Demerit points in New Zealand explained, how many you have and what happens at 100

Last updated 20 June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Most people know demerit points exist and that enough of them costs you your licence, but very few know how many they actually have, how many it takes, or the single biggest quirk of the system, which is that the speed camera tickets most of us collect do not add any points at all. That gap in understanding is how people are blindsided by a suspension notice they did not see coming, and also how others worry needlessly about camera fines that were never touching their licence.

This guide explains exactly how the demerit system works, what each common offence costs, what happens at 100 points, and how to check your own balance in a couple of minutes. It is general information, not legal advice.

What demerit points are

Demerit points are a running tally the Transport Agency keeps against your driver licence for certain traffic offences. They are separate from the fine. When you commit a qualifying offence you pay the infringement fee and the matching number of points is recorded against your licence. The points are not money and you cannot pay them off. They are simply a count, and when the count gets high enough you lose your licence for a while.

The threshold is 100 points within any two-year window, and the consequence is a three-month suspension. The whole system is set out by the Transport Agency. The important details are which offences count, how long points last, and how close to the line you actually are, and those are what the rest of this guide covers.

Camera tickets carry no demerit points

This is the part that surprises almost everyone, so it is worth stating plainly. A ticket from a safety camera does not add any demerit points. New Zealand Police are explicit that there are no demerit points for safe speed camera infringement notices. The same goes for red light cameras and the newer average speed cameras. If a machine caught you, you get the fine, but your licence is untouched.

Demerit points are added only when a police officer issues the ticket to you in person. The same 40 km/h over the limit costs you a fine and nothing more if a camera caught it, but a fine plus 50 demerit points if an officer pulled you over for it. The reason is that a camera photographs the vehicle, and the registered owner is liable for the fine, but the system does not assume the owner was the driver, so it does not touch a specific person’s licence. An officer, by contrast, has identified the actual driver.

One consequence worth knowing. Because the owner is liable for a camera fine but not assumed to be the driver, if someone else was driving your car you can transfer liability for the fine to them, but there are no points involved either way. The practical upshot is simple. Worry about demerit points when an officer stops you, not when a camera flashes.

How many points each offence costs

These are the demerit values for common offences when issued by an officer. Remember the points come on top of the fine.

Speeding, by how far over the limit

• Up to 10 km/h over, 10 points
• 11 to 20 km/h over, 20 points
• 21 to 30 km/h over, 35 points
• 31 to 35 km/h over, 40 points
• More than 35 km/h over, 50 points

Other common offences

• Using a mobile phone while driving, 20 points
• Running a red light or a stop sign, when stopped by an officer, 35 points
• Careless or inconsiderate driving, 35 points
• Unsafe passing or a pedestrian crossing offence, 35 points
• Following too closely, 20 points
• Breaking a learner or restricted licence condition, such as driving alone or carrying passengers, 35 points
• Driving an unlicensed vehicle, expired rego, 15 points; an unregistered vehicle, 20 points
• Failing or refusing to stay for an evidential breath or blood test, 50 points
• A driver under 20 over the alcohol limit, 50 points

The pattern is clear. One serious officer-issued offence, 50 points for very high speed or a breath-test refusal, takes you halfway to a suspension in a single hit, and two within two years can be enough to lose your licence.

What happens when you hit 100

When your active points reach 100 within a two-year period, the Transport Agency sends you a notice suspending your licence for three months. The suspension is automatic once you cross the line. You do not get a warning shot at 99, which is why knowing your balance matters.

During the three months you cannot drive at all. Driving while suspended is a serious offence in its own right, well beyond an infringement, and can lead to a court charge, a longer disqualification and even your vehicle being impounded. Once the three-month suspension is served, the demerit points that triggered it are cleared, so you start again from zero on those, though any newer points sit on your record as usual.

There is also a separate rule for the courts. If a court disqualifies you from driving for six months or more for an offence, all of your existing demerit points are cancelled at that point.

How long points stay on your record

Each set of points stays on your record for two years from the date of the offence, then falls off automatically. The two years runs from when the offence happened, not from when you paid the fine or when the points were recorded.

This is why the system works on a rolling two-year window. Points you collected two and a half years ago are already gone and no longer count towards the 100. It also means time genuinely is on your side. If you avoid further officer-issued offences, your balance falls back towards zero on its own, with no action needed from you.

How to check how many you have

You do not have to guess, and checking is free. There are three ways.

• Online or in the app. If you have a verified RealMe identity you can view your total active demerit points through the Transport Agency website or the NZTA app.
• By phone. Call the Transport Agency free on 0800 822 422 and they can tell you your current balance.
• Request a full report. You can ask for a report showing all your demerit points and any demerit suspensions over the last seven years. There is no fee and it is emailed to you.

If you think you might be getting close to a suspension, this is the first thing to do, because it tells you exactly how much room you have and when older points will drop off.

Learner and restricted drivers

The same 100-point threshold and three-month suspension apply to learner and restricted licence holders. The catch for newer drivers is how quickly the points add up, because breaking a condition of a learner or restricted licence, such as driving without your supervisor or carrying passengers you are not allowed to, is itself a 35-point offence. Combine one of those with a speeding ticket and a new driver can be most of the way to a suspension very fast.

If you are on a restricted licence, treat the conditions as seriously as the speed limit, because the points for breaching them are just as heavy. Note one upcoming change. From 25 January 2027 a restricted licence holder who accumulates demerit points faces an extra six months on their restricted licence on top of the usual consequences.

What you can and cannot do about them

There is a lot of folklore here, so to be clear about what is real.

• You cannot pay points off or take a course to remove them. Unlike some countries, New Zealand has no defensive-driving discount on demerit points. They expire on their own after two years and that is the only way they go.
• You can challenge the underlying ticket. Points follow the offence, so if you successfully dispute the infringement itself, the points go with it. If you genuinely were not the driver, or the ticket was wrong, fighting the ticket is how you avoid the points.
• You can manage your exposure. Knowing your balance and when old points expire lets you be especially careful in the window where one more officer-issued offence would tip you over 100.
• You can take a hardship licence to the limited degree the law allows. For a demerit suspension there is limited room to keep driving, so the practical defence is avoiding the suspension in the first place.

If the points came from an officer-issued ticket you think is wrong, the place to start is the ticket. Our guides on getting out of a speeding ticket and red light tickets cover the grounds that work.

The takeaway

The demerit system is simpler than its reputation. A hundred points in two years costs you three months off the road, the points last two years and then vanish, and the camera tickets most of us collect do not add any at all. The two things worth doing are knowing that officer-issued offences are the ones that count, and checking your own balance for free when you are not sure how close you are. Everything else takes care of itself with time.

Related guides

• How to get out of a speeding ticket in New Zealand
• How to get out of a red light camera ticket in New Zealand
• WOF or rego expired in New Zealand
• Charged with drink driving in New Zealand

Frequently asked questions

How many demerit points until I lose my licence in New Zealand

100 demerit points within any two-year period triggers an automatic three-month suspension of your licence. The points come on top of any fines, and a single serious officer-issued offence can be worth 50 points, so it does not take many to reach the line.

Do speed camera tickets give you demerit points

No. Safety camera tickets, including fixed and mobile speed cameras, average speed cameras and red light cameras, carry no demerit points in New Zealand. Demerit points are added only when a police officer issues the ticket in person. A camera ticket means a fine but no points on your licence.

How long do demerit points last in New Zealand

Two years from the date of the offence, then they drop off automatically. The two years runs from when the offence happened, not from when you paid the fine, so your balance falls on its own over time if you avoid further officer-issued offences.

How do I check how many demerit points I have

Three ways, all free. View your active points online or in the NZTA app if you have a verified RealMe login, phone the Transport Agency on 0800 822 422, or request a free report of your demerit points and suspensions over the last seven years, which is emailed to you.

Can I pay off or remove demerit points

No. You cannot pay points off or take a course to clear them in New Zealand. They expire on their own two years after the offence. The only way to avoid points from a ticket you believe is wrong is to successfully dispute the underlying infringement, in which case the points go with it.

What happens to my points after a suspension

Once you have served the three-month suspension, the demerit points that triggered it are cleared, so you start again from zero on those. Any points recorded after the suspension stay on your record for their usual two years. A court disqualification of six months or more also cancels all your existing points.

Do demerit points apply to learner and restricted drivers

Yes, the same 100-point threshold and three-month suspension apply. Newer drivers reach it faster because breaching a learner or restricted condition, such as driving without a supervisor or carrying passengers you are not allowed to, is itself a 35-point offence on top of anything like a speeding ticket.

Does an expired WoF or rego add demerit points

An expired warrant of fitness adds no demerit points. An expired rego does. Driving an unlicensed vehicle carries 15 points, and an unregistered vehicle carries 20, on top of the fine. See our guide on an expired WOF or rego for the detail.

Have you been caught out by a demerit suspension, or checked your points and had a surprise, in New Zealand? Tell us in the comments below.