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Demerit point offences Incurring demerit points Demerits warning notice Losing your licence for demerit points Electing the good behaviour option Demerit point offences
If you commit a traffic offence against the Road Traffic Act 1961 or the Australian Road Rules 1999, you may incur demerit points against your driver’s licence.
The number of points incurred depends on the offence and how likely it is to cause a crash.
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Incurring demerit points
If you accumulate 12 or more demerit points in any three year period, you will be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence or permit. Each three year period is calculated based on the dates the offences were committed.
If you accumulate:
- 12 to 15 points you lose your right to drive for three months
- 16 to 20 points you lose your right to drive for four months
- more than 20 points you lose your right to drive for five months.
Demerit points are incurred whether the offence is committed in South Australia or interstate.
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Demerits warning notice
If you accrue six or more demerit points, a warning notice is sent to you (unless you have an interstate address) warning that you are close to being disqualified from driving.
The warning notice shows the:
- offence details
- date the offence was committed
- number of demerit points for each offence.
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Losing your licence for demerit points
If you are disqualified from driving as a result of the accumulation of demerit points, the disqualification starts 28 days after a formal notice is sent to you, providing you formally acknowledge receipt of the notice within this timeframe.
If you are already disqualified, any new demerit point disqualification will start immediately after the existing disqualification ends.
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Electing the good behaviour option
In lieu of serving the demerit point disqualification, you may be eligible to apply for a good behaviour option.
Information on the good behaviour option is provided on the disqualification notice.
You must make a formal application to accept a 12 month good behaviour option at the time of acknowledging receipt of your disqualification notice.
Once the good behaviour condition is accepted, you will be able to continue to drive but your licence will be subject to the condition that you do not incur two or more demerit points during the good behaviour period. If you incur two or more points you will be disqualified for twice the original disqualification period (with no right of appeal or further good behaviour option).
Demerit points associated with an existing demerit disqualification or good behaviour option are not counted towards a future disqualification.
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More information
On this site
Checking your demerits and driving history
Downloads
List of demerit points - offences against the Road Traffic Act 1961
Legislation
Motor Vehicles Regulations 2010 [Schedule 4 – Demerit Points]