A guide to understanding the

The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act was amended in 2017, and brought the Judiciary, representatives of the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, TTPost and other stakeholders into a collaborative working relationship, to implement a new traffic system.

The Demerit Points System – utilised to monitor, track and improve the road behaviour of drivers, was conceived and implemented as a part of this transformative traffic system.

• Demerit points are electronically calculated and recorded on driving permit records.
• Everyone starts with zero (0) demerit points on their driving permit record.
• A person can accumulate demerit points on their driving permit record, for committing certain traffic violations and offences which carry demerit points.
• The more traffic violations or offences that are committed – such as speeding, unauthorised use of the Priority Bus Route, or Driving Under the Influence of alcohol (DUI), the more demerit points that are electronically accumulated on a person’s driving permit record.
• Depending on the total amount of demerit points accumulated within a specified period, this could result in the suspension of a person’s driver’s permit, as well as other consequences.

• Every driver starts with zero (0) demerit points on his/her driving permit record.
• The vast majority of the traffic offenses and violations form part of the Traffic Ticketing System and the Demerit Points System.
• Demerit points are placed on a person’s driving permit record only after payment of a Traffic Ticket.
• Failure to pay the Traffic Ticket and/or contest the Traffic Ticket within the prescribed time frame; or conviction before a court for a traffic violation or offence that carries demerit points, will result in demerit points being placed on a person’s driving permit record.
• Demerit Points will stay on your record for a maximum of two (2) years.
• Once two (2) consecutive years have passed without the driver accumulating additional demerit points, these points will automatically be removed from his/her driving permit record.
• If a driver reaches their maximum threshold of demerit points according to the law, he or she can be disqualified from driving for a specified period.
• For the purpose of administering demerit points and disqualification periods, there is a distinction between:
  • A newly licensed driver or provisional permit holder (an individual who holds their driving permit for a period of twelve (12) months or less from the date of issue).
  • An experienced driver (an individual who holds their driving permit for a period of more than twelve (12) months from the date of issue).

Note: There are no demerit points for traffic violations detected by automated cameras e.g. red-light and spot speed cameras.

Statistics show an increase in road fatalities and serious accidents during certain periods e.g. long weekends, Easter, Carnival, Christmas and New Year’s Day Holiday Season.

To ensure safer roads, demerit points may be doubled for specified traffic violations during these periods. For example, driving while holding or using a handheld mobile device carries three (3) demerit points.

During the double demerit points period, this traffic violation will carry six (6) demerit points.

The public will be notified of the implementation of double demerit points by way of publication in the daily newspapers, at least five (5) days prior to its commencement.

The period allocated to double demerit points will not exceed ten (10) consecutive days.

• If a motorist has committed multiple traffic violations in one incident, he or she will be issued a traffic ticket for each traffic violation.
• The motorist will be responsible for paying ALL the stipulated fines on each ticket.
• Only the traffic violation that carries the highest number of demerit points will be applied on the driving permit record of the driver.
• For example, if a driver receives a ticket for the unauthorized use of the Priority Bus Route which carries six (6) demerit points, and also receives a ticket for an overcrowded vehicle which carries three (3) demerit points – in the same instance, the driver of the vehicle will be required to pay both fines. However, only six (6) demerit points will be applied to the driving permit record of the driver, which represents the highest of the both violations.
• Only in the instance where a driver breaks the red light (without being captured by the camera enforcement technology) AND exceeds the speed limit, will the demerit points for both violations be recorded, AS WELL AS the highest number of demerit points for any other violation arising out of the same incident.

Step 1
If you accumulate or exceed the threshold of demerit points and are subject to disqualification, the Licensing Authority will notify you in writing prior to disqualification.

Step 2
Once you receive this notification of impending disqualification, you can explain in writing to the Licensing Authority, why your driving permit should not be suspended.

Step 3
Where you fail to show good reasons, the Licensing Authority will inform you of the disqualification. The disqualification will take effect fourteen (14) days after the date of the notice.

Step 4
You will then be required to surrender your driving permit to the Licensing Authority, according to the instructions given in the notification letter [Step 1].

Step 5
Failure to surrender your driving permit to the Licensing Authority is an offence that carries a fine of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and further disqualification for an additional period of one (1) year.

Step 6
A driving permit disqualified by the Licensing Authority during the period of suspension, will be invalid. You are committing an offense if you drive while your driving permit has been suspended.

Step 7
When the disqualification period expires, all demerit points recorded against your driving permit record will be expunged or removed.

The Licensing Authority is required to specify when suspension will occur, not less than fourteen (14) days after the date of the notice. A person who is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving permit may appeal to a Court within fourteen (14) days of the receipt of the notice.

Demerit Points will remain on the record of a driver for a maximum of two (2) years. After two (2) consecutive years have passed without the driver accumulating additional points, the existing number of demerit points will automatically be expunged or removed from his/her driving permit record, therefore returning the driver’s record to zero.
Demerit points are expunged from a driver’s driving permit record under two conditions:

• The expiration of the disqualification period; or
• Maintaining good driving behaviour for a period of two (2) consecutive years.

Please see the table below for a listing of traffic violations and offenses that carry Demerit Points under the Ninth Schedule located under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, tab on the homepage.

Where there is no fixed penalty fine stipulated, this is an offense or violation that is not subject to the Fixed Penalty Traffic Ticketing System. In that instance, Demerit points will be recorded only upon conviction before a Court.