Your guide to double demerits in NSW, the ACT, Queensland and Victoria
Christmas traffic tests everyone’s patience. Double demerits test it twice.
If you’re planning a road trip or heading off for a long weekend, double demerits can turn a single traffic offence into a much bigger licence problem. Whether you’re behind the wheel of your own car or a GoGet carshare car, the rules depend on where you’re driving and on the state or territory that issued your licence.
Let’s break down how double demerits work in NSW, the ACT, Queensland and Victoria, especially for the 2026 Christmas to New Year holiday stretch.
What are double demerit points?
Each state and territory runs its own demerit point scheme, but the basics are the same. You start with a clean slate (zero points) and rack up points for certain traffic slip-ups. In NSW, these points stay active for three years from the date of the offence (Victoria keeps them for four). If you collect too many within three years, your licence could end up taking an unwanted holiday (in other words, suspended).
During double demerit periods, some offences pack twice the punch, so a five-point mistake suddenly becomes ten. The good news? Your fine doesn’t double (breathe easy).
Point limits depend on your licence. In NSW, unrestricted drivers can hold up to 13 points, P2 (green) drivers 7, and learner and P1 (red) drivers just 4. One illegal phone offence during double demerits is worth 10 points, so for learners and P-platers, a single slip-up can mean instant suspension. You can read the full rules on the NSW Government website.
NSW double demerits: when do they start in 2026?
In NSW, double demerits pop up during six public holiday periods: Australia Day, Easter, Anzac Day, the King’s Birthday, Labour Day and the Christmas to New Year stretch. Heads up: they usually start a day or two before the public holiday itself (the Friday before a Monday long weekend, or Christmas Eve for the summer break), so don’t get caught out by an early start.
For Christmas 2026, NSW double demerits run from 12:01am Thursday 24 December right through to 11:59pm Sunday 3 January 2027. Transport for NSW publishes each period as it’s confirmed. That’s 11 days, so think marathon, not sprint. If you get a fine, it’s the date you broke the rules that matters, not when the paperwork lands in your inbox.
💡 Pro tip: Double demerits apply from the very first minute of 24 December. If you’re leaving on Christmas Eve morning, you’re already inside the window.
Which offences attract double demerits?
In NSW and the ACT, double demerits apply to four main categories: speeding, illegal mobile phone use, seatbelt offences, and riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Not every traffic offence carries double points.
For example, drink driving, running a red light or reckless driving will still cost you, but they’re not automatically double demerit offences in NSW. Other rules and penalties still apply, and if you speed in an operating school zone during a holiday period, it’s the higher school zone points that get doubled.
Cruise control was invented for stretches exactly like this one.
Australian Capital Territory: double points and an extra point
The ACT also applies holiday double demerits, and its dates line up with NSW. Christmas 2026 follows the same period: 24 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day are excluded. Access Canberra has the ACT’s full demerit point rules and limits.
The ACT doubles points for speeding, illegal mobile phone use, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences. Here’s the twist: for other traffic offences that already carry demerit points, you’ll get one extra point during these holiday windows. So a three-point offence becomes four, even if it’s not in the main double-up club.
So if you’re hitting the road in the ACT over the holidays, including in a GoGet car in Canberra, keep an eye out for more than just your speed. Those extra points add up fast.
💡 Pro tip: Driving between Canberra and Sydney over the break? NSW and the ACT share the same Christmas dates, so you’re in double demerit territory for the whole trip.
Queensland: double demerits for repeat offences all year
Queensland doesn’t use a special holiday double demerit window. Instead, double demerits apply year-round to people who commit certain repeat offences within 12 months of an earlier offence.
The rule covers illegal mobile phone use, driver seatbelt offences, failing to restrain passengers under 16, motorcycle helmet offences, and speeding more than 20km/h over the limit. For example, a driver who receives four points for a first mobile phone offence can get eight points for a second mobile phone offence within a year. The Queensland Government has the full details.
💡 Pro tip: Queensland’s 12-month clock runs from your last offence, not from 1 January. A phone offence last March can still double your points this Christmas.
Victoria: no double demerit scheme
Victoria keeps it simple: no holiday double demerits here. There’s no double-points blitz for public holidays, and no Queensland-style repeat-offence scheme either.
Standard demerit points still apply every day of the year, long weekends included. Speeding, illegal mobile phone use and other breaches can still result in fines, points or a licence suspension. Transport Victoria lists the limits and how points work.
What about the other states and territories?
Western Australia also runs holiday double demerits, with its own dates and offence list. Its Christmas period starts earlier, running from Friday 18 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, according to the WA Road Safety Commission. South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory don’t have double demerit schemes.
What happens when you drive interstate?
The practical rule is to check both the road rules where the offence happened and the demerit rules of the state or territory that issued your licence. Fines are generally issued where the offence occurred, and licensing authorities share offence details, so your home authority may then record the corresponding demerit points. The NSW Government confirms NSW applies its own point values to offences committed outside NSW.
For example, a NSW licence holder caught speeding in Victoria during a NSW double demerit period may have NSW’s doubled points recorded back home, even though double demerits don’t apply in Victoria itself.
A Queensland licence holder could also face Queensland’s repeat-offence rules after an interstate offence. A Victorian licence holder caught in NSW has points recorded by VicRoads in line with the equivalent offence in Victoria, so don’t assume the number on your record will match the number on the NSW fine.
💡 Pro tip: Brisbane to Byron Bay crosses into NSW. Over the holidays you’ll be driving under NSW road rules, during NSW’s double demerit period.
Byron’s close now. Make sure your licence arrives with you.
Can you lose your licence for an interstate offence?
Yes. If interstate offences push you over your demerit point limit, your licence may be suspended. Crossing a border won’t restore your right to drive.
Depending on your jurisdiction, full licence holders may be able to choose an alternative to an immediate suspension. NSW, Queensland and the ACT offer a 12-month good behaviour period, while Victoria offers a demerit point extension. These options come with strict conditions, and picking up more points during that period usually means a longer suspension.
Driving a GoGet? Here’s how fines work
Double demerits don’t take a holiday just because the car isn’t yours. If you’re caught speeding or using your phone during a GoGet booking, GoGet is legally required to nominate the driver responsible to the authority that issued the fine, whether that’s the police or a local council.
That means GoGet works out who was driving, signs a statutory declaration and passes your details on, so the fine and any demerit points that come with it, doubled or not, end up with you. GoGet will let you know by email, and an admin fee applies to cover the paperwork on top of the fine itself. You’ll find it in GoGet’s schedule of fees.
Think the fine shouldn’t apply? You’ll need to dispute it with the authority that issued it, because the fine is between the driver and that authority and GoGet can’t dispute it on your behalf. GoGet’s guide on how to dispute a fine explains the process.
Double demerits FAQs
When do double demerits start for Christmas 2026?
In NSW and the ACT, they run from Thursday 24 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 inclusive. Western Australia starts earlier, on Friday 18 December 2026, and finishes on the same day. Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have no double demerit scheme.
Do double demerits double the fine?
No. Only the demerit points increase. The fine amount stays the same.
How long do demerit points stay on your licence?
In NSW, points stay active for three years from the date of the offence. Queensland and the ACT also count your limit over three years. In Victoria, points stay active for four years, though your limit is still counted over any three-year period (Transport Victoria).
Does Victoria have double demerits?
No, not during holidays and not for repeat offences. Standard demerit points still apply.
Do double demerits apply if I’m caught interstate?
It depends on your licence. Your home licensing authority may apply its own rules, so a NSW licence holder caught speeding interstate during a NSW double demerit period may still have doubled points recorded.
What happens if I get a fine in a GoGet?
GoGet nominates you as the driver to the authority that issued the fine, so the fine and any demerit points are transferred to you. GoGet emails you when this happens and charges an admin fee for the paperwork, listed in the schedule of fees.
Stay informed before you hit the road
Double demerit rules vary by state and territory, so check the requirements before your next trip, whether it’s a Hunter Valley weekend or a run across the border during a holiday period.
Before heading away to one of the best regional restaurants near Sydney, check your demerit point balance and any double demerit dates along your route. Following the speed limit, keeping your phone away while driving, and making sure everyone is wearing their seatbelt correctly can help protect your licence and keep you and other road users safe.
💡 Pro tip: Check your balance before you go. NSW drivers can check their points online through Service NSW, ACT drivers can call Access Canberra on 13 22 81, and Victorian drivers can check through VicRoads.
Clean licence, full day ahead. The only rule left is sunscreen.
Double the Holidays, Not the Points
The trip is planned, the playlist is half built, and the only thing you want doubling this summer is the time off. Book a GoGet car or van by the hour or day, with fuel, insurance and maintenance included, and take the long way to the Hunter, the South Coast or Byron. No fuel bill, no rego renewal, no car sitting idle most of the year.
