Double Demerits NSW 2026: Christmas Dates, Offences and Points

Every holiday season, NSW drivers lose their licence because of a single offence they would normally recover from. During double demerits, a single speeding or mobile phone offence can carry enough points to suspend a P plate licence, or push a full licence holder over the limit.

This guide explains how double demerits work in NSW over the 2026 Christmas and New Year period: when they start and end, which offences they cover, how many points you lose for each one, who is most at risk of losing their licence, and what you can do if you are caught.

What Are Double Demerits?

NSW gives drivers demerit points for many traffic offences, and your licence is suspended if you reach your limit. Double demerits are an extra penalty that applies during declared holiday periods, when more people are on the road and the crash risk rises. For certain offences, you receive twice the usual number of demerit points.

Three things surprise many drivers:

• The fine stays the same. Only the demerit points are doubled.
• Only some offences are doubled. Red light, drink driving and most other offences are not affected.
• The date of the offence is what counts. It does not matter when the fine arrives or when you pay it.

When Is Double Demerits in NSW? 2026 and Early 2027 Dates

Transport for NSW publishes the official dates for double demerits in NSW on its Centre for Road Safety demerit points page. The 2026 periods, and the next Christmas period, are:

When does double demerits start?

This Christmas, the period starts on Thursday 24 December 2026 and applies for the whole of that day, so an offence just after midnight on Christmas Eve counts. For a long weekend, the period usually begins on the day before the public holiday weekend, but always check the official dates because they change each year.

When does double demerits end?

The Christmas period finishes at the end of Sunday 3 January 2027. That is 11 days of double demerits in a row, which is longer than any long weekend.

Is it double demerits today?

To check whether it is double demerits today, compare today's date with the table above or with the Transport for NSW list. As at October 2026, Transport for NSW had not yet published the Australia Day 2027 period, so check again in January.

Which Offences Attract Double Demerits?

According to Transport for NSW, the double demerit scheme applies to:

1. Speeding, including speed camera and average speed camera offences
2. Illegal use of a mobile phone while driving or riding
3. Not wearing a seatbelt, or wearing it incorrectly
4. Driving with a passenger who is not wearing a seatbelt or approved child restraint, or is wearing it incorrectly
5. Riding without a motorcycle helmet

Offences such as running a red light, drink driving and drug driving are not doubled. Red light offences still carry 3 points, or 4 in a school zone. See our guide to red light camera fines. Drink and drug driving lead to a licence suspension or disqualification instead of demerit points.

How Many Points Do You Lose During Double Demerits?

The tables below show the fines from 1 July 2026 and the points in and out of double demerit periods. We checked them against the Judicial Commission of NSW Lawcodes database, which records the penalty for every NSW offence.

Speeding (unrestricted licence)

Speeding in an operating school zone attracts a higher fine and more points, and those points are doubled too. For the full list of speeding penalties, see our guide to speeding fines in NSW.

Mobile phone, seatbelt and helmet offences

Passengers aged 16 or older who do not wear a seatbelt can also receive their own $434 fine. Mobile phone and seatbelt offences are often caught by mobile phone detection cameras, which also check seatbelts. The Lawcodes database lists the doubled points for camera detected offences as well, so it does not matter whether a camera or a police officer catches you.

Who Is Most at Risk of Losing Their Licence?

Your licence is suspended when you reach the NSW demerit points limit for your licence type within any 3 year period. Our guide to how demerit points work in NSW explains the system in more detail.

P plate and learner drivers

Learner and provisional drivers receive at least 4 demerit points for any speeding offence, even 1 km/h over the limit. During double demerits that becomes 8 points. A P2 driver with a clean record who is caught doing 5 km/h over the limit on Boxing Day therefore goes over the 7 point limit in a single offence. P1 drivers and learners reach their 4 point limit with any speeding offence, even outside a double demerit period.

Learner, P1 and P2 drivers are also banned from using a mobile phone at all while driving, even for navigation or a call through Bluetooth. One mobile phone offence during double demerits is 10 points.

Full licence holders

A full licence holder can usually absorb one offence, but double demerits make it easy to reach 13 points:

• A driver who already has 4 points and is caught using a phone (10 points) reaches 14 points.
• A driver carrying 2 unrestrained passengers receives 12 points in one go.
• A driver caught doing more than 45 km/h over the limit receives 12 points, as well as an automatic 6 month suspension.

Unrestricted licence holders who reach the limit are suspended for 3 months (13 to 15 points), 4 months (16 to 19 points) or 5 months (20 points or more), according to Legal Aid NSW.

Drivers on a good behaviour licence

If you chose a good behaviour period instead of a suspension, your limit is only 2 points. Any doubled offence is at least 2 points, and breaching a good behaviour period leads to a suspension of twice the original length. This group has the most to lose over the holidays.

School Zones and Double Demerits

Double demerits can apply in addition to school zone penalties. When a double demerit period falls on a school day, the higher school zone points are doubled. For example, Transport for NSW noted that school zones were operating on Thursday 2 April, Friday 24 April and Friday 5 June 2026, during the Easter, Anzac Day and King's Birthday periods.

The Christmas period is different. NSW public school Term 4 ends on Thursday 17 December 2026, and Term 1 2027 does not start until late January, so school zones will not be operating during the 24 December to 3 January period. Normal speed limits still apply, and police and cameras still operate.

How Strictly Is It Enforced? The Numbers

NSW Police run a statewide traffic operation during each double demerit period. The results show how many drivers are caught:

Over the 2025 to 2026 Christmas operation, police also conducted 597,703 breath tests and detected 939 drink driving offences and 2,415 drug driving offences. NSW Police reported that 265 people had died on NSW roads in 2026 by the end of the Labour Day long weekend.

Double Demerits in Other States

NSW double demerits only apply to offences committed in NSW, but other states and territories have their own rules:

• ACT: runs double demerits over the same holiday periods as NSW, including Christmas 2026.
• Western Australia: applies double demerits over declared holiday periods.
• Queensland: does not double points over holidays. Instead, a second offence of certain types within 12 months attracts double points.
• Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory: do not have a double demerit scheme.

If you hold a NSW licence and commit an offence interstate, Transport for NSW says the number of points the offence attracts in NSW may still be applied to your licence. See the NSW Government guide to demerit points.

What About the Demerit Point Reward?

From 2023 to January 2026, NSW ran a trial that removed one demerit point from unrestricted licence holders who went 12 months without an offence. The NSW Government announced in December 2025 that the program would become permanent. However, as at October 2026 the Road Transport Amendment (Demerit Points Reduction) Bill 2026 was still before Parliament. The Legislative Council insisted on its amendments on 4 June 2026, and the Legislative Assembly had not agreed to them. A holiday offence may also cost you the next reward, because you need 12 months without an offence.

Caught During Double Demerits? Your Options

If you receive a fine during a double demerit period, you usually have 3 options.

1. Pay the fine

Paying the fine is treated as accepting the offence. The demerit points are recorded and you have no further chance to argue about the points. If they take you over your limit, Transport for NSW will send you a notice of suspension.

2. Request a review

You can ask Revenue NSW to review the fine, for example if there was a genuine error or you have a good driving record. Reviews of speeding and mobile phone offences in double demerit periods are rarely successful, but a caution is sometimes possible for a minor offence by a driver with a long clean record.

3. Take the fine to court

You can elect to have the matter heard in the Local Court. The court can decide whether you are guilty, and if you plead guilty, it can deal with the offence under section 10 without recording a conviction. If that happens, no demerit points are recorded at all. Courts do not grant section 10 easily for traffic offences, but a good driving record, a genuine need for your licence and completing the Traffic Offender Intervention Program all help. Note that the court can also impose a higher fine than the penalty notice.

If you have already received a suspension notice

• Learner and P plate drivers can appeal a demerit point suspension to the Local Court, but the appeal must be lodged before the suspension starts. See our licence appeal lawyers.
• Full licence holders usually cannot appeal a demerit point suspension, but can choose a 12 month good behaviour period instead.
• Never drive while suspended. It is a criminal offence with a further disqualification. See our page on driving while suspended.

How to Avoid Losing Points This Christmas

• Check the dates before you travel, and remember the period runs for 11 days.
• Use cruise control on highways, and watch for changes in speed limits around towns, roadworks and holiday traffic.
• Put your phone out of reach, or use a commercially designed holder for navigation if you hold a full licence.
• Make sure every passenger is properly buckled in before you move. The driver can be fined and lose points for any passenger who is not properly restrained.
• Plan for fatigue on long trips, and take a break at least every 2 hours.
• Check your current points with Service NSW before the holidays, so you know how much room you have.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are double demerits in NSW for Christmas 2026?

From Thursday 24 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, including both days.

Do double demerits double the fine?

No. The fine stays the same. Only the demerit points are doubled.

Which offences have double demerits in NSW?

Speeding, illegal mobile phone use, seatbelt offences (including unrestrained passengers) and motorcycle helmet offences.

Do double demerits apply to camera fines?

Yes. The points depend on the date and time of the offence, not on whether a camera or a police officer detected it.

Can a P plater lose their licence for one offence during double demerits?

Yes. Any speeding offence by a learner or P plate driver is at least 8 points during double demerits, which is more than the P2 limit of 7 points and the learner and P1 limit of 4 points.

Do double demerits apply on school days?

They can. If a double demerit period falls on a school day, the higher school zone points are doubled. School zones will not be operating during the 2026 Christmas period.

Can I get out of double demerit points?

Only if Revenue NSW withdraws the fine or gives you a caution on review, if a court finds you not guilty, or if the court deals with the offence under section 10 without a conviction. A lawyer can tell you whether that is realistic in your case.

Talk to a Traffic Lawyer About Your Licence

A double demerit offence can cost you your licence, your job or your ability to care for your family. The earlier you get advice, the more options you have, especially before you pay the fine.

We advise drivers across Sydney on fines, court elections, section 10 applications and licence appeals, and we offer fixed fees for traffic matters where possible.

This article provides general information about NSW law as at October 2026. It is not legal advice. Fine amounts change every 1 July, and double demerit dates are set by Transport for NSW. For advice about your situation, speak with a lawyer.