Demerit Points & Licence Suspensions

Demerit Point Suspensions affect insurance and drivers need to avoid them. Difference classes of drivers licences have suspensions at different point accumulations.

• Class G1 or Class G2 licences
  • one ticket with 4 or more demerits
• G1 or G2 licences
  • accumulation of 6 or more demerits
• G licences
  • accumulation of 9 or more demerits
  • results in a demerit point interview and
  • possible suspension
• G licences
  • accumulation of 15 points

Many licence suspensions can be avoided by fighting the ticket.

When traffic tickets are fought if the ticket cannot be dismissed completely, normally the demerit points can be dropped or reduced.

Class G drivers who accumulate 8 or more demerit points maybe required to attend for a driving review interview from the Ministry of Transportation.

At the interview the Ministry of Transportation officer will want to discuss your driver abstract history and any convictions for traffic or speeding tickets.

The officers concern is a continued pattern of bad driving, and to ensure that the driver takes corrective action in their driving.

The Ministry officer will want to impress upon the driver that driving in Ontario is a privilege not a right, and the ability to drive on the roadways can be revoked at anytime.

At an interview the Ministry Officer can:

• suspend the drivers licence
• counsel the driver about their driving
• place conditions upon the driver
  • e.g. if they receive one more ticket the licence will be suspended
• any other condition the officer may seem reasonable

Where any driver receives a demerit point suspension, all insurance companies will dramatically increase the insurance rates for three (3) to five (5) years.

The insurance companies believe that drivers who receive a suspension are a higher risk of being in an accident.

Novice drivers, G1 licence and G2 licence holders will find that any suspension will put them into high risk insurance rates for three (3) to five (5) years.

Demerit points are added to the driver’s licence only:

• after the driver has been convicted, or
• when the driver pays the ticket

Drivers can reduce the amount of time demerits are on the driving record by applying for a trial date.

The points do not go on the driving record until AFTER the court date, which maybe three (3) to twelve (12) months from the offence date, depending upon the court.

Demerit points are kept on the driving record or driving abstract for two (2) years from the date the driver received the ticket, but the demerit points only go on the driving record upon conviction or payment.

The conviction or sometimes called a “line on your abstract”.

The conviction goes on the driving record for 3 years from the court date, or 3 years from the date the ticket was paid.

Class G drivers licence holders are allowed to accumulated a total of 15 demerit points.