In Queensland, demerit points are managed by Transport and Main Roads (TMR). On a full licence you’re suspended once you reach 12 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.
Points are counted from the date of the offence. An open licence is tested over any 3-year period, while learners and provisional drivers are tested over a rolling 1-year period.
Your limit before a suspension depends on your licence type:
| Licence type | Limit before suspension |
|---|---|
| Open licence | 12 points in any 3 years |
| Provisional (P1/P2) | 4 points in any 1 year |
| Learner | 4 points in any 1 year |
Once you reach your limit, Transport and Main Roads (TMR) suspends your licence. For a full licence the time off the road steps up with the number of points:
| Points | Off the road for |
|---|---|
| 12–15 points | 3 months |
| 16–19 points | 4 months |
| 20 or more points | 5 months |
Provisional and learner drivers are suspended for a flat 3 months. Queensland also applies double demerit points year-round for repeat phone, seatbelt, motorcycle-helmet and certain speeding offences.
Open and provisional licence holders (but not class C learners) can choose a 1-year good driving behaviour period instead of the suspension. The catch: no more than 1 point during the year. Get 2 or more and an open licence is suspended for double the original period, while a provisional licence is suspended for 6 months.
Once the suspension is served, those points no longer count and you can drive again, automatically if your licence is still current, or after renewing it if it has expired. Queensland starts your tally fresh so the same points don’t trigger a second suspension.
Provisional and learner limits are 4 points over a rolling year. Class C learners get no good-driving-behaviour option, a 3-month suspension is automatic. Drivers under 25 who are suspended (or who take the good behaviour option) also get a late-night driving restriction. A special hardship order can allow limited driving, but on a zero-point limit.
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 You can request a review of the underlying fine through the issuing authority, and if the fine is withdrawn the demerit points that came with it are removed too, which can stop you reaching your limit in the first place.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: Queensland Government (TMR), open licence · TMR, provisional · TMR, learner.
On a full licence, 12 points. Learners and provisional drivers reach their limit much sooner (4 in 12 months).
They generally stay on your record for three years (measured over a rolling 12 months for learners and P-platers), from the date of the offence.
Learners and provisional drivers have a much lower limit (4 in 12 months), so a single serious offence can be enough to lose the licence.
Once the suspension is served the points no longer count, and you can drive again if your licence hasn’t expired.
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.