Provincial Offences
What happens if a G1 or G2 driver gets a ticket in Ontario?
Last updated October 8, 2026.
A G1 or G2 driver faces the same fines as anyone else, plus extra licence consequences. A first conviction for breaking a G1 or G2 condition, for drinking or drug use, for a phone offence, or for any offence worth 4 or more demerit points suspends the licence for 30 days; a second, for 90 days; a third cancels it. Novice drivers also hit demerit point suspensions sooner: at 9 points instead of 15.
These rules are set out in Ontario Regulation 340/94 and the Highway Traffic Act, and they apply on conviction, which includes paying the ticket. That makes the 15 days after a ticket especially important for new drivers. Our page on provincial offences and traffic ticket help describes how Carson Frankum, a licensed paralegal in Hamilton, works with drivers on these charges. This guide explains who counts as a novice driver, what triggers each consequence, and what can change the outcome.
How does a ticket play out for a novice driver, step by step?
- Check that you are a novice driver. You are classed as a novice in Class G1 or G2 until you pass the level 2 exit test, unless you have held a full licence in the last three years or qualify through an equivalent licence from another jurisdiction (O. Reg. 340/94, s. 29). The Ministry's guide treats G1, G2, M1, M2, M1-L and M2-L holders as new drivers.
- Read the charge. Find the section number on the ticket. The consequences depend on whether it is a novice condition, a zero alcohol or drug charge, a hand-held device charge, or an offence carrying 4 or more points in the demerit table.
- Decide within 15 days. You can pay, request a meeting with the prosecutor where the notice offers it, or ask for a trial. Doing nothing for 15 days leads to a conviction without a hearing (Provincial Offences Act, s. 9).
- A conviction is entered. Paying is a guilty plea. Once there is a conviction, the court's guide says demerit points and automatic suspensions follow by law, and a justice of the peace has no power to waive them.
- The Registrar acts. After giving notice, the Registrar suspends or cancels the licence under the escalating sanctions in section 9 of O. Reg. 340/94, or sends a letter or suspends under the demerit rules in sections 15 to 17 of O. Reg. 339/94.
- The suspension runs from surrender. A 30-day or 90-day suspension lasts until that many days have passed since you surrendered the licence, or two years from the suspension, whichever comes first (O. Reg. 340/94, s. 11(3)). The province lists a $281 fee to reinstate a suspended licence.
Which offences trigger the escalating suspensions?
Section 9(3) of O. Reg. 340/94 lists the offences. A conviction for any of them counts toward the sequence below.
| Conviction | Consequence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First | Licence suspended 30 days | Runs from surrender of the licence |
| Second | Licence suspended 90 days | Not counted as a second if more than five years after the previous conviction (s. 10(4)) |
| Third | Licence cancelled | Must reapply as a G1 with no credit for earlier time; fees not refunded (s. 11(4) and (5)) |
| Offence | Law |
|---|---|
| Novice driver with a blood alcohol level above zero | HTA s. 44.1(3) |
| Novice driver with a drug in the body | HTA s. 44.2(4) |
| Breaking a G1, G2 or M1 condition | O. Reg. 340/94, ss. 5, 6, 7 |
| Any offence with 4 or more points in the demerit table, whether or not points are recorded | O. Reg. 339/94, Table |
| Failing to stop for police where a suspension order is made | HTA s. 216(3) |
| Hand-held device or display screen | HTA ss. 78, 78.1 |
Common 4-plus point offences include speeding 30 km/h or more over the limit, following too closely, failing to yield to a pedestrian, careless driving and stunt driving. The points for each are listed on our page about how demerit points work in Ontario.
What are the G1 and G2 conditions?
| Condition | G1 | G2 |
|---|---|---|
| Blood alcohol | Zero | Zero |
| Accompanying driver | Required: fully licensed G driver, licensed at least four years, blood alcohol under 0.05, the only other person in the front seat | Not required |
| Passengers | No more than the working seat belts | No more than the working seat belts |
| Night driving | No driving from midnight to 5 a.m. | Midnight to 5 a.m.: if under 20, at most one passenger under 20 in the first six months, then up to three (family members excepted) |
| Highways | No 400-series highways with limits over 80 km/h, the QEW, Highway 407 and some expressways, unless with a licensed driving instructor | Any road |
Breaking one of these conditions is an offence under section 57.2 of the Highway Traffic Act. For Hamilton drivers, the G1 highway list includes Highway 403 where the limit is over 80 km/h and the QEW.
What changes the answer?
The kind of charge
A distracted driving conviction for a novice brings the same fines as for other drivers but, according to the Ministry, no demerit points: instead it brings the 30-day, 90-day and cancellation sequence. Our page on distracted driving penalties has the fines. A speeding ticket at 30 km/h or more over is a 4-point offence and so triggers the sequence, while 16 to 29 km/h over (3 points) does not; see how speeding fines are set.
Points or suspension, not both, for 4-plus point offences
If the licence is suspended or cancelled under the escalating sanctions because of a 4-plus point offence, no demerit points are recorded for that conviction (O. Reg. 340/94, s. 11(6)). Lower-point offences still add points and count toward the novice thresholds.
The novice demerit thresholds
Under O. Reg. 339/94, a novice with 2 to 5 points within two years gets a warning letter (s. 15). At 6 to 8 points the Registrar may require an interview, and the licence may be suspended or cancelled if you do not attend or show cause (s. 16). At 9 points the licence is suspended for 60 days for a first suspension and six months for a later one (s. 17). After a suspension, points are reduced to 4. The Ministry's guide describes the 6 to 8 stage as a second warning letter.
Alcohol and drugs
Every novice driver must have a blood alcohol level of zero and no drug in the body while driving (HTA, ss. 44.1(1) and 44.2(1)). The same applies to young drivers under 22, whatever their licence (ss. 44.1(2), 44.2(2)). On conviction, the fine is $60 to $500, and a young driver's licence is also suspended for 30 days (ss. 44.1(3) and (5)). The Ministry's impaired driving page lists the fine as up to $1,000, so check the section on your ticket. At the roadside, police can require a novice who registers alcohol to surrender the licence, and it is then suspended for 7 days on a first suspension, 14 days on a second and 30 days on a third or later one (s. 48.1(5)).
Several charges from one incident
If you are convicted of two or more listed offences from the same circumstances, only one counts toward the escalating sequence (O. Reg. 340/94, s. 9(4)). The order of convictions, not the order of offences, decides which is the first, second or third (s. 9(5)).
Holding another licence class
If you are a novice in G but fully licensed in M (or the reverse), the 4-point, 216(3) and phone triggers do not apply (O. Reg. 340/94, s. 10(3)), and the full-licence demerit thresholds apply instead (O. Reg. 339/94, s. 18).
Stunt driving
Stunt driving carries its own roadside suspension and impound for every driver, and it is also a 6-point offence that counts toward the novice sequence. See stunt driving penalties.
A worked example
For example, imagine an 18-year-old Hamilton driver named Lena who holds a G2 licence. She is ticketed for going 32 km/h over the limit on a city road. That band carries 4 demerit points, so it is on the novice list. If she pays, she is convicted, and the Registrar can suspend her licence for 30 days as her first escalating sanction. No demerit points would be recorded for that conviction, because the suspension takes their place.
Lena could instead ask for a meeting with the prosecutor. At that meeting a defendant and the prosecutor can agree to a plea to the charged offence or to a different offence (Provincial Offences Act, s. 5.1(7)). If a plea to 29 km/h over were agreed, that is a 3-point offence, outside the escalating list, and she would get a warning letter for reaching 3 points. Whether any change is offered depends on the prosecutor, the evidence and her record. If she is later convicted of another listed offence within five years, the next suspension would be 90 days. Lena is a made-up person, and this is not a real case or a result anyone obtained.
Common mistakes new drivers make with tickets
- Paying because the fine is small. For a novice, the suspension often matters more than the fine. Payment is a conviction, and the sanction follows.
- Thinking the phone ticket has no points, so it is minor. For novices it has no points because it brings a suspension instead.
- Driving during a suspension. The suspension lasts until you surrender the licence or two years pass. Driving while suspended is a separate offence with fines starting at $1,000.
- Assuming a ticket in another province does not count. The Ministry's guide says convictions in other provinces, New York and Michigan can add points as if they happened in Ontario.
- Letting a fine go unpaid. A defaulted fine can suspend your licence on its own; see what happens when a traffic fine goes unpaid.
- Running out the five years. The province gives you five years to finish graduated licensing, and a cancellation sends you back to G1 with no credit for time already served.
What to do this week
- Note the date you were served; your 15 days start then.
- Find the section number on the ticket and check whether it is on the novice list above.
- Count any earlier convictions in the last five years that were on the list.
- If the notice offers it, consider an early resolution meeting with the prosecutor before you decide to pay.
- Check your licence status online if you have had any letter from the Ministry.
- If a suspension would affect school, work or your road test timing, get advice from a licensed paralegal before the 15 days end. Hamilton tickets are handled at the court described on our Hamilton Provincial Offences Court page.
Frequently asked questions
Does a ticket reset my G1 or G2 time?
A third conviction on the novice list cancels the licence, and you must reapply as a G1 without credit for time already earned (O. Reg. 340/94, s. 11(4)). The regulation does not say the same for a 30-day or 90-day suspension, but keep the five-year limit for finishing graduated licensing in mind.
Can I take my road test while my licence is suspended?
The regulation and the Ministry pages reviewed for this guide do not answer this directly. Ask DriveTest or ServiceOntario before booking, since a suspended licence is not a valid licence under the regulation's definition.
Does the zero alcohol rule end when I get my full G?
Not if you are under 22. The young driver rule in section 44.1(2) of the Highway Traffic Act applies to every driver under 22, whatever the licence class.
Are fines higher for novice drivers?
Not as a rule. The Ministry says novice drivers face the same fines as other drivers for distracted driving, and the zero alcohol and drug offences have their own fine range. The real difference is in the suspensions and the lower demerit thresholds.
Can the justice of the peace cancel the suspension?
The court's guide says some suspensions are imposed automatically on a finding of guilt and the justice of the peace has no power to waive or reduce them. What can sometimes change is the conviction itself, through a trial or an agreed plea.
Can a licensed paralegal represent a G1 or G2 driver?
Yes. Under the Law Society's By-Law 4, section 6, a licensed paralegal may advise on and represent you in Provincial Offences Act proceedings before the Ontario Court of Justice. Our article on whether fighting a traffic ticket is worth it covers that decision in general terms.
Sources
- O. Reg. 340/94, Drivers' Licences, ss. 5, 6, 9 to 11, 29 (Ontario e-Laws)
- O. Reg. 339/94, Demerit Point System, ss. 15 to 18 and Table (Ontario e-Laws)
- Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, ss. 44.1, 44.2, 48.1, 53, 57.2 (Ontario e-Laws)
- Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.33, ss. 5.1, 9 (Ontario e-Laws)
- Understanding demerit points (Ministry of Transportation, ontario.ca)
- Get a G driver's licence: new drivers (ontario.ca)
- Distracted driving (ontario.ca)
- Impaired driving (ontario.ca)
- Reinstate a suspended driver's licence (ontario.ca)
- Guide for Defendants in Provincial Offences Cases (Ontario Court of Justice)
- By-Law 4, Licensing, s. 6 (Law Society of Ontario)
Need help with a provincial offence? Contact us today for legal support.
This page gives general information about Ontario law, not legal advice for your situation. Cheddar Paralegal PC is a paralegal firm licensed by the Law Society of Ontario; licensed paralegals can help only with matters the Law Society allows paralegals to handle.