What are Demerit Points?
Demerit points are applied against your driving records if you are convicted of a driving offence. Your licence may be suspended if you accumulate too many demerit points. For a list of the demerit points for driving offences, refer to Alberta’s Demerit Point Program and Service of Documents Regulation, AR 331/2002, and any subsequent amendments. A link to the Regulation can be found here. Some of the driving offences resulting in demerit points and other charges include:
| Failing to Remain at the Scene of an Accident | 7 Demerit Points |
| Exceeding Speed Limit by More than 50 km/hour | 6 Demerit Points |
| Careless Driving | 6 Demerit Points |
| Racing | 6 Demerit Points |
| Failing to Stop for a Peace Officer | 5 Demerit Points |
| Driver Failing to Make Accident Report | 3 Demerit Points |
| Distracted Driving – Holding or Using Cell Phone | 3 Demerit Points |
How Long do Demerit Points Stay on Your Driving Record?
Demerit points remain on your driving record and driving abstract for 2 years from the date you are convicted of a driving offence.
A driver abstract shows your driver history for a 3, 5 or 10-year period. You can request your driver abstract from any Alberta registry agent to confirm your demerit points.
Can You Get Demerit Points Reduced?
You may be eligible to have the number of demerit points on your driving record reduced by successfully completing a course satisfactory to the Registrar if you have 14 demerit points or less on your driving record. Specific rules for the reduction of demerit points apply to novice drivers.
Will Your Licence be Suspended?
Your driver’s licence will be suspended if you accumulate too many demerit points. In accordance with the Demerit Point Program and Service of Documents Regulation, if you accumulate 15 or more demerits points at any one time within any 2-year period, your licence will be suspended for one month. If you accumulate 15 or more demerit points on your driving record within one year from the date your licence was initially suspended, your licence will be suspended for three months. You will face further suspension of your licence if you accumulate at any one time, a total of 15 or more demerit points within a 2-year period.
Can You Request A Review of Demerit Points?
If there is an error in the number of demerit points on your driving record, you may request a review by the Registrar. The circumstances eligible for review include an incorrect number of demerit points recorded, a conviction recorded incorrectly, a miscalculation of the total number of demerit points accumulated, or an incorrect number of demerit points deleted.
For more information on Demerit Points in Alberta, refer to Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act and Demerit Point Program and Service of Documents Regulation. You may also contact your local registry.
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While demerit points don’t often come up in our files, it is something that people are curious about. Hopefully, this blog helped clarify some of the confusion around demerit points in Alberta. For more information related to topics about injury law, check out our blog.
