How Do Demerit Points Affect My Insurance Rates?

Demerit points are never a consideration when rating your car insurance. In fact, insurance companies do not even look at how many demerit points you have on your record. All that matters in terms of tickets is the number of minor and major driving infractions you have (not including parking tickets).

You can go to court and fight off the demerit points on your ticket, which will help you save yourself from getting your license suspended, but it will not affect your insurance one bit. As soon as you are convicted of the infraction, whether it is speeding 10km over the limit or running a stop sign, it counts as one minor ticket regardless of how many demerit points come with the fine.

I don’t know too much about demerit points but it is my understanding that they are solely used to decide whether or not your license will be suspended. If you get too many, you lose your license.

Also note, that one ticket is not that bad for most insurance companies, some companies even offer good rates if you have two tickets, but once you have three tickets (within three years), you become high risk and only a handful of insurance companies will do business with you until they fall off. Of course all of this is assuming you do not have any at-fault accidents in the past six years.

Tickets remain on your record for three years from the date of CONVICTION, not the date you actually received the ticket. So if you get pulled over on 03/01/2009 but fight the ticket and go to court a year later and at that time you end up losing and having to pay the ticket on 03/01/2010, it will be on your record and count against you for three years starting from 03/01/2010.