Limits, Fines & Points
Every number that shows up on the G1 test and in real life: speed limits, the full demerit-point table, novice sanctions, impaired-driving thresholds, distracted and stunt driving penalties, and seatbelt rules.
Figures verified against ontario.ca
Default speed limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| No sign posted, city, town, or village | 50 km/h |
| No sign posted, elsewhere (rural / unposted highway) | 80 km/h |
| Raised 400-series / QEW sections (where posted) | 110 km/hVerify current figures |
Demerit points by offence
Full list, highest points first. Points stay on your record for 2 years from the offence date.
| Offence | Points |
|---|---|
| Failing to remain at the scene of a collision | 7 |
| Failing to stop when signalled or asked by a police officer | 7 |
| Careless driving | 6 |
| Racing | 6 |
| Exceeding the speed limit by 40+ km/h on a road posted under 80 km/h | 6 |
| Exceeding the speed limit by 50+ km/h (any road) | 6 |
| Failing to stop for a school bus | 6 |
| Failing to stop at an unprotected railway crossing (bus drivers only) | 5 |
| Exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/h | 4 |
| Following too closely | 4 |
| Failing to stop at a pedestrian crossover | 4 |
| Holding or using a hand-held wireless device, or viewing an unrelated display screen, while driving | 3 |
| Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/h | 3 |
| Driving through, around, or under a railway crossing barrier | 3 |
| Driving the wrong way on a divided road | 3 |
| Driving on a closed road | 3 |
| Failing to yield the right-of-way | 3 |
| Failing to obey a stop sign, traffic light, or railway crossing signal | 3 |
| Failing to obey directions of a police officer | 3 |
| Failing to report a collision to police | 3 |
| Failing to slow down and carefully pass a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck (amber lights flashing) | 3 |
| Failing to move into another lane, where possible, passing a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck | 3 |
| Improper passing | 3 |
| Offence | Points |
|---|---|
| Improper driving where the road is divided into lanes | 3 |
| Going the wrong way on a one-way road | 3 |
| Crossing a divided road where no proper crossing is provided | 3 |
| Crowding the driver's seat | 3 |
| Driving a vehicle equipped with a radar detector | 3 |
| Improper use of an HOV lane | 3 |
| Improper right turn | 2 |
| Improper left turn | 2 |
| Improper opening of a vehicle door | 2 |
| Prohibited turns | 2 |
| Towing people (toboggans, bicycles, skis) | 2 |
| Unnecessary slow driving | 2 |
| Backing or reversing on a highway | 2 |
| Failing to lower headlamp beams | 2 |
| Failing to obey signs | 2 |
| Failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing | 2 |
| Failing to share the road | 2 |
| Failing to signal | 2 |
| Driver failing to wear a seatbelt | 2 |
| Driver failing to ensure an infant or child passenger is properly secured in an appropriate car seat or booster | 2 |
| Driver failing to ensure a passenger under 23 kg is properly secured | 2 |
| Driver failing to ensure a passenger under 16 is wearing a seatbelt | 2 |
| Driver failing to ensure a passenger under 16 is sitting in a seat with a seatbelt | 2 |
Suspension thresholds
| Licence type | Stage | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Full licence | Warning letter | 6 to 8 points |
| Full licence | Second warning letter | 9 to 14 points |
| Full licence | Suspension | 30 days at 15+ pointsVerify current figures |
| Full licence | Repeat 15+ point suspension | 6 monthsVerify current figures |
| Novice (G1/G2/M1/M2) | Warning letter | 2 to 5 points |
| Novice | Second warning letter | 6 to 8 points |
| Novice | Suspension | 60 days at 9+ pointsVerify current figures |
| Novice | Repeat 9+ point suspension | 6 monthsVerify current figures |
Novice driver (G1/G2) restrictions
G1: BAC requirement
Zero
G1: driving hours
No driving midnight to 5 a.m.
G1: road restriction
No 400-series highways or high-speed expressways (401, QEW, Gardiner, and others)
Exception: accompanied by a certified driving instructor.
G1: accompanying driver
Fully licensed, 4+ years' experience, BAC under 0.05
Must be the only other front-seat occupant, and zero BAC if that driver is 21 or under.
G1 to G2 road test
After 12 months (8 months with an approved driver-ed course)
G2: BAC requirement
Zero
G2: passenger limit, midnight to 5 a.m., drivers 19 and under
1 passenger aged 19 or under for the first 6 months, then up to 3
Exempt if a fully licensed front-seat passenger is present, or passengers are immediate family.
G2 to full G road test
After at least 12 months
Total graduated licensing process
About 20 months minimum, up to 5 years allowed
Miss the 5-year window and the whole process restarts from G1.
Escalating sanctions, 4+ demerit-point offence or repeat novice-condition violation, within 5 years
Figures below change: verified against ontario.ca. Confirm current amounts with official sources.
| Occurrence | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 1st offence | 30-day suspension |
| 2nd offence | 90-day suspension |
| 3rd offence | Licence cancelled, must reapply and restart graduated licensing from G1 |
BAC thresholds & impaired driving
Figures below change: verified against ontario.ca. Confirm current amounts with official sources.
Zero-tolerance BAC applies to
Age 21 and under; any G1/G2/M1/M2 driver; A to F/CVOR/commercial drivers; road-building-machine operators
Applies equally to alcohol and cannabis/drugs.
Warn range
BAC 0.05 to 0.079
Criminal-charge / ADLS threshold
BAC 0.08 or more
Impairment (0.08+, refusal, or poor DRE), suspension
90 days immediately, each occurrence
Plus 7-day vehicle impoundment and a $550 penalty, all occurrences.
Warn range (0.05 to 0.079), roadside suspension schedule
Source: ontario.ca/page/impaired-driving.
| Occurrence | Roadside suspension | Fine | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st occurrence | 7 days | $250 | 8-hour education course |
| 2nd occurrence | 14 days | $350 | 16-hour treatment program |
| 3rd occurrence | 30 days | $450 | 16-hour treatment plus 6-month ignition interlock |
Criminal impaired-driving conviction (within a 10-year look-back)
| Conviction | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 1st conviction | At least 1 year suspension, at least 1 year ignition interlock, mandatory program, then a 6-month zero-alcohol condition |
| 2nd conviction (within 10 years) | At least 3 years suspension, at least 3 years ignition interlock |
| 3rd conviction (within 10 years) | Lifetime suspension (reducible after 10 years), at least 6 years ignition interlock, mandatory medical evaluation |
| 4th conviction (within 10 years) | Lifetime suspension, non-reducible |
One exception to the escalating pattern
Distracted driving penalties
Figures below change: verified against ontario.ca. Confirm current amounts with official sources.
Covers hand-held phones, hand-held entertainment devices, and unrelated display screens, not eating, drinking, or grooming (those can still be careless driving).
Full / A to G licence
| Conviction | Demerit points | Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| 1st conviction | 3 demerit points | 3-day suspension |
| 2nd conviction | 6 demerit points | 7-day suspension |
| 3rd+ conviction | 6 demerit points | 30-day suspension |
Novice licence (G1/G2/M1/M2)
Same fine amounts as a full licence, but no demerit points: the licence itself is what's at risk.
| Conviction | Demerit points | Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| 1st conviction | No demerit points | 30-day suspension |
| 2nd conviction | No demerit points | 90-day suspension |
| 3rd conviction | No demerit points | Licence cancelled, removed from Graduated Licensing System |
Stunt driving thresholds & consequences
Figures below change: verified against ontario.ca. Confirm current amounts with official sources.
| Threshold | Speed |
|---|---|
| Roads posted under 80 km/h | 40+ km/h over the posted limit |
| Roads posted 80 km/h or more | 50+ km/h over the posted limit |
| Any road in Ontario | 150 km/h or more, regardless of posted limit |
Consequences
| Stage | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Roadside, immediate licence suspension | 30 days |
| Roadside, immediate vehicle impoundment | 14 days |
| Conviction, fine range | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Conviction, demerit points | 6 points |
| Conviction, jail | Up to 6 months |
| Conviction, suspension, 1st | 1 to 3 years |
| Conviction, suspension, 2nd | 3 to 10 years |
| Conviction, suspension, 3rd | Lifetime, reducible after 10 years under certain criteria |
| Conviction, suspension, 4th+ | Lifetime, non-reducible |
Seatbelts & child car seats
Figures below change: verified against ontario.ca. Confirm current amounts with official sources.
| Rule | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Seatbelt violation, fine | $200 to $1,000 |
| Seatbelt violation, demerit points | 2 |
| Failing to secure a child (under 16, no seatbelt / under 8, no child seat or booster), fine | $240 |
| Failing to secure a child, demerit points | 2 |
Child car seat stages
| Stage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Rear-facing | Up to 9 kg (20 lb), no height requirement |
| Forward-facing | 9 to 18 kg (20 to 40 lb), no height requirement |
| Booster seat | Under age 8, 18 to 36 kg (40 to 80 lb), under 145 cm (4'9") |
| May use adult seatbelt alone once child reaches | Age 8, or 36 kg (80 lb), or 145 cm (4'9"), whichever comes first |