Demerit Points
Explained
Demerit Points
Explained
How Demerit Points Work
You don’t “lose” demerit points on your driving record. You start with zero points and gain points for being convicted of breaking certain Highway Traffic Act laws.
Demerit points stay on your record for two years from the offence date. If you collect enough points, you can lose your driver’s licence. That said, there are ways to delay the points being added and the amount of time in which they will affect your licence.
You can also get demerit points on your Ontario’s driver’s licence when you violate driving laws in:
- other Canadian provinces and territories
- the State of New York
- the State of Michigan
Demerit Points
Points and infractions
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7 demerit points
- failing to remain at the scene of a collision
- failing to stop when signalled or asked by a police officer
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6 demerit points
- careless driving
- racing
- exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/hour or more
- failing to stop for a school bus
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5 demerit points
failing to stop at an unprotected railway crossing (bus drivers only)
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4 demerit points
- exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/hour
- following too closely
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3 demerit points
- driving while holding or using a hand-held wireless communications or entertainment device
- driving while viewing a display screen unrelated to the driving task
- exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/hour
- driving through, around or under a railway crossing barrier
- driving the wrong way on a divided road
- driving or operating a vehicle on a closed road
- failing to yield the right-of-way
- failing to obey a stop sign, traffic control stop/slow sign, traffic light or railway crossing signal
- failing to obey the directions of a police officer
- failing to report a collision to a police officer