How to check your demerit points in Australia

Easter is usually a long weekend to remember for most Australians, but for motorists it can occasionally be a costly one in terms of demerit points. 

Following separate double demerits operations in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Western Australia (WA), as well as increased enforcement in all other jurisdictions, many motorists may find themselves wanting to check their licence status. 

Why? Each time you break the law – be it via speeding, drink driving, mobile phone offences or otherwise – demerit points are added to your licence. 

The good news is that regardless of your home state, all fully licensed motorists in Australia start with up to 14 demerit points up their sleeve, depending on licence type and residing address. 

Here’s how to check your demerit points in each state or territory.

How long do demerit points last?

Generally speaking, demerit points stay on your licence for three years, calculated from the original date of the offence. 

Beyond the three years, the demerit points expire and are taken off your licence, thereby restoring your number of demerit points before that particular offence. 

How much does it cost to check your demerit points in Australia?

Happily, every Australian state and territory offers a free service to check your demerit point status, with the exception of the ACT. 

Our nation’s capital imposes a $27.60 administration fee for users to undertake a full licence history search.

How do I check my demerit points in NSW?

A clean bill of licence health in New South Wales is considered to be zero points. If you are found to have broken the law and incurred demerit points, those points will be added to your licence.

The maximum number of points that motorists can accrue in NSW depends on licence type. 

A regular ‘full’ or unrestricted licence has a quota of 13 demerit points. Professional licence holders (bus, taxi, hire car and truck drivers, for instance) start with 14 points. 

Learner licence and Provisional P1 licence holders start with four points, while P2 licence holders start with seven points. 

To check your demerit points in NSW, log into the Service NSW portal and access your individual demerit points with your licence details. 

How do I check my demerit points in Victoria?

Fully licensed Victorian motorists and provisional drivers alike can accrue up to 12 demerit points in any three-year period before their licence is suspended. For probationary licence holders, there’s an additional restriction of up to five points in any 12-month period. 

Checking your demerit point status in Victoria is simply a case of logging into your myVicRoads account and navigate to the ‘Licences and Learner Permits’ tab.  

Alternatively, you can call VicRoads at 1300 728 977 for an automated demerit point check. Users can also order a Driver History Report, which is sent to a registered email address.

How do I check my demerit points in Queensland?

Fully licensed Queensland drivers can accrue up to 12 points on their licence over any three-year stretch before it becomes suspended. The rules are harsher for learner and provisional (or p-plate) licence holders, who have up to four points in any one year. 

The easiest way to check your demerit points in Queensland is to log into the Transport and Main Roads (TMR) portal, or go to the QGov website.

How do I check my demerit points in South Australia?

The South Australian demerit points program mirrors that of Queensland: fully licensed drivers can accrue up to 12 points on their licence over any three-year stretch before it becomes suspended, while learner and p-plate licence holders have a provision for up to four points in any one year. 

To check your demerit points status in South Australia, visit the mySAGOV portal.

How do I check my demerit points in Western Australia?

West Australian drivers can accrue up to 12 demerit points on their licence over any three-year period before their licence is suspended. 

Learner and provisional drivers can accrue up to four points in their first year, or up to eight points in the second year as a provisional driver. 

Residents of WA can check their demerit points by a submitting a form on the Department of Transport website.

How do I check my demerit points in Tasmania?

Like most other states, Tasmanian drivers can accrue up to 12 demerit points on their licence over any three year period before it is suspended. 

However, there is an added punch: law makers can enforce additional suspensions for motorists who accrue up to 20 points on their licence during a three-year stint. 

In any case, Tasmania does not offer an online portal to check your licence demerit point status. Instead, residents are advised to call Service Tasmania on 1300 135 513 and have their details handy. 

How do I check my demerit points in the ACT?

Fully licensed drivers in the nation’s capital can accrue up to 12 demerit points, but like Tasmania, will impose additional suspension time on a sliding scale. 

For example, if you accrue between 16 and 19 points over a three-year period, the suspension increases from three months to four months. For 20 points or more, you’re looking at five months off the road. 

Comparatively, both learner licence and provisional licence holders have up to four demerit points at their disposal. 

The process of checking your demerit point status in the ACT is a little more work than other states and territories. You can call Access Canberra on 13 22 81, or visit an Access Canberra Service Centre. From there, users will need to apply for a licence history search.

How do I check my demerit points in Northern Territory?

Northern Territory motorists can accrue up to 12 demerit points in any three-year period before their licence is suspended. Learner and provisional drivers can accrue up to five points in any 12-month period. 

Checking your demerit points in the Northern Territory can be done via the Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) website << Demerit points | NT.GOV.AU>>, or by calling 1300 654 628.