ACCUMULATION OF DEMERITS

If you commit a demerit point offence, you will generally be given an infringement notice for the offence.

As soon as you pay the fine or have been dealt with by a court, the number of demerit points that are set for the offence are then recorded against your traffic history.

These points are taken to have been allocated on the day the offence was committed.

Demerit point offences committed anywhere in Australia may be recorded on your traffic history.

The number of demerit points varies according to the type of offence.

LEARNER LICENCE

If you accumulate four or more demerit points in a continuous one year period while you hold your learner licence, you will be sent an Accumulation of Demerit Points - Notice of Driver Licence Suspension and your licence will be suspended for a mandatory three month period.

If your licence is suspended or you are disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence during the learner licence period, this time will not contribute to the minimum period you must hold your learner licence.

PROVISIONAL LICENCE

If you accumulate four or more demerit points in a one year period while you hold your provisional licence, you will be sent an Accumulation of Demerit Points -

Notice to Choose. You will have the choice between:

• a three month licence suspension

• a good driving behaviour period for one year. You may also have a one year late night driving restriction imposed.

If your licence is suspended or you are disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence during the provisional licence period, this time will not contribute to the minimum period you must hold your provisional licence.

OPEN LICENCE

Demerit points 12 to 15 16 to 19

20 or more Suspension periods 3 months 4 months 5 months

If you accumulate 12 or more demerit points in a three year period and you hold an open licence, you will be sent an Accumulation of Demerit Points –

Notice to Choose.

The notice will require you to choose between having your licence suspended for a specific period or agreeing to continue driving on a good driving behaviour period for one year.

You may receive a warning letter when you accumulate at least seven demerit points in a three year period.

OPEN LICENCE SUSPENSION PERIOD

DRIVING ON A GOOD DRIVING BEHAVIOR PERIOD FOR ONE YEAR

If you choose to continue driving on a period of good driving behaviour for one year, you may keep your current licence provided that you do not accumulate more than one demerit point during the one year period.

If you accumulate two or more demerit points during this period, your licence will be suspended for double the suspension period that would have applied had you originally chosen the licence suspension.