Queensland Demerit Points: Thresholds, Accrual Windows and Good Driving Behaviour (2026)

Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) suspends a driver once demerit points reach 12 for an open licence within three years, or four for a learner or provisional licence within just one year, a divergence that catches many new drivers off guard.

How Queensland's Demerit Points System Works

Queensland runs its demerit points system through the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), the state's driver licensing authority, under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (Qld) and its Driver Licensing Regulation 2021 (Qld). An offence carrying demerit points is recorded once the fine is paid, referred to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) for non-payment, or the driver is convicted in court. TMR tracks the running total against the threshold for the driver's licence class over a rolling period. Reach the threshold and TMR issues a licence sanction notice: a set suspension, or, for eligible licence holders, a Good Driving Behaviour period instead. The demerit points schedule, listing every offence and its point value, sits in Schedule 5 of the driver licensing regulation.

Queensland demerit points at a glance

FY2026-27 mobile phone offence, all licence classes: $1,295 fine and 4 demerit points.

Open Licence: 12 Points Within a 3-Year Window

A Queensland open (full) driver licence is suspended once a driver accumulates 12 or more demerit points within a rolling three-year period. TMR calculates the window from the date of each offence, not the calendar year, so points from more than three years ago drop out of the count while newer ones stay live. Once the 12-point threshold is reached, TMR sends a notice setting out the suspension length: three months for 12 to 15 points, four months for 16 to 19 points, or five months for 20 or more points. An open licence holder who reaches the threshold can instead choose a 12-month Good Driving Behaviour period, covered below, in place of the suspension.

Learner and Provisional Licences: 4 Points Within Just 1 Year

Learner and provisional (P1, P2 and probationary) licence holders face a far tighter limit: 4 or more demerit points within a continuous 1-year period triggers a licence sanction notice, against 12 points across three years for an open licence. The shorter window reflects the higher crash risk associated with newly licensed drivers; a lower ceiling and a faster-resetting clock are designed to catch a pattern of offending earlier, while a driver is still building experience. The 4-point threshold and 1-year window apply identically to a learner permit and every stage of a provisional licence, so a driver gains no extra headroom by progressing from L plates to P plates.

The Good Driving Behaviour Period, and Why Learners Are Excluded

When an open or provisional licence holder's demerit points reach the applicable threshold, TMR issues a notice to choose between serving the scheduled suspension or completing a 12-month Good Driving Behaviour period instead. The driver selects the start date, which must fall by the deadline on the notice. Tolerance during those 12 months is minimal: earning 2 or more further demerit points for offences committed on a Good Driving Behaviour period triggers an automatic suspension, doubled for an open licence (a 4-month suspension becomes 8 months) or a flat 6-month suspension for a provisional licence holder. Learner licence holders have no Good Driving Behaviour option at all; reaching 4 points within a year means serving the suspension in full, even after upgrading to a provisional licence.

Double Demerit Points: A Year-Round Rule, Not a Holiday Rule

Queensland doubles demerit points for a second or subsequent mobile phone, seatbelt, speeding or motorcycle helmet offence committed within 12 months of an earlier one, and this applies all year round. That is a meaningfully different model from New South Wales and Western Australia, which instead double points during declared holiday periods, such as long weekends and the Christmas and Easter breaks, regardless of whether the driver has offended before. A Queensland driver should not assume points are only at risk around a holiday calendar; the trigger here is repetition within a rolling 12 months. A driver who commits a second qualifying offence within that window faces double the points, on top of the fine for the offence itself.

FY2026-27 Mobile Phone Fine and Speeding Penalties

Queensland's fines rose 3.5% on 1 July 2026, when the state's penalty unit increased from $166.90 to $172.70. Illegal mobile phone use while driving, including holding the phone, having it resting on the body without a compliant mount, or using it while stopped at traffic lights, now carries a $1,295 fine and 4 demerit points for the 2026-27 financial year; the FY2025-26 figure was lower, at approximately $1,251. This FY2026-27 figure will step up again at the next 1 July indexation, so confirm the current amount with TMR. Speeding penalties for FY2026-27 rise in bands according to how far a driver exceeds the limit.

Blood Alcohol Limits and How Queensland Compares to Other States

Queensland's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rules track licence class rather than a single statewide number. Open licence holders may drive at a general BAC below 0.05, while learner and provisional licence holders are held to a zero-alcohol limit of 0.00. This article covers demerit points only; for the penalty structure attached to each BAC category, see the site's Australian drink-driving BAC limits spoke and TMR's own drink driving pages, which set out current penalties in full.

Queensland's 12-point open licence threshold matches New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia on paper, but the systems diverge past that headline number. New South Wales sets a higher full-licence threshold of 13 points and separate provisional limits of 7 (P2) and 4 (P1), all over a 3-year window rather than Queensland's split 3-year (open) and 1-year (novice) structure; see New South Wales demerit points. Victoria applies a dual test to learner and probationary drivers, 5 points within 12 months or 12 points within 3 years, whichever comes first, instead of Queensland's flat 4-point, 1-year novice rule; see Victoria demerit points. Western Australia's provisional system is tiered by experience, 4 points in the first two years and 8 in the second provisional year, against a 3-year window; see Western Australia demerit points. No two of these systems mirror each other, and relying on interstate figures while holding a Queensland licence risks a serious miscalculation.

See the Australia driving laws hub and the demerit points explained national spoke for the full 8-jurisdiction picture.

This article provides general legal information about demerit points and driver licence sanctions under Queensland law. It is not legal advice and does not account for an individual driver's circumstances. Information was verified against Queensland Government sources on 20 July 2026. For advice on a specific situation, consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory, or contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads directly.