Alberta Demerit Points: How Long They Last and Suspension Limits

You can expect Alberta demerit points to remain on your record for two years from conviction, with first suspension at 15 points for a full licence or 8 points for GDL.

Published by Fabsy Traffic Ticket Services · General information, not legal advice.

Key facts

• Demerit points are applied on the conviction date and remain on the record and abstract for 2 years.
• A full-licence driver receives a first one-month suspension at 15 or more points within 2 years.
• A GDL driver receives a first one-month suspension at 8 or more points within 2 years.
• Cautionary notices start at 8 points for full licences and 4 points for GDL licences.
• An approved driver training course may remove up to 3 points once every 2 years if timing requirements are met.

When demerit points are added and removed

Alberta applies demerit points on the conviction date, not the date the ticket was issued. A conviction date can be the day the ticket is paid, the day a court finds the driver guilty, or the day a conviction is entered after a failure to appear.

The points remain on the driving record and driver's abstract for two years from that conviction date. Full-licence drivers receive a cautionary notice at 8 to 14 points and a first one-month suspension at 15 or more; GDL drivers receive a warning at 4 to 7 and a first one-month suspension at 8 or more.

How to check and manage a demerit total

Obtain a current driver abstract from an Alberta registry agent and list each conviction date and point value. A pending ticket has not yet added its points, but its possible effect on the current total should be assessed before the ticket's response deadline.

An approved defensive driving or professional driver improvement course may remove up to three points once every two years. To avoid a suspension, Alberta requires the course to be completed before the conviction that causes the driver to reach the suspension threshold.

How Rapid Resolution works

1. Secure intake and authorization. Upload the ticket and complete the digital consent and authorization so Fabsy can check eligibility and the printed deadline.
2. Disclosure request and tracking. Fabsy requests the available disclosure and tracks it to the file.
3. Disclosure analysis and prosecutor review. Fabsy uses technology-assisted analysis with qualified review to prepare a fact-specific request. Complete, readable disclosure is reviewed and the next authorized prosecutor step is prepared or submitted within 48 hours after it is received and matched to your file.
4. Immediate client updates. Fabsy notifies the client when the file changes, explains any Crown response in plain language and follows the client's authorized direction.

Start Rapid Resolution

Upload a readable copy of the ticket and complete the digital authorization before the deadline printed on the ticket. Rapid Resolution starts immediately and, once complete disclosure arrives, analyzes and advances your eligible Alberta ticket within 48 hours, pursuing a withdrawal or a reduced charge that may lower the fine and/or demerits.

Free Ticket Check; Rapid Resolution: Photo Radar costs $79 CAD plus 5% GST ($82.95 total) for eligible Alberta registered-owner automated enforcement notices, with no success fee. Rapid Resolution costs $198 CAD plus applicable GST for other eligible Alberta pre-trial matters. The Insurance Impact & Renewal Planning Report costs $49 CAD plus applicable GST, or Rapid Resolution and the report cost $229 CAD plus applicable GST. Trial representation is quoted separately; government fines and out-of-scope matters are separate.

The 48-hour clock begins only after complete, readable disclosure is received and matched to the file. It covers Fabsy's review and next authorized action, not Crown response time or the date of a final outcome.

Outcomes depend on the charge, evidence, procedure and prosecutor. A withdrawal, reduction, lower fine, fewer demerits or insurance result is not promised. If the Crown rejects Fabsy's efforts to reduce your original fine or demerits, or withdraw your ticket, and none of those improvements is obtained, Fabsy refunds your service fee within 30 days of receiving the rejection. Payment does not start the 30-day refund clock.