In Ontario, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) records demerit points on the record of people convicted of a driving-related offence. You do not “lose” points: you start at zero and accumulate them. Points stay on your record for two years from the date of the offence, and accumulating too many can lead to licence suspension. G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence holders face additional penalties.
Important: if you received a ticket in Quebec, disregard the points shown on the ticket. The MTO does not look at the section number of Quebec’s Highway Safety Code: it takes the nature of the offence, matches it to the equivalent Ontario offence and applies the Ontario scale to your record. Example: 130 km/h in a 100 km/h zone is worth 2 points in Quebec, but 4 points on your Ontario record. Contact us before pleading guilty or paying.
Demerit points by offence
Points added to your record upon conviction. The yellow boxes are offences worth 6 points or more: a single one can trigger an interview or a suspension.
The most serious
- Leaving the scene of a collision
- Failing to stop when a police officer requires or signals you to
Speed, racing, school bus
- Careless driving
- Racing
- Speeding 50 km/h or more over the limit
- Speeding 40 km/h or more over the limit on a road where the limit is under 80 km/h
- Failing to stop for a school bus
Railway crossing (bus)
- Failing to stop at an unprotected railway crossing (bus drivers only)
Speeding 30-49 km/h, following distance
- Speeding 30 to 49 km/h over the limit
- Following the vehicle ahead too closely
Traffic lights, stops, passing, etc.
- Holding or using a hand-held communication or entertainment device (cell phone while driving)
- Looking at a screen that does not provide driving information
- Speeding 16 to 29 km/h over the limit
- Crossing, going around or under the barrier of a railway crossing
- Driving the wrong way on a divided road
- Driving on a closed road
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Failing to obey a stop sign, a “slow down” sign, a traffic light or a lane-crossing sign
- Failing to obey a police officer’s orders
- Failing to report a collision to a police officer
- Failing to slow down and proceed with caution when passing a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing lights (move-over)
- Failing to move into another lane, when possible, to let an emergency vehicle or tow truck pass
- Unsafe passing
- Careless driving where the road divides into several lanes
- Improper use of a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane
- Driving the wrong way on a one-way street
- Crossing a divided road without making sure it is safe
- Obstructing the driver’s seat
Turns, signalling, seat belt
- Improper right turn
- Improper left turn
- Opening a door without taking care
- Turning where prohibited
- Towing people (toboggans, bicycles, skis, etc.: car surfing)
- Driving unnecessarily slowly
- Backing up on a highway
- Failing to dim headlights when meeting another vehicle
- Failing to obey signs and signals
- Failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing
- Failing to share the road
- Failing to use turn signals
- Driving without a seat belt
- Failing to ensure that an infant or child is secured in a suitable child restraint or booster seat
- Failing to ensure that a passenger under 23 kg is properly secured
- Failing to ensure that a passenger under 16 is wearing a seat belt
Consequences of accumulating points
Full-privilege licence
G, M
| Points | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 | Warning letter |
| 9 to 14 | Licence possibly suspended; interview to explain why it should not be |
| 15 or more | 30-day suspension |
Novice driver
G1, G2, M1, M2, M1-L, M2-L
| Points | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 2 to 5 | Warning letter |
| 6 to 8 | Licence possibly suspended; interview to explain why it should not be |
| 9 or more | 60-day suspension |
If you must attend an interview, you will receive a notice with the day, time and place. Failing to attend may result in suspension. The interview costs $50, payable in person at a ServiceOntario centre, upon receipt of the notice or within the 10 days before it; otherwise the licence is cancelled. After the suspension, the ministry will write to you with the effective date and you must surrender your licence. Otherwise, you may lose it for up to two years.
Convictions outside the province
A conviction handed down in the State of New York, in Michigan or in another Canadian province or territory (Quebec, in particular) is entered on your Ontario record as if the offence had taken place in Ontario, with the points or suspension that go with it.
Rules of the road
- Speeding
- Failing to obey a stop sign
- Failing to obey a traffic light
- School bus
- Racing
- Failing to remain at or return to the scene of a collision
- Careless driving
Criminal offences
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Criminal negligence
- Dangerous driving
- Failing to remain at the scene of a collision
- Impaired driving
- Driving while prohibited or suspended
The Registrar of Motor Vehicles of Ontario keeps this information in accordance with s. 205 of the Highway Traffic Act. Questions: Ministry of Transportation, Licensing Administration Office, 2680 Keele Street, Ground Floor, Building A, Downsview, Ontario M3M 3E6, 416 235-2999 or 1 800 387-3445.
Whatever the offence you are charged with, contact us: we will help you keep your driver’s licence.
Contact us for more information:
Montreal region:
514 990-7884
Other regions of Quebec and Ontario:
1 877 990-7884
See also
Reviewed by Antonio Alvarez, Lawyer
Solution Ticket inc.
229-3221, autoroute Laval O.
Laval (Québec) H7P 5P2
514 990-7884
www.solutionticket.com
info@solutionticket.com