Alberta Class 7 Demerit Points: Warning at 4, Suspended at 8

A Class 7 learner in Alberta can have up to 7 demerit points. At 4 points you get a cautionary notice (a warning letter) in the mail, and at 8 or more points within two years your licence is automatically suspended. The 15-point limit you may have read about only applies to fully licensed (non-GDL) drivers.

This post covers the GDL demerit rules side by side with the full-licence rules, the offences and points the Driver's Guide lists, the distracted driving penalty, and how long points stay on your record. Everything comes from the Government of Alberta's demerit driving suspension page, its distracted driving page and the Alberta Driver's Guide 2026.

Why the Class 7 numbers are different

In Alberta, every new driver starts in the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program. The Driver's Guide says: "Regardless of age, all new drivers are part of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program." The two GDL licences are the Class 7 learner's licence and the Class 5-GDL probationary licence.

GDL drivers have lower demerit limits than fully licensed drivers. The Class 7 learner's licence page puts it simply: "You are allowed 8 demerit points before receiving a suspension of your licence." The Class 5 licence page says the same for probationary drivers: "A GDL licence will be suspended at 8 demerit points."

So if you learned the 8 and 15 numbers for fully licensed drivers, they don't apply to you yet. Your numbers are 4 and 8.

How many demerits can a Class 7 have in Alberta?

Up to 7. Here is how the GDL rules compare with the rules for fully licensed drivers, from Alberta.ca's demerit driving suspension page:

The suspension lengths are the same for both groups. What changes is how few points it takes to get there.

Do GDL drivers get a warning letter at 4 points?

Yes. Alberta.ca says GDL drivers with "4 or more but less than 8 demerit points" will receive a cautionary notice by mail with their demerit point total. The Driver's Guide describes it as "a letter notifying you of your demerit point standing."

The letter is a warning, not a suspension. If you get one, Alberta.ca says you can visit any Alberta registry agent to get a driver abstract, which is a summary of your driving record, including your convictions and their demerit points.

Alberta demerit points suspension: what happens at 8

If you reach 8 or more demerit points within a 2-year period, your licence is suspended for one month. Repeat suspensions get longer:

1. First suspension: one month.
2. Second suspension within a year: 3 months. Alberta.ca says you may also need a review with the Registrar of Motor Vehicle Services.
3. Third or later suspension within 2 years: 6 months, and you may also require a review with the Registrar.

When the suspension ends, your licence is reinstated with 3 demerit points, which stay on your record for 2 years from the date of reinstatement.

A few more rules from the same sources:

• You must hand in your licence. The Driver's Guide says you are required by law to give up your licence on or before the date your suspension begins, at any Alberta registry agent office.
• No restricted licence for GDL drivers. The Restricted Driver's Licence Program page says: "Those licensed under the Graduated Driver's Licence Program are not eligible to participate in the Restricted Driver's Licence (Demerit) Program."
• Your learner year gets longer. You must hold a Class 7 licence for at least one year before moving to Class 5-GDL, and the Driver's Guide says "this time will be extended if you receive a suspension of your driving privileges."
• You can't appeal the suspension itself. You can ask for a written review if you believe points were assigned in error. Alberta.ca says convictions can only be removed from your record through an appeal in the Court of Justice of Alberta.

What do common offences cost in demerit points?

The Driver's Guide (Chapter 9, Driving within the Law) lists these penalties for both fully licensed and GDL drivers. The points are the same for everyone. Only the limits are different.

This is not every offence. The guide points to Alberta.ca for the complete listing, and Alberta.ca refers readers to the Demerit Point Program and Service of Documents Regulation in the Traffic Safety Act for more information.

GDL-only offences: 2 points each

The Driver's Guide also lists three penalties that apply specifically to GDL drivers, each worth 2 points:

• Curfew: driving between midnight and 5 a.m. (Class 7 learner stage only)
• Having more passengers than seat belts
• Supervisor (accompanying driver) not fully qualified

How fast the points add up

Because the GDL limit is low, a few tickets can reach it. For example, using the point values above, one ticket for speeding 31 to 50 km/h over the limit (4 points) is already enough for a cautionary notice. Add one distracted driving ticket (3 points) and you are at 7. One more 2-point conviction within the same two years, such as driving during the curfew, takes you to 9, which is over the suspension threshold.

Distracted driving fine in Alberta: $390 and 3 points

Alberta.ca's distracted driving page states the penalty directly:

"The penalty for distracted driving in Alberta is a $390 fine and 3 demerit points."

For a GDL driver, one ticket uses 3 of the 8 points that trigger a suspension. Within the same two years, two distracted driving convictions (6 points) are enough for a cautionary notice, and three (9 points) are over the suspension threshold.

The law applies on all roads in Alberta, "even while stopped at red lights," according to Alberta.ca. It restricts:

• using hand-held cell phones
• texting or emailing
• using electronic devices such as laptops, video games, cameras and video displays, and programming portable audio players
• entering information on GPS units
• reading printed materials in the vehicle
• writing, printing or sketching
• personal grooming, such as putting on makeup or shaving

Alberta.ca also says you can be charged even if your driving doesn't seem affected, and that if you commit a moving violation while distracted, you could get two tickets: one for distracted driving and one for the moving violation.

What is allowed while driving?

Alberta.ca lists activities that the law does not specifically restrict. They include using a phone in hands-free mode (not held in your hand, activated by voice or a single touch), drinking a beverage, eating a snack, talking with passengers, and calling 9-1-1 on a hand-held phone. A GPS is allowed if it is attached to the vehicle and programmed before you start driving, or if it is voice activated.

How long do demerit points stay on your record in Alberta?

Two years from the date of conviction. Alberta.ca says demerit points "remain on your driving record and driver's abstract for 2 years from the date of conviction."

The conviction date is not the date you got the ticket. It is the date you:

1. pay the ticket,
2. appear in court and are found guilty, or
3. fail to appear in court and are convicted (found guilty in absence).

Can you remove demerit points?

Sometimes. Alberta.ca says a GDL driver who completes an approved defensive driving course before reaching 8 or more points can have a maximum of 3 points removed, once every 2 years. To avoid a suspension, the course must be finished before the conviction date of the offence that would cause it. You then hand in the course completion form at a registry agent, and a registry agent service fee may apply.

How demerits affect getting your full licence

Demerits matter beyond the suspension. The Class 5 licence page says that to get a full Class 5 licence, you need a Class 5-GDL "for at least 2 years with no suspensions or demerits in the last year." Leaving the GDL program also raises your limits: the Driver's Guide says exiting GDL will "increase the number of demerits you are allowed."

How to practise the rules

Demerit points and the GDL conditions are in the Driver's Guide, and the Class 7 knowledge test is based on questions from that guide. For how the test itself works, see Alberta Class 7 Knowledge Test: 30 Questions, 25 to Pass.

To check what you know, try our free 30-question Alberta mock exam. The Alberta Driving Test app is built on the 2026 Alberta Driver's Guide and has 300+ practice questions, road sign drills, and full 30-question mock exams marked at 25 out of 30. It is available in English, Korean, Portuguese and Tagalog.

Frequently asked questions

How many demerit points can a Class 7 have in Alberta?

Up to 7. Alberta.ca says a GDL driver's licence (including Class 7) is suspended at 8 or more demerit points within a 2-year period.

What happens at 4 demerit points for a GDL driver?

You get a cautionary notice by mail with your demerit point total. Alberta.ca sends it to GDL drivers with 4 or more but less than 8 points. It is a warning, not a suspension.

How long is a demerit suspension for a Class 7 or GDL driver?

One month for a first suspension. A second suspension within a year is 3 months, and a third or later suspension within 2 years is 6 months.

Does the 15-point limit apply to Class 7 drivers?

No. The 15-point suspension threshold is for fully licensed (non-GDL) drivers. Class 7 and Class 5-GDL drivers are suspended at 8 points.

How much is a distracted driving ticket in Alberta?

$390 and 3 demerit points, according to Alberta.ca. The law applies even while you are stopped at a red light.

How long do demerit points stay on your record in Alberta?

Two years from the date of conviction. The conviction date is when you pay the ticket or are found guilty, not the date you got the ticket.

Can a GDL driver get a restricted licence during a demerit suspension?

No. Alberta.ca says GDL drivers are not eligible for the Restricted Driver's Licence (Demerit) Program.

Is driving after midnight on a Class 7 a demerit offence?

Yes. The Driver's Guide lists driving between midnight and 5 a.m. as a 2-point penalty for Class 7 learners.

Sources

• Government of Alberta, Demerit driving suspension: cautionary notice and suspension thresholds for GDL and fully licensed drivers, suspension lengths, reinstatement points, 2-year record rule, conviction date, appeals and reviews, merit credit.
• Government of Alberta, Demerit points: overview of the demerit program for GDL and non-GDL drivers.
• Government of Alberta, Distracted driving: $390 fine and 3 demerit points, restricted and allowed activities, two-ticket rule.
• Government of Alberta, Get a Class 7 learner's licence: 8 demerit points before suspension.
• Government of Alberta, Class 5 driver's licence: GDL suspended at 8 points, no suspensions or demerits in the last year to get a full Class 5.
• Government of Alberta, Restricted Driver's Licence Program: GDL drivers are not eligible.
• Government of Alberta, Alberta Driver's Guide 2026: cars and light trucks (PDF): GDL program, learner and probationary conditions, demerit point penalty tables, GDL-specific penalties, giving up your licence, distracted driving demerits, exiting GDL.

All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.