Demerit Points System

In addition to the power of the Courts to suspend a person’s drivers licence there is a further monitoring process watching the accumulation of demerit points by each driver for each offence.

Each unrestricted licensed driver is given 13 points for a 3 year period. Each driving offence is given a Demerit Point score. With each driving offence those 13 points are progressively chipped away. If all of the demerit points are eaten up by driving offences within a 3 year period, then that person’s licence will be suspended. There is no right of appeal against the suspension of a licence based on the demerit points system. The scheme is designed to encourage continuous driving safe and responsible driving.

Accumulating of Demerit Points

Depending on how you want to look at it, demerit points are added to the licence holder’s driving record or deducted from the 13 point allowance. If the licence holder reaches or exceeds the threshold number of demerit points of 13 points within a three-year period, a licence suspension or refusal is automatically applied.

A Notice of Suspension of drivers licence or Refusal will issue to the licence holder.
A Notice of suspension or refusal will specify the date the licence suspension or refusal is to begin.

Thresholds for all Licenses

Unrestricted licence 13 Demerit Points
Professional drivers 14 Demerit Points
Provisional P2 licence 7 Demerit Points
Provisional P1 licence 4 Demerit Points
Learner Licence 4 Demerit Points

Applicable Periods of Suspension for Loss of Demerit Points

For unrestricted licence holders, the period of suspension depends on the number of points accumulated as follows:

13 to 15 points 3 months
16 to 19 points 4 months
20 or more points 5 months

For provisional and learner licence holders, the suspension period is three months.

The Saving Grace

Some drivers elect to have zero periods off the road and accept a 12 months driving good behaviour bond.

What A 12 month good behaviour period instead of serving any period of suspension
Who Unrestricted licence holders
Who not Provisional licence holders, learner licence holders, those already serving a good behaviour period
When A good behaviour election must be made before the suspension begins
Too late If the election is not made before the required date, then the suspension will be enforced. No discretion to reissue the suspension notice with a new date or to change a suspension to good behaviour after the suspension period has begun is permitted.
New Demerit Points Licence holders who accumulate 2 or more demerit points while serving a good behaviour period will be suspended for double the original suspension time.

Review or Appeals on Suspension of Licence

There is no right of appeal against the suspension of a licence based on Demerit Points system.