In Tasmania, demerit points are managed by Transport Tasmania. On a full licence you’re suspended once you reach 12 points; learners and provisional drivers have much lower limits. Points last three years (12 months for learners and P-platers). 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 offence date. They stay active for three years on a full licence, or 12 months for learners and provisional drivers.
Your limit before a suspension depends on your licence type:
| Licence type | Limit before suspension |
|---|---|
| Full licence | 12 points in 3 years |
| Provisional | 4 points in 12 months |
| Learner | 4 points in 12 months |
Once you reach your limit, Transport Tasmania 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 |
Learners and provisional drivers reach the first tier at 4 points. Tasmania calls this a "period of ineligibility", you can’t drive or apply for a licence during it.
Full licence holders only can apply for a 12-month good behaviour period using the form in their suspension notice, before the suspension starts, and keep their licence in the meantime. Incur more than 1 point during the year and the suspension is doubled.
When the period of ineligibility ends you get your licence back automatically: full licence holders are posted their licence before it finishes (though you can’t drive until it does), while learners and provisional drivers apply for a duplicate at a Service Tasmania shop the day after. Points aren’t formally "reset", they drop off as they age past their three-year (or 12-month) life.
Learners and provisional drivers have a 4-point limit measured over 12 months (rather than 12 points over 3 years), and must apply in person for a duplicate licence once a suspension ends. Everyone who loses a licence is assessed for possible case management, which can extend the novice driving period.
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 You can request a review of the underlying fine through the issuing authority, and if the fine is withdrawn the demerit points that came with it are removed too, which can stop you reaching your limit in the first place.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 Tasmania, demerit points · Transport Tasmania, suspensions & good behaviour.
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 for a full licence, or 12 months for learners and provisional drivers, 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.
Tasmania doesn’t state a formal reset; points drop off as they pass their three-year (or 12-month) life.
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.