In New South Wales, demerit points are managed by Transport for NSW. On a full licence you’re suspended once you reach 13 points; learners and provisional drivers have much lower limits. Points last three years from the offence date. Here’s how the limit, the suspension periods and the good behaviour option work, and how you get your licence and points back.
Each demerit point stays active for three years, counted from the date of the offence rather than from when you were caught or paid. Reach your limit within that window and Transport for NSW suspends your licence.
Your limit before a suspension depends on your licence type:
| Licence type | Limit before suspension |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted (full) licence | 13 points |
| Approved professional driver | 14 points |
| Provisional P2 | 7 points |
| Provisional P1 | 4 points |
| Learner | 4 points |
Once you reach your limit, Transport for NSW suspends your licence. For a full licence the time off the road steps up with the number of points:
| Points | Off the road for |
|---|---|
| 13–15 points | 3 months |
| 16–19 points | 4 months |
| 20 or more points | 5 months |
Learner, P1 and P2 drivers are suspended for a flat 3 months once they reach their limit.
Only unrestricted licence holders can take it, learners and provisional drivers can’t. You elect a 12-month good behaviour period in response to your suspension notice, before the suspension starts. During it your limit drops to a single point: incur 2 or more and all your licences are suspended for double the original period, with no appeal.
At the end of the suspension, the points that counted toward it stop counting, so they can’t push you into another suspension. If your licence is still current, you can drive again the day it ends, with no test. If you go over your limit twice within 5 years, you also have to re-sit the Driver Knowledge Test in person, and unrestricted drivers must complete a driver education course before the licence is restored.
Learner and P1 limits are just 4 points, so a single mid-range speeding offence can be enough, and the suspension is a flat 3 months. A suspended P2 driver serves an extra 6 months on P2 for every suspension. Learners and provisional drivers can appeal a demerit suspension to the Local Court. Full-licence holders don’t get that court appeal for a demerit suspension, because their alternative is the good behaviour option instead.
These limits and suspensions are about your licence, but the points themselves come from a fine, so there is a separate path worth remembering. You can request a review of the underlying fine through the issuing authority, and if the fine is withdrawn the demerit points that came with it are removed too, which can stop you reaching your limit in the first place. Fight My Fine helps you draft that review letter.
Official sources: Transport for NSW / NSW Government · Service NSW (good behaviour period) · Legal Aid NSW.
On a full licence, 13 points. Learners and provisional drivers reach their limit much sooner (P1/L: 4, P2: 7).
They generally stay on your record for three years, from the date of the offence.
Learners and provisional drivers have a much lower limit (P1/L: 4, P2: 7), so a single serious offence can be enough to lose the licence.
Once the suspension is served, the points that counted toward it stop counting, so they can’t trigger another one. You can drive again the day it ends if your licence is current.
If the fine that added the points looks wrong, Fight My Fine helps you draft a review or leniency letter, structured around what the reviewing officer looks for. You get a free case-strength check first, and if your grounds are weak we tell you before you pay. Flat price: $10 for parking and toll fines, $15 for all other fines.
Fight My Fine is a self-help tool, not a law firm, and this page is general information, not legal advice. You are the author and sender of every letter. The issuing authority makes the final decision on any review. For serious matters or court, speak with a qualified lawyer or a free service such as LawAccess NSW.