How Many Demerit Points Can a G1 Driver Get in Ontario?

A G1 driver in Ontario gets a warning letter at 2 demerit points, a second warning at 6, and a 60-day licence suspension at 9 or more points within two years. But the bigger risk is a single ticket: if you are convicted of an offence worth 4 or more points, such as speeding 30 km/h or more over the limit, your licence is suspended for 30 days on a first offence, even though you are nowhere near 9 points.

This post explains both systems that apply to new drivers: the demerit point thresholds and Ontario's escalating penalties. It also shows the full-licence numbers side by side, because those are the ones that are easy to mix up. Everything here comes from ontario.ca's Understanding demerit points page and the Official MTO Driver's Handbook.

Who counts as a "new driver" for demerit points?

Ontario.ca says you are a novice (new) driver if you hold a G1, G2, M1, M2, M1-L or M2-L licence. So everything below applies to G2 drivers too, not only G1. Different thresholds apply once you have a full licence.

How demerit points work in Ontario

A few basics from the official demerit points page:

• You start at zero and gain points. You don't "lose" points. Points are added to your record when you are convicted of certain driving offences.
• Points last two years. In ontario.ca's words: "Demerit points stay on your record for two years from the offence date."
• Some out-of-province tickets count. Convictions in other Canadian provinces and territories, the State of New York and the State of Michigan add points to your Ontario record as if the offence happened in Ontario.

How many demerit points can a G1 driver get?

Here are the thresholds for G1 and G2 drivers, as listed in the handbook's demerit point system section:

1. 2 points or more: you receive a warning letter.
2. 6 points: you receive a second warning letter encouraging you to improve your driving.
3. 9 points or more: your licence is suspended for 60 days.

The handbook states the rule plainly:

"As a Level One or Level Two driver, you will have your licence suspended if you accumulate nine or more demerit points during a two-year period."

After a 60-day suspension, the points on your record are reduced to 4. If you reach nine points again, the handbook says your licence "may be suspended for six months", while ontario.ca's demerit points page says that if you reach too many points again, your licence "will be suspended for another 6 months." Ontario.ca also says that after a suspension you may need to take your vision, written and road tests again.

G1 vs full G licence: demerit point thresholds side by side

The handbook teaches both sets of numbers on the same page, so it helps to see them together.

Sources: the MTO Driver's Handbook and ontario.ca. For both groups, failing to surrender your licence when it is suspended can cost you your licence for up to two years.

G1 demerit points suspension: escalating penalties

On top of the point thresholds, novice drivers face what ontario.ca calls "escalating" penalties: consequences that get stiffer with each similar offence. According to ontario.ca, escalating penalties can apply if you are:

• convicted of breaking graduated licensing rules (for example, a G1 condition)
• "convicted of a Highway Traffic Act offence that results in four or more demerit points (e.g., street racing, careless driving)"
• subject to a court-ordered suspension for an offence that would otherwise have resulted in four or more demerit points

The penalties step up like this:

On a third offence, ontario.ca says you also lose any time discount you earned, any time you were credited, and any fees you paid. For what "starting over" means in terms of waiting periods, see G1 to G2 to G: the full Ontario licence timeline.

The handbook's chapter on other ways to lose your licence says escalating sanctions apply when these occurrences happen within a five-year period.

Those 4+ points don't count toward your 9

There is one detail in the handbook that is easy to miss. When a novice driver gets an escalating sanction suspension for a 4+ point offence or a novice-condition violation, the handbook says:

"However, the demerit points will be recorded as zero on your record, and will not be counted towards the accumulated demerit point system."

So, for a novice driver, a first 4-point speeding conviction brings a 30-day suspension, but the handbook says those points are recorded as zero and do not count toward the 9-point total.

Speeding ticket on a G1: how many points?

These are the speeding bands in the official tables, and what each one means for a G1 or G2 driver.

Neither official table lists demerit points for speeding less than 16 km/h over the limit. This post covers points and suspensions only, not fines.

For the full list of roads and hours that are off-limits, see where a G1 driver can and can't drive.

Other common offences and their demerit points

A few examples from the handbook's table of offences. Anything at 4 points or more falls under escalating penalties for a novice driver.

What to do if your licence is suspended

When your licence is suspended, the Ministry of Transportation sends you a letter with the date the suspension takes effect, and you must surrender (hand in) your licence. Ontario.ca lists two ways to do that:

• in person at any ServiceOntario centre
• by mail to the Ministry of Transportation, Driver Control Section (the full address is on the demerit points page)

You cannot surrender a suspended licence at a DriveTest centre. The handbook says the 60-day novice suspension runs from the date you surrender your licence.

How to practise demerit point questions

The handbook's chapter summary lists "How the demerit-point system works for new and fully licensed drivers" as something you should know, and ontario.ca points to the handbook to prepare for your knowledge test. The numbers above (2, 6, 9 for novice drivers and 6, 9, 15 for full licences) are easy to mix up under test pressure, so practise them until they are automatic.

Try our free Rules of the Road mock exam, which has 20 questions. The Ontario G1 practice test app has 250+ practice questions organized by handbook topic, 20 mock exams, and smart review of the questions you miss.

Frequently asked questions

How many demerit points can a G1 get before a suspension?

9. A G1 or G2 driver who reaches 9 or more demerit points within two years has their licence suspended for 60 days. But a single conviction worth 4 or more points leads to a separate 30-day suspension on a first offence.

Do you lose your G1 for a speeding ticket?

It depends on how fast you were going. Speeding 16 to 29 km/h over the limit is 3 points and a warning letter. Speeding 30 km/h or more over is 4 or more points, which brings a 30-day suspension for a first offence under escalating penalties.

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

Two years from the offence date. This is the same for novice and fully licensed drivers.

Are novice driver demerit points different from full licence points in Ontario?

The points for each offence are the same, but the thresholds are lower for novice drivers. Novice drivers get warning letters at 2 and 6 points and a 60-day suspension at 9. Fully licensed drivers get warnings at 6 and 9 and a 30-day suspension at 15.

What happens on a third escalating penalty offence?

Your novice licence is cancelled. You must re-apply, take all the tests again and pay all fees again, and you lose any time discount or credited time you had.

Do the G1 rules also apply to G2 drivers?

Yes. Ontario.ca defines novice drivers as holders of G1, G2, M1, M2, M1-L and M2-L licences, and the same demerit thresholds and escalating penalties apply to all of them.

Does a ticket from another province count on my Ontario G1?

Yes, if you are convicted. Driving convictions in other Canadian provinces and territories, New York and Michigan add demerit points to your Ontario record as if the offence happened in Ontario.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Understanding demerit points: two-year rule, who is a novice driver, novice and full-licence thresholds, escalating penalties (30 days, 90 days, cancellation), offence point values, out-of-province points, surrendering a licence.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Keeping your driver's licence: demerit point system for Level One and Level Two drivers, points recorded as zero for escalating sanction offences, full-licence thresholds, table of offences.
• Government of Ontario, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Other ways to lose your licence: five-year period for escalating sanctions, 30-day suspension for novice-condition violations, chapter summary.
• Government of Ontario, Get a G driver's licence: new drivers: handbook as the study guide for the knowledge test.

All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.