By James Stevens, Director and Solicitor, Go To Court Lawyers. Last reviewed 10 April 2026.
Key points
- ACT speeding points: 1 point for 15 km/h or less over the limit, 3 for more than 15 up to 30, 4 for more than 30 up to 45, and 6 for more than 45.
- Speeding fines from 1 August 2026: $394, $563, $750 and $1,891 (more in a school zone).
- Full licence limit: 12 points within 3 years means a 3-month suspension (4 months for 16 to 19 points, 5 months for 20 or more).
- Learners and provisional drivers are suspended for 3 months at 4 points; a probationary licence is cancelled at 2 points.
- Good behaviour option: full licence holders can choose 12 months of good behaviour instead, but 2 more points means double the suspension.
- Holiday periods carry double points for speeding, seatbelt, helmet and mobile phone offences.
- For advice on a demerit point suspension or a fine, call 1800 577 015 at any hour: free general legal information, and a 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in the ACT for a fixed $295.
In the ACT, a full licence holder who incurs 12 or more demerit points within 3 years has their licence suspended for 3 months (4 months for 16 to 19 points, 5 months for 20 or more), unless they choose a 12-month good behaviour period instead; learner and provisional licence holders are suspended for 3 months at 4 points. Speeding carries 1, 3, 4 or 6 points depending on the speed, with fines from 1 August 2026 of $394 to $1,891 outside school zones, and points double in holiday periods.
Checked on 23 October 2026 against the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Act 1999 (ACT), the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2000 (ACT) and the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005 (ACT).
ACT speeding fines and demerit points
| Speed over the limit | Fine (not a school zone) | Fine (school zone) | Demerit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 km/h or less | $394 | $423 | 1 |
| More than 15, up to 30 km/h | $563 | $611 | 3 |
| More than 30, up to 45 km/h | $750 | $849 | 4 |
| More than 45 km/h | $1,891 | $2,186 | 6 |
These are the infringement amounts and points in the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005 as republished from 1 August 2026. If a speeding charge goes to court instead, the maximum penalty is 20 penalty units. Other examples from the same schedule: not wearing a seatbelt as a driver, $641 and 3 points; using a mobile device while driving, $615 and 3 points, or $745 and 4 points for messaging, social media, apps or the internet.
How many demerit points you can have in the ACT
| Licence | Points within 3 years | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Full licence | 12 to 15 | 3 months' suspension |
| Full licence | 16 to 19 | 4 months' suspension |
| Full licence | 20 or more | 5 months' suspension |
| Learner or provisional | 4 or more | 3 months' suspension |
| Probationary | 2 or more | Licence cancelled, and no licence for 6 months |
- The 3 years: points count if they were incurred within the 3 years ending on the day of your most recent offence. Points are incurred on the day of the offence.
- The notice: Access Canberra (the road transport authority) serves a notice of licence suspension, and the suspension cannot start earlier than 21 days after the notice is served.
- A fresh start: the points counted for the notice are deleted when the suspension (or good behaviour period) begins, though Access Canberra keeps a record of them. Points incurred later are counted from the end of that period.
- No restricted licence is available during a demerit point suspension, and the suspension is added to, not served at the same time as, any other suspension.
- Moving up a licence: Access Canberra says points reset to zero when you move from a learner to a provisional licence, but carry over from a provisional to a full licence.
Good behaviour instead of a suspension
- The option: if you hold a full licence and are served with a notice of suspension, you can elect to be of good behaviour for 12 months instead of serving the suspension.
- When to elect: any time from the day the notice is served until the day before the suspension would end. The 12 months start on the day the suspension would have begun, or, if you elect after that, on the day Access Canberra receives your election.
- The catch: if you incur 2 or more demerit points during the 12 months, your licence is suspended for twice the original period.
- Who cannot elect: Access Canberra says the option is not available to learner, provisional, probationary or restricted licence holders, or to someone already on a good behaviour period.
Double demerit points in holiday periods
Offences committed during an ACT holiday period attract extra demerit points: double points for speeding, seatbelt, motorbike helmet and mobile device offences (and some offences about how passengers travel), and 1 extra point for other offences that carry points. The Minister can declare that the extra points do not apply to all or part of a holiday period.
- Christmas and New Year: the period depends on the day of the week of 25 December. In 2026, 25 December is a Friday, so the period runs from 24 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
- Long weekends: for example, when a Monday is a public holiday, the period runs from the Friday before to the Monday; when a Friday is a public holiday, from the Thursday before to the Sunday. Some public holidays are excluded by the regulation.
- Other periods: the Minister can also declare a holiday period.
Checking your points and getting help
| Service | How |
|---|---|
| Access Canberra (to check your demerit points total) | Call 13 22 81, visit an Access Canberra Service Centre, or apply for a licence history search |
How Go To Court Lawyers can help
Our free line, 1800 577 015, answers at any hour. Jen, our AI legal information assistant, gives general legal information and takes your details; Jen is not a lawyer and does not give advice about your case. A 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in the ACT is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person where the lawyer offers it. The lawyer can advise you on a notice of suspension, on whether to elect a good behaviour period, and on contesting a fine in court. Requests are taken at any hour; how soon a lawyer can see you depends on who is available. Request a $295 consultation.
General information only, not legal advice. Updated 23 October 2026. Checked against the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Act 1999 (ACT), republication 43, sections 16 to 19, 23 and 24; the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Regulation 2000 (ACT), republication 83, sections 124, 125, 132 and 133; the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005 (ACT), republication 105 (effective 1 August 2026), sections 21 and 22 and schedule 1, part 1.16; and Access Canberra's page "Demerit points and suspensions", on 23 October 2026.