving a vehicle carry 10 points.
- Speeding 25 km/h or more over the limit carries 5 points.
- Not wearing a seatbelt carries 2 points.
- Using a hand-held device while driving: the province lists a $340.50 fine and 5 points.
For graduated drivers, the Motor Vehicle Act says that losing all your points means a three-month suspension and a return to the start of the graduated period. Check with Service New Brunswick how many points a graduated licence holder can lose before that happens.
Roadside impaired driving penalties since 1 January 2025
These apply to every driver in New Brunswick. A graduated driver also faces the zero tolerance penalties above.
| Situation | Roadside penalty |
|---|---|
| Blood alcohol 0.05% to 0.08%, or a failed sobriety test | Seven-day licence suspension; vehicle impounded for three to seven days depending on how many offences you have had in five years |
| Blood alcohol 0.08% or more, or refusing a breath test | Three-month suspension, licence surrendered on the spot, 12-month mandatory ignition interlock, impaired driver re-education course, other fines and fees; vehicle impounded for 30 or 60 days depending on suspensions in the past 10 years |
The roadside (administrative) route is not used when the driver causes serious bodily harm or death, or has a passenger under 16 in the vehicle. See Impaired driving in Canada for new drivers for the Criminal Code side.
Common questions
Can a New Brunswick Level 2 driver have one drink?
No. The limit is zero for the whole graduated period, Level 1 and Level 2.
Does zero tolerance cover cannabis?
Yes. Graduated drivers must not drive after drug use, and the current Motor Vehicle Act adds a drug condition for novice drivers.
How long do demerit points last in New Brunswick?
Two years.
If I am suspended, do I lose my road test pass?
Yes, for a zero tolerance breach or for losing all your points. You restart the graduated period with no credit for a road test or course already passed.
Does a driver training course still count after a restart?
No. The province says no credit is given for a previously passed course.
Does zero tolerance end at Class 5 or at 21?
The graduated-licence zero tolerance applies while you hold a Level 1 or Level 2 licence, whatever your age. Moving to Class 5 does not by itself end the zero-alcohol rule if you are still under 21: the Motor Vehicle Act (section 91(1.01)) attaches a restriction to a licence issued to a driver under 21 that bars driving with any alcohol in the blood.
Related: Learning to drive in New Brunswick, Level 1 and Level 2 rules, Canadian graduated licensing compared.
Sources
- Government of New Brunswick, “Graduated drivers’ licences” (gnb.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Impaired driving” (gnb.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Licence Suspension” (gnb.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, Motor Vehicle Act, RSNB 1973, c M-17, consolidation of 1 January 2025 (laws.gnb.ca)
- New Brunswick Insurance Board, “2024 annual report” (gnb.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Driver distraction” (gnb.ca)