How Demerit Points Actually Work

Ontario's Ministry of Transportation applies demerit points only after a conviction — a ticket that is successfully fought never results in points. But how those points are tracked, and what they actually affect, surprises most drivers.

What to Know

• Demerit points stay on a driver's record for two years from the date of the charge, not the date of conviction.
• The conviction itself stays on record separately, for three years from the date of conviction.
• A fully licensed driver faces an interview at 9–14 points, and a mandatory 30-day suspension at 15 or more.
• A novice driver faces a lower threshold: an interview at 6–8 points, and a mandatory 60-day suspension at 9 or more.
• Demerit points themselves do not drive insurance rates — insurers rate based on the underlying conviction, not the point count.
• Convictions in other provinces, and in reciprocal U.S. states such as Michigan and New York, apply to an Ontario record the same as a local conviction.