Where a driver is convicted of a speeding ticket, demerit points are added to the driving record. The amount of demerit points is based upon the rate of the speed recorded:

The police officer nor the courts are obligated to tell you about the demerit points or any of the other hidden penalties for traffic tickets.

Class G1 – G2 – M1 or M2 licences are considered “Novice Drivers”

Novice drivers have addition rules and penalties for the accumulation of demerits. Where a novice driver receives a speeding ticket with 4 or demerit points, or they accumulating 6 points, there license will be suspended for 30 days.

This means that for any speed over 29km/h these drivers lose their licence, as these speeding tickets have 4 demerit points.

Novice drivers receive a licence suspension when the receive:

• any conviction with 4 or more points
• any accumulation of 6 or more points

Saving demerit points are important for Novice Drivers.

Demerit point penalties for novice drivers:

• 2 points
  • warning letter
• 3 points
  • warning letter
• 4 points from one ticket
  • 30 day licence suspension
• 6 point accumulation
  • 30 day licence suspension

Any suspension for a novice driver, will dramatically affect insurance rates.

In most cases fighting a speeding ticket will result in some if not all demerit points being saved and licence suspensions avoided.

Where a novice driver has been suspended for demerits and has an additional accumulation of points the licence will be suspended:

• second accumulation
  • 60 day suspension
• third accumulation
  • cancelation of drivers licence

Any drivers licence suspension dramatically affects insurance rates for three (3) years or more.

Should the driver receive a suspension, the suspension can increase the insurance up to one hundred (100) percent.

Probationary drivers called “Novice Drivers” include class G1, G2, M1 and M2 drivers.

Licensed class G drivers may receive a warning letter from the Ministry of Transportation when they receive a conviction.

At nine (9) demerits the driver will receive a letter demanding that the driver attend at the Ministry’s offices for “Demerit Point Licence Interview“.

The interview is to discuss:

• the driving habits,
• convictions, and
• if drivers licence should be suspended.

Where the driver refuses or does not attend the licence will be suspended until the interview is held.

At fifteen (15) demerits the Ministry of Transportation will suspend the drivers licence for thirty (30) days.

Read More about Licence Suspensions  >

You can delay and reduce the amount of time demerits go on the driving record by applying for a court date and fighting the ticket.

Demerit points are on your licence for two years from the date of the offence, but the points do not go on the driving record until the ticket has gone through the court system.

The time for the ticket to go through the court is taken off the 2 years that demerit points are kept

For example:

• If the driver pleads guilty to the ticket shortly after receiving the it, the conviction and demerits go on the record as of the date of the conviction/day paid.
• if the driver fights the ticket and it takes 6 months to go through the court system, any points would only be on the record for 1 1/2 years.

Demerit points are accumulated, not lost.