Warning Letters and Interviews in Ontario

How the staged system works

Ontario’s demerit-point system is designed to escalate gradually rather than jump straight from a first conviction to a licence suspension. As points accumulate on a driver’s record within the active two-year window, the Ministry of Transportation moves through defined thresholds — a warning letter first, then in some cases a more serious warning or an interview, and only after that a suspension. The exact thresholds differ for fully licensed (G) drivers versus novice drivers still in the graduated licensing system.

Fully licensed (G) drivers

Novice drivers (G1, G2, M1, M2)

What an interview generally involves

When a fully licensed driver’s point total reaches the 9–14 range, they may be asked to attend an interview to review their driving record with the Ministry. This is generally an administrative review rather than a court proceeding — an opportunity for the Ministry to discuss the pattern of convictions on the driver’s record, confirm the driver understands the consequences of continuing to accumulate points, and, in some cases, evaluate whether further conditions might apply. It is not a step where the driver contests the underlying convictions themselves — that opportunity exists earlier, when a ticket is disputed rather than paid.

Why this stage matters

A warning letter or interview is, in effect, Ontario’s way of flagging a driving record before it escalates to a suspension that affects a driver’s ability to legally drive at all. Because points remain active for two years from the offence date (see our page on how long points remain on your record), a driver who receives a warning letter still has a window in which additional convictions can push them into a more serious stage. Treating a warning letter as a signal to drive more cautiously — rather than something to ignore — is often the most practical way to avoid reaching the suspension threshold.

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