Demerit points are part of Alberta’s licensing system. Convictions and resulting suspensions can affect your auto insurance premiums and eligibility.
To prepare this guide, our team reviewed the Government of Alberta’s demerit point program and the province’s Traffic Safety Act. We also analyzed proprietary MyChoice auto insurance quote data to explain how traffic convictions and licence suspensions can affect insurance costs.
How Demerit Points Work in Alberta
In Alberta, you get a certain number of demerit points every time you’re convicted of a traffic offence. More severe offences usually carry a higher point penalty. A common example would be speeding in the province, where you get:
- 2 demerit points for speeding up to 15 km/h above the speed limit
- 6 demerit points if you exceed the speed limit by 51 km/h
Once you pass a certain threshold, the authorities will take action. These actions range from cautionary letters to licence suspension. But not all violations carry demerit point penalties. Some violations, like driving without insurance, result in a fine instead of demerit points.
How Many Demerit Points Before You Lose Your Licence?
How many demerit points trigger a suspension depends on your licence type.
Demerit Points for Class 5 Licence Holders
Fully licenced drivers receive a suspension at 15 or more points. This also applies to fully licenced drivers in licence classes 1 through 6. The driver will receive a cautionary letter in the mail at 8 points.
Your suspension period gets longer with subsequent suspensions:
- First suspension: Once you accumulate 15 demerit points within two years, your licence is suspended for one month.
- Second suspension: If you receive another demerit suspension within one year, your licence is suspended for three months.
- Third suspension: Your third suspension within two years will last six months. This also applies to subsequent suspensions.
After each suspension, your licence will be reinstated with 7 demerit points.
Demerit Points for Class 7 Licence Holders
Class 7 licence holders are learner drivers, so they have a lower demerit point threshold. You’ll get a cautionary letter at 4 demerit points and a suspension at 8 points. Class 5-GDL probationary drivers face the same 8-point suspension threshold because GDL status sets the limit, not the licence class.
Here’s a summary of the suspension periods:
- First suspension: You’ll lose your licence for one month at 8 demerit points.
- Second suspension: A second suspension in one year extends your suspension period to three months.
- Third suspension: A third suspension within two years means losing your licence for six months.
You’ll get your licence reinstated with 3 demerit points after each suspension.
Getting Your Licence Back and Appealing a Suspension
Once the suspension period has fully run, you reapply for your licence through an Alberta registry agent. You have to bring identification and be ready to pay the reinstatement and licensing fees. Your record then restarts at 7 demerit points on a full licence or 3 for GDL drivers.
If you believe your demerit points were assigned in error, you can request a review through Alberta’s Monitoring and Compliance unit. However, you cannot appeal a demerit driving suspension itself. If you want to challenge the conviction that led to the suspension, you must appeal that conviction through the Court of Justice of Alberta.
How Long Do Demerit Points Last?
Demerit points last two years from your date of conviction. You’re considered convicted when you pay a fine or are found guilty in court. Demerit points are removed two years after the conviction date, not the ticket date.
Are Demerit Points Written on Your Ticket?
Demerit points aren’t written on your ticket because they’re issued on conviction. Your demerit points will be issued after you pay a fine or are found guilty in court.
Can You Reduce Demerit Points?
Yes. Alberta lets you reduce your points by completing an approved defensive driving course. Finish one and up to 3 demerit points come off your record. The credit is available only once every two years, and the course must be from the Government of Alberta’s approved list and delivered through a licensed provider.
To avoid a suspension, the course must be completed before the conviction date of the offence that triggers it.
How to Check Your Demerit Points in Alberta
You can check how many demerit points you have by requesting a driver’s abstract. A driver’s abstract contains information about your driving record, including:
- Basic personal information
- Licence status
- Demerit points
- Past suspensions
- Traffic convictions
- Conditions for licence reinstatement, if applicable
You can request abstracts for the past three, five or 10 years. Insurers may look at your abstract when setting your Alberta car insurance rates.
Your driver’s abstract is available at an Alberta registry agent. You can also get it online through the Government of Alberta’s website.
Do Demerit Points Transfer to Other Provinces?
Your Alberta driving record follows you. Provinces exchange conviction information under the Canadian Driver Licence Agreement, so it’s the convictions that travel, not your Alberta point total.
Read More: How Out of Province Speeding Tickets Work
How Demerit Points Affect Insurance
Contrary to popular belief, demerit points themselves don’t affect insurance premiums, but the traffic convictions associated with them do. According to MyChoice’s internal data collected since the beginning of 2026, drivers can see anywhere from a 30% to 300% increase in their premiums after a licence suspension in Alberta, depending on the reason for suspension.
Read More: How Car Insurance Works in Alberta
Accumulating demerit points can lead to suspensions, which may raise your insurance premiums. Some insurers may even turn you down if you have too many recorded suspensions.
Offences That Come With Demerit Points
Different types of offences have varying demerit point penalties. Here’s an Alberta demerit points list to help you avoid committing these offences.
Speeding
The points you get for speeding depend on how much you exceed the speed limit:
- 6 points: Exceeding the speed limit by 51 km/h and above
- 4 points: Exceeding the speed limit by 31 to 50 km/h
- 3 points: Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 30 km/h
- 2 points: Exceeding the speed limit by 15 km/h and under
Violations for GDL Drivers
New Alberta drivers participate in the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program regardless of age. In most cases, a GDL driver holds a Class 7 or a Class 5-GDL probationary licence.
Class 7 learners must not:
- Drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
- Drive without a qualified supervisor
GDL drivers must not carry more passengers than the vehicle has seat belts.
Each of these offences carries a 2-point demerit penalty.
Read More: Tips for Safe Night Driving
Other Offences
Here are several offences and their point penalties:
7 Points
Escaping the scene of a collision or accident
6 Points
- Driving carelessly
- Not stopping for a school bus
- Racing vehicles with a wager or bet
5 Points
- Not stopping at an uncontrolled railway crossing
- Not stopping at railway crossings while carrying explosives or flammable material
- Not stopping and providing information to a police officer
4 Points
- Not yielding to pedestrians at a crosswalk
- Following another car too closely
3 Points
- Driving the wrong way on a highway
- Failing to report an accident
- Running red lights
2 Points
- Disobeying traffic control devices
- Backing into intersections unsafely
- Taking improper turns