Offences and Demerit Points: What You Need to Know

Infractions and demerit points

In Quebec, most Highway Safety Code offences carry, in addition to the fine, demerit points that are entered on your driving record at the SAAQ. These points remain on your record for two years from the conviction.

What if your licence is from Ontario?

A ticket received in Quebec is reported to Ontario under the reciprocity agreement between the two provinces. The points are then calculated under the Ontario scale, which is often harsher. Example with a speeding ticket:

Speeding	Quebec	Ontario
11 to 15 km/h over	1 point	0 points
16 to 20 km/h over	1 point	3 points
21 to 29 km/h over	2 points	3 points
30 to 45 km/h over	3 points	4 points

Going 16 km/h over the limit is therefore worth 1 point for a Quebec driver, but 3 points for an Ontario driver, and the same offence, if paid without contesting it, is also entered on the carrier’s CVOR record.

Suspension thresholds in Quebec

15 points for a regular licence, 8 points for a probationary licence or a driver under 23, 4 points for a learner. Points also increase your SAAQ insurance contribution and your private insurance premiums. For a trucker or fleet operator, they are added to the company’s PEVL record (or CVOR in Ontario) and can hurt its safety rating.

To find out exactly how many points your ticket carries, see our Quebec and Ontario demerit point tables, or scan your ticket: the tool identifies the offence and the points at stake according to your licence.