Heading away? A speeding ticket could cost you double. Here are the start and finish dates for double demerit points in Australia.
Few things truly encapsulate how good life can get, but for many Aussies, the Christmas and New Year holidays are one.
In between filing the last pieces of work, finally going on annual leave, hunting the best Christmas presents and applying a bucket load of sunscreen, the Australian summer is ripe with possibilities.
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And while the holiday period is meant to be a festive and joyous time, it’s also a time when police are doubling down their road operations in the hopes of mitigating the likelihood of any severe injuries or accidents on local roads.
Additionally, double demerit points are also in the stockings of offending motorists, depending on where they live. If you need a refresher on when the double-demerit period starts in each state, here’s what you need to know.
It’s worth noting that Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory do not enforce double-demerit penalties.
When do double demerit points start in Queensland?
Queensland is the only state in Australia that imposes double demerit points year-round. According to the state government, drivers caught repeatedly committing specific offences within a year of the first offence can be penalised with double demerits.
These include general road offences such as speeding 20km/h or more above the speed limit, using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt and not wearing a motorcycle helmet.
Motorists don’t need to commit the same exact offence to be issued double demerits, only that the offence falls within the same “offence category”, according to the Queensland state government.
Additionally, any driver with a Queensland licence who commits the offence outside of the state may have double demerit points recorded on their driver’s history “as if the offence was committed in Queensland”.
When do double demerit points start in New South Wales?
For NSW drivers, the state’s holiday double-demerit period runs from 24 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
Similar to Queensland, the general road offences carrying double demerit points are speeding, illegal mobile phone use, seatbelt infringements and riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
The state’s demerit point relief program – which takes off a point for drivers who’ve kept a clean record between 17 January 2025 and 31 January 2026 – is available for motorists until the end of January 2026.
When do double demerit points start in Western Australia?
In Western Australia, the double-demerit point period runs from 19 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
While the state will penalise motorists for the same offences – such as speeding, improper seatbelt infringements and illegal mobile phone use – as NSW and Queensland, it’s worth noting other offences will also carry double demerits, according to the WA government.
These include drink and drug driving, running a red light, driving a vehicle “fitted with a device designed to evade” speed cameras (14 points during the double-demerit period), as well as driving in a manner to avoid speed camera detection (14 demerits).
When do double demerit points start in the ACT?
As in New South Wales, double demerit points are enforced in the Australian Capital Territory between 24 December 2025 and 4 January 2026.
Motorists in Australia’s capital who are caught speeding, improperly wearing their seatbelt, not wearing motorcycle helmets while riding, and illegal mobile phone use can be subjected to double demerits during the holiday period.
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