3-Point Offences in Ontario

Which offences carry 3 points

A handful of common Ontario convictions carry 3 demerit points: speeding 16–29 km/h over the posted limit, failing to yield the right-of-way, an officer-issued ticket for failing to stop for a red light, and a first conviction for distracted driving. Improper turn is generally assigned 2–3 points depending on the circumstances. Each of these involves a driver making an active choice or misjudgment that increases collision risk for others sharing the road.

Speeding 16–29 km/h over the limit

Ontario’s speeding penalties scale with how far over the posted limit a driver was travelling. Exceeding the limit by 1–15 km/h is a fine-only offence with no points attached, but once the gap reaches 16–29 km/h, a conviction adds 3 points on top of the fine. This is the first speeding bracket where demerit points enter the picture at all.

Failing to yield the right-of-way

Right-of-way rules govern who proceeds first at intersections, when merging, and when turning across oncoming traffic. A conviction for failing to yield reflects a driver proceeding when another vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian had the right to go first — a common contributor to intersection collisions.

Failing to stop for a red light (officer-issued)

When a police officer witnesses a driver run a red light and issues the ticket directly, a conviction carries 3 points. This is distinct from a red-light-camera ticket, which is mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner rather than an identified driver and, as a result, carries a fine only with no demerit points.

Distracted driving — first conviction

A first conviction for distracted driving (typically involving hand-held phone use or other prohibited device use behind the wheel) carries 3 points for fully licensed drivers. A second conviction within 5 years jumps to 6 points — see our page on 6-point offences for that escalation. Notably, G1, G2, M1, and M2 novice drivers face the same fines for distracted driving as fully licensed drivers but do not receive demerit points for it.

How this compares to other brackets

Three-point offences sit above the 2-point compliance offences (seatbelt, signalling) but below the 4-point bracket reserved for higher-speed violations and following too closely. If you’re trying to understand where a specific offence on your ticket falls, the full demerit-point chart lists every common offence by point value in one place.

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