Driving with a suspended license in Calgary is just not a good idea from a legal standpoint. This is considered a legal offence under the Criminal Code and Alberta has strict enforcement programs in place to prevent persons from operating a motor vehicle while disqualified. If you’re caught driving with a suspended license in Alberta, you may go to jail and/or face a large fine.

Additionally, your license will likely be suspended for an additional six months, and this new suspension won’t begin until your existing suspension ends. And what happens to the vehicle you were driving? Whether you own it or not, it’ll be seized and impounded for at least 30 days with all incurred towing and impound fees being the responsibility of the registered owner of the vehicle.

And what happens if you get involved in an accident driving while disqualified in Calgary? Your insurance will probably not cover the cost of any damages or injuries sustained during the accident, meaning you may be sued by the other driver(s) involved in order to pay for said damages.

If you have four or more demerit points (but less than eight), you’ll receive a courtesy notice in the mail. Once you’ve accumulated eight or more, your operator’s license will be automatically suspended for a month. If it’s your second suspension within a year, your operator’s license will be suspended for three months and you’ll have to appear before the Alberta Transportation Safety Board. If you’ve had three or more demerit suspensions within two years, your operator’s license will be suspended for six months and you’ll have to appear before the Alberta Transportation Safety Board.

Once you’ve served your suspension time, your operator’s license will be reinstated with three points. These points will remain on your driver’s record for two years from the reinstatement date of issue. Once two years have elapsed since your date of conviction (the date you actually paid your fine or were found guilty, not the date you received your ticket), the number of points will be assessed and stricken from your demerit total. If you complete a defensive driving course prior to accumulating eight or more points, a maximum of three demerit points will not be included in your overall demerit total for two years.

If you have eight or more demerit points (but less than 15), you’ll receive a courtesy notice in the mail. Once you’ve accumulated 15 or more demerit points within a two-year period, your operator’s license will be automatically suspended for a month. If it’s your second demerit suspension in a year, your operator’s license will be suspended for three months. If you’ve had three or more demerit suspensions within two years, your operator’s license will be suspended for six months and you may be required to appear before the Alberta Transportation Safety Board.

Once you’ve served your suspension time, your operator’s license will be reinstated with seven points. These points will remain on your driver’s record for two years from the reinstatement date of issue. Once two years have elapsed since your date of conviction (the date you actually paid your fine or were found guilty, not the date you received your ticket), the number of points will be assessed and stricken from your demerit total. If you complete a defensive driving course prior to accumulating 15 or more demerit points, a maximum of three demerit points will not be included in your overall demerit total for two years.

Need to know how many demerit points you’re facing? Here’s a breakdown of the most common driving offences and how many demerit points they’re each worth:

Should you have a question about the demerit point system in Alberta or need an experienced traffic ticket agency to help you fight for your rights, please feel free to contact our office. We Defend™ offers free consultations and a 24-hour phone line for emergency service.