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NWT Class 7 overview

NWT Class 7: Demerit points and suspensions

Demerit thresholds for GDL and fully licensed drivers, interviews, suspension lengths, driver improvement courses, reinstatement and Registrar suspensions.

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Demerit points and suspensions · Question 1Score 0/0

How long is the suspension for a GDL driver who reaches 12 or more demerit points?

Study reference: NWT Driver's Manual (rev. August 2022), Ch. 9 Driving Within the Law — Demerit point system, Reinstatement, Departmental suspensions, pp. 147–151

All 18 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. How long is the suspension for a GDL driver who reaches 12 or more demerit points?

    1. Six months
    2. One year
    3. One month
    4. Three months

  2. A fully licensed driver reaches 9 demerit points. What happens?

    1. A driver improvement course order
    2. A mandatory interview
    3. A one-month suspension
    4. A courtesy notice of point standing

  3. A driver with 4 demerit points passes an approved driver improvement course. What happens?

    1. Two points are removed
    2. No points are removed
    3. One point is removed
    4. All four points are removed

  4. A fully licensed driver collects 15 demerit points within two years. What is the result?

    1. A six-month suspension
    2. A courtesy letter
    3. An automatic one-month suspension
    4. An automatic three-month suspension

  5. A Class 5P driver's licence is suspended for reaching 6 demerit points. What else happens to their GDL stage?

    1. They stay in it one extra month
    2. They move back to Class 7
    3. Nothing else changes
    4. They restart the stage from zero

  6. A fully licensed driver has served a demerit point suspension. With how many points is the licence reinstated?

    1. Zero
    2. Five
    3. Seven
    4. Ten

  7. How long do demerit points for a conviction stay on your NWT record?

    1. One year
    2. Five years
    3. Three years
    4. Two years

  8. A fully licensed driver reaches 13 demerit points. What must they do?

    1. Complete an interview with a driver examiner
    2. Retake the road test
    3. Nothing until they reach 15
    4. Serve an automatic 30-day licence suspension

  9. Your suspension term is over. What must you still do before you can drive?

    1. Nothing; your licence is reinstated automatically by mail
    2. Mail in your old licence
    3. Take a new knowledge test
    4. Pay a fee at an office and prove you met the conditions

  10. Can you appeal a demerit point suspension in the NWT?

    1. No, never
    2. Only if the points were assigned in error
    3. Yes, always within 90 days
    4. Yes, if you need to drive for work

  11. A Class 7 learner reaches 6 demerit points. What happens?

    1. A six-month suspension
    2. An interview with an examiner
    3. A warning letter only
    4. A one-month suspension

  12. Which of these can lead to a departmental or ministerial suspension?

    1. Changing your address
    2. Renewing your licence late by a day
    3. Buying a new car
    4. Failure to pay a judgment

  13. How are demerit suspension notices sent in the NWT?

    1. By registered or certified mail
    2. By text message to your phone
    3. By email to your address on file
    4. In person from an RCMP officer

  14. A Class 5P driver piles up tickets until their record shows 15 points. For how long will the Registrar suspend their licence?

    1. Three months
    2. Six months
    3. Two years
    4. One year

  15. How often can a driver improvement course be used to remove demerit points?

    1. Every time you take it
    2. Once every 24 months
    3. Once in a lifetime
    4. Once every 12 months

  16. Your licence expires while you are under suspension. What happens to the suspension?

    1. It becomes a warning
    2. It remains in effect
    3. It is cut in half
    4. It ends when the licence expires

  17. A driver has already served three demerit suspensions and reaches 15 points again. What is the longest suspension the Registrar may impose?

    1. 24 months
    2. 6 months
    3. 12 months
    4. 5 years

  18. A driver with 10 demerit points passes an approved driver improvement course. How many points are removed?

    1. Two points
    2. All ten points
    3. None; the course only teaches
    4. Half, so five points

Demerit points and suspensions: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Demerit points and suspensions (idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca)

  • Demerit points are recorded when the Registrar becomes aware of the offence and stay for 24 months.
  • 6 points (Class 7 and 5P only): suspended 30 days and until a reinstatement fee is paid; points are reduced after the suspension.
  • 8 points: notice by mail; no restrictions.
  • 12 or more points: letter requiring a telephone or personal interview; if you don't attend, suspended until the interview is held.
  • 15 points: suspended 30 days and until the reinstatement fee is paid; points reduced afterwards. Reaching 15 a second time: suspension from 30 days up to two years.
  • Points may be reduced once in a two-year period after an approved driver improvement course (not offered by the GNWT).
  • Appeal the length of a suspension: get an appeal package at a Driver and Vehicle office within 45 days of receiving the notice.

Demerit system, fully licensed drivers (Ch. 9)

  • 8 or more but fewer than 15 points: courtesy notice of point standing.
  • 12 or more but fewer than 15: letter requiring an interview with a driver examiner by a set date; failing to attend = suspension.
  • 15 or more within two years: automatic one-month suspension; letter explains details and reinstatement conditions.
  • No remedy or appeal against a demerit suspension unless points were assigned in error.
  • After three or more demerit suspensions, each later 15-point accumulation can bring a suspension longer than one month and up to 24 months, set by the Registrar; appeal by written submission.
  • After a demerit suspension, the licence is reinstated with seven points, which stay for two years.
  • Points for a conviction come off two years after the Registrar learns of the conviction.

Driver improvement course; GDL demerits

  • Approved driver improvement course (certificate, 80% pass mark): half the points removed; if 5 or fewer points, all removed. Once per 24 months.
  • GDL 6 or more points: 1-month suspension, reinstatement fee, and 1 extra month in the learner or probationary stage.
  • GDL 12 or more: 3-month suspension, fee, 3 extra months in the stage.
  • GDL 15 or more: 6-month suspension, fee, 6 extra months in the stage.
  • (The website's 30-day figure for 6 points matches the manual's 1 month.)

Reinstating after demerits

  • Suspension notices go by registered or certified mail to your last recorded address; keeping your address current is your job.
  • Serve the full term; pay a reinstatement fee at the end (or stay suspended); meet all conditions; if the licence expires during the suspension, the suspension remains; visit an office to pay and prove requirements.

Departmental / Ministerial suspensions

  • Can be imposed for a poor driving record, failure to pay a judgment, or medical grounds.
  • The Registrar may suspend for a definite or indefinite period and may order a written or practical exam or other conditions, considering driving record, attitude, skills, knowledge, disabilities and other relevant factors.
  • Driving is an earned privilege.

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