Ask most Ontario drivers how many demerit points they have and you'll get a blank stare. Many think points get added when you receive a ticket. They don't. Many believe you earn points back over time by driving well. That's not how it works either. Understanding how demerit points actually function is one of the most practical things a driver in Ontario can do.
What Are Demerit Points?
Demerit points are administrative penalties managed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. They get added to your licence record after a conviction for certain Highway Traffic Act offences, not when you receive a ticket and not when you appear in court. Only a conviction triggers points. If you fight a ticket and win, zero points are added. If you pay the ticket, that payment is a guilty plea and points are applied from the conviction date.
You don't start with a set number of points and lose them. Ontario's system starts at zero and adds points as convictions accumulate. There is no earning them back. Points expire 2 years after the conviction date.
The Threshold System
Fully Licensed Drivers (Class G)
- 2 to 8 points: MTO sends a warning letter advising you of your record
- 9 to 14 points: MTO requires you to attend a mandatory interview to discuss your driving history; failing to attend results in an automatic 30-day suspension
- 15 or more points: automatic 30-day licence suspension; you must surrender your licence to the MTO
Novice Drivers (G1 and G2)
- 2 to 5 points: MTO sends a warning letter
- 6 to 8 points: licence suspension until your points drop below 6
- 9 or more points: licence cancellation; you must restart the graduated licensing process from the beginning
Novice drivers face dramatically harsher consequences. A G2 driver hits suspension at 6 points, the same threshold that only triggers a warning letter for a fully licensed G driver. A single 6-point conviction like careless driving or stunt driving can immediately cancel a novice licence.
How Long Do Points Stay?
Demerit points stay on your Ontario driving record for exactly 2 years from the date of conviction, not the date of the offence and not the date you received the ticket. If your ticket is from February but your trial or guilty plea isn't until September, the 2-year expiry clock starts in September. A paralegal who successfully delays your trial date is also pushing back when the points get recorded and when the 2-year expiry clock begins.
Common Offences and Their Point Values
- Speeding 16 to 29 km/h over the limit (HTA s.128): 3 points, the most common Ontario ticket
- Speeding 30 to 49 km/h over (s.128): 4 points
- Speeding 50+ km/h over (s.128): 6 points plus mandatory licence suspension and vehicle impoundment
- Careless driving (s.130): 6 points
- Stunt driving and racing (s.172): 6 points plus immediate roadside licence suspension and vehicle impoundment
- Distracted driving and handheld device (s.78): 3 points
- Fail to stop for a school bus (s.175): 6 points
- Fail to remain at the scene of an accident (s.200): 7 points
- Fail to stop for a police officer (s.216): 7 points
- Running a stop sign (s.136): 3 points
- Following too closely (s.158): 4 points
- Improper passing (s.148): 3 points
How to Check Your Driving Record
You can request your Ontario driving record through ServiceOntario, either in person or online through the DriveON portal. There's a small fee, typically $12 to $18. Your abstract shows current demerit points, any suspensions, and conviction history within the lookback period. It does not show charges that were withdrawn, dismissed, or resulted in acquittal because only convictions appear.
How to Protect Your Licence Record
- Fight the ticket: a dismissed or withdrawn charge means zero points, and this is why professional representation often pays for itself
- Negotiate down: many HTA offences can be reduced to a non-moving or zero-point violation through early resolution with the prosecutor
- Use timing strategically: delaying a trial date pushes the conviction date and the 2-year point expiry further into the future
- Know your cumulative risk: if you already have 6 to 8 points, one more conviction could push you into the interview or suspension threshold
- Check your record annually: many drivers don't realize they have points until renewal
Points already on your record cannot be erased before the 2-year expiry. There is no Ontario point reduction course that removes existing demerit points. The only strategies that work are preventing convictions in the first place, or waiting out the clock.
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