Good Driving Behaviour Licence QLD: What You Need to Know About Licence Demerit Points Suspensions

What Is a Good Driving Behaviour Period?

A Good Driving Behaviour Period offers drivers a second chance to keep their licence after exceeding their demerit point limit. Rather than facing an immediate suspension, drivers can elect to be subject to a good behaviour period for 12 months to continue being able to drive. 

Example: Tom holds an open driver licence. He accumulates 11 demerit points for traffic offences in two years. Tom gets caught speeding and is sent an infringement notice for an offence with three demerit points causing him to accumulate 14 demerit points. Tom receives a notice from TMR offering him the option of having his licence suspended for three months or opting for a 12-month Good Driving Behaviour Period.

Why Would I Elect a Good Driving Behaviour Period?

Suppose you exceed your demerit point limit and want to avoid the inconvenience of a licence suspension. In that case, you should consider electing a Good Driving Behaviour Period. Suppose you continue driving under a good behaviour licence. In that case, you cannot accumulate more than one demerit point during the 1 year good behaviour period. 

Demerit Point Limits in Queensland

The demerit point limits vary depending on your licence type:

• Provisional or international licence holders: 4 points.
• Open licence holders: 12 points.

What Happens If I Don’t Choose a Good Driving Behaviour Period?

Suppose you choose not to elect for a Good Driving Behaviour Period. In that case, your licence will be suspended for a period based on the number of demerit points you’ve accumulated:

• 12–15 demerit points: 3-month suspension.
• 16–19 demerit points: 4-month suspension.
• 20 or more demerit points: 5-month suspension.

The suspension period is typically three months for provisional licence holders and international drivers. If you don’t make a choice before the designated “choice date,” your licence will automatically be suspended the day after.

How to Elect a Good Driving Behaviour Period

To elect a Good Driving Behaviour Period, you must complete a document from TMR called the Accumulation of Demerit Points – Notice to Choose. This Notice will provide you with a choice date by which you must elect the Good Driving Behaviour Period or accept the suspension.

You can elect the Good Driving Behaviour Period in two ways:

1. In-person: Complete form F4012 (Driver Licence Enforcement Option Nomination) and submit it at any Transport and Motoring office before the choice date.
2. Online: Make your election online through the TMR website.

How Long Is the Good Driving Behaviour Period?

The Good Driving Behaviour Period is for 1 year. During this time, you can accumulate only one additional demerit point. If you accumulate more than one demerit point, then you will be in breach.

What Happens If I Accumulate 2 or More Demerit Points While on the Good Driving Behaviour Period?

Suppose you breach your Good Driving Behaviour Period by accumulating two or more demerit points. In that case, your licence will be suspended for 6 months. Sometimes, the suspension period may be longer depending on the number of points incurred.

Suppose you breach your Good Driving Behaviour Period. In that case, you may be eligible to apply for a Special Hardship Order (SHO) to continue driving under specific circumstances.

What Is a Special Hardship Order?

A Special Hardship Order (SHO) is a court order that allows drivers who have breached their Good Driving Behaviour Period to continue driving under restricted conditions. The application for a special hardship order is filed in the Magistrates Court and you must meet specific criteria:

• You cannot have applied for an SHO within the past five years.
• Your Queensland driver licence must not have been suspended, disqualified, or cancelled in the last five years.
• You cannot have obtained a work licence in the last five years.

To be granted an SHO, you must demonstrate to the court that:

• you are a fit and proper person to hold a licence. This will partly come down to your traffic history and the offences you have previously been fined or convicted of.

• If the court did not make the Order:

(i) it would cause extreme hardship to you or your family because you could not earn a living; or

(ii) it would cause severe and unusual hardship to you or your family.

Conditions of a Special Hardship Order

If successful in obtaining an SHO, your licence will come with strict conditions, such as:

• Driving only to and from work or for income-related activities.
• Driving for other specific hardship-related reasons, such as transporting a family member for medical treatment.

The court may also impose additional conditions, such as:

• Keeping a logbook (a driving diary).
• Limiting the times of day and the days of the week you can drive.
• Restricting the type of vehicle you can operate.
• Restricting your ability to have passengers.

Importantly, an SHO is not a full licence, and any further breach (even accumulating just one demerit point) will result in a 12-month suspension.

FAQs

What Happens If I Don’t Make a Choice Under the Notice to Choose?

Suppose you don’t make a choice by the designated date in the Notice to Choose. In that case, your driver licence will be automatically suspended as if you had chosen the suspension option.

I Haven’t Received the Notice to Choose

If you haven’t received your Notice to Choose, contact TMR immediately. TMR may have sent the Notice to an old address if you haven’t updated your postal information with them.

How Long Do Demerit Points Remain On My Traffic Record?

Demerit points remain on your traffic record for three years from the date of the offence.

When Does the Suspension Period Start?

The suspension period starts immediately after you choose a suspension or the day after the choice date if you fail to make a decision.

How Do I Find My Choice Date?

Your choice date will be on the Accumulation of Demerit Points – Notice to Choose sent by TMR.

How Can I Find Out How Many Demerit Points I Have Accumulated?

You can check out how many points you have accumulated using the Queensland Government TMR website here.