Guides · checked against NZTA October 2026
Demerit points in NZ: how many you get, how long they last, and the 100-point rule
The short answer: if you collect 100 or more demerit points within two years, your licence is suspended for three months. Officer-issued speeding carries 10 to 50 points, using a phone is 20, and speed camera tickets carry none. Points last two years from the date of the offence.
Demerit points by offence
The offences most people ask about, as listed by NZTA. Speeding points apply to officer-detected speeding only.
| Offence | Demerit points |
|---|---|
| Speeding up to 10 km/h over the limit | 10 |
| Speeding 11 to 20 km/h over | 20 |
| Speeding 21 to 30 km/h over | 35 |
| Speeding 31 to 35 km/h over | 40 |
| Speeding more than 35 km/h over | 50 |
| Using a mobile phone while driving | 20 |
| Careless or inconsiderate use of a vehicle | 35 |
| Not stopping at a stop sign | 20 |
| Not giving way at a give-way sign | 20 |
| Not stopping for an enforcement officer | 35 |
| Breaching learner or restricted licence conditions | 35 |
This is a selection, not the full list. See the complete list on the NZTA demerit points page. For the matching fines, see the speeding fine schedule.
How the system works
- The rolling window. Points last two years from the offence date. Your active total is whatever sits inside that rolling window, not a calendar-year count.
- The 100-point suspension. At 100 or more points within two years, your licence is suspended for three months under section 90 of the Land Transport Act 1998. The notice can be served at the roadside, and you are suspended from the date it specifies. When the suspension ends you still need to apply to NZTA to have the licence reinstated.
- When points are cancelled. Points you hold are cancelled when a demerit suspension starts, and if a court disqualifies you for six months or more.
- Speed camera tickets. Speeding recorded by a speed camera carries the fine but no points. Those are NZTA safety camera notices, and they are disputed through NZTA rather than Police.
- Restricted licence holders. NZTA says points gained on a restricted car licence between 7 May 2026 and 24 January 2027 may extend the restricted period when the new car licence system starts on 25 January 2027.
How to check your demerit points
- If you have a RealMe verified identity, use NZTA's online demerit points view (free) from the NZTA demerit points page.
- For a history of the last 7 years of points and suspensions, order the demerit points and suspension history report the same way (free with RealMe).
- No RealMe verified identity? Call NZTA on 0800 822 422.
Near the threshold? The maths changes
A $170 ticket that carries 35 points is not a $170 problem when you're sitting on 70 points. It's a three-month-suspension problem, and for many people a job problem. In that situation, whether to pay or respond to a ticket is worth a proper look: if a notice is waived it no longer counts against you, and the usual grounds are the clean-record waiver, calibration and certification, and notice defects, laid out in the full dispute guide. Whether a notice is waived is always the issuer's decision. Check your current total first so you know what's at stake.
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Check my ticket freeCommon questions
How many demerit points do you get for speeding in NZ?
Officer-issued speeding carries 10 to 50 demerit points depending on how far over the limit you were: 10 points at up to 10 km/h over, 20 points at 11 to 20 km/h, 35 points at 21 to 30 km/h, 40 points at 31 to 35 km/h, and 50 points at more than 35 km/h over. Speeding recorded by a speed camera carries no demerit points, only the fine.
How many demerit points is using a phone while driving?
20 points. Careless or inconsiderate driving is 35, and not stopping or giving way at a stop or give-way sign is 20.
How long do demerit points last?
Two years from the date of the offence, not from the date you were caught or paid. Each offence's points drop off two years after that offence, so your total at any moment is the sum of everything inside the rolling two-year window. Points are also cancelled if a court disqualifies you for 6 months or more, and when a demerit suspension starts.
What happens at 100 demerit points?
If you reach 100 or more within 2 years, your licence is suspended for 3 months from the date on the notice, which can be served at the roadside. When the suspension ends the licence stays of no effect until you apply to NZTA and it reinstates the licence. If you have no current licence, you are disqualified from getting one for 3 months. Any points you hold when suspended are cancelled.
Do speed camera tickets add demerit points?
No. NZTA says speeding points apply except when the speeding is recorded by a speed camera, and NZ Police says there are no demerit points for safe speed camera infringement notices. The fine still applies. Speeding detected by an officer does carry points.
Can I remove demerit points from my licence?
You can't pay to remove points. Points come off after two years, or when a suspension or a long court disqualification cancels them. If a notice that carried points is waived or withdrawn, it no longer counts against you, and written representations to the issuer are the way to ask for that. Whether a notice is waived is the issuer's decision.
How do I check my demerit points?
If you have a RealMe verified identity, NZTA lets you view your current demerit points and driving record online, free. You can also order a report of the last 7 years of demerit points and suspensions the same way, or call NZTA on 0800 822 422. If you're anywhere near 100, check before deciding whether to pay or dispute your next ticket.
Related: the full speeding fine schedule · why speed camera tickets carry no demerits · NZTA safety camera notice — how to dispute it
Sources: NZTA (Waka Kotahi) demerit points page, Land Transport Act 1998 s 90 (demerit suspension), NZ Police driver licence infringement guidance (speed camera notices carry no demerit points). GetMeOff.co.nz provides automated document drafting and general information only — it is not legal advice and no outcome is guaranteed.