How Long Does A Speeding Ticket Stay On Your Record In Ontario

While “how long does a speeding ticket stay on your record in Ontario?” sounds like it should have a fairly straightforward answer, it can have many answers.

For a number of reasons, tickets for exceeding the speed limit are among the most common driving tickets issued by Ontario police. Primarily, speeding is a leading cause of road fatalities in Ontario, so police forces are eager to prevent it. Secondly, radar makes it comparatively easy to enforce speed limits compared to detecting other Highway Traffic Act violations, like following too closely.

Three Different Records of Your Speeding Ticket

It’s important to know that the speeding ticket you get today does not appear on any record of your driving until you are convicted of the offence. If you’re wondering how long a ticket stays on your record, you’re probably most concerned about how it impacts your insurance rates. Speeding convictions can stay on your record in three different ways and they can affect car insurance rates for differing lengths of time.

1. Your Driver’s Abstract – This is what’s commonly known as your driving record. Convictions can affect your auto insurance rates more than anything else on your abstract.
   
   
2. Your Demerit Points – While they are included in your driver’s abstract, demerit points stay on your record for only two years. Demerit points generally don’t affect your insurance coverage by themselves. The main exception being if your license is suspended due to the number of demerit points on your record.
3. Your Insurance Company’s Records – To set the rates they charge each driver, insurers will check driver’s abstracts on a semi-regular basis. Depending on your driving history and how long you’ve been a customer, they may not check your record for two or three years. Your insurance rates are not affected by traffic tickets until your insurance company checks your driving record and discovers a conviction. In some cases, if the conviction expires on your driver’s abstract before it appears in your insurance company records, your rates may not be affected.

Up next, here’s what you should always have in your car’s emergency kit.