Any licence or permit holder who breaches the road rules or their licence/permit conditions may have to:

• Pay an expiation fee; or
• Go to court, be fined, be disqualified from driving, or go to jail.

Disqualification offences include:

• accumulating 12 or more demerit points
• breaching a good behaviour condition
• breaching a condition of provisional licence, probationary licence or learner’s permit
• incurring two or more drug driving offences within a five year period
• drink driving - exceeding blood alcohol concentration.

Drivers being disqualified will receive a Notice of Disqualification in the mail. This Notice will advise you of the type and period of disqualification. Where the disqualification is due to the accumulation of 12 or more demerit points you may be granted an option of either being disqualified for the period stated in the Notice or electing to be of ‘good behaviour’ for a period of 12 months.

From 23 June 2008, proof of service legislation requires disqualified drivers to acknowledge receipt of their Notice of Disqualification in person and pay a fee. Failure to do this will result in the notice being served on you personally and the fee being increased. Anyone not able to be personally served a Notice of Disqualification will be prohibited from transacting any business under the Motor Vehicles Act, such as renewing your vehicle registration.

If you are disqualified from driving your licence will be suspended and in some cases cancelled.

If your licence or permit is cancelled, you may have to resit and pass driving tests, including theory and practical tests, and pay for a new licence or permit.

A licence may also be suspended as a result of non-payment of outstanding fines.

Good Behaviour Option

If you choose the ‘good behaviour’ option, you must not accumulate 2 or more demerit points during the 12 month good behaviour period, otherwise you will be disqualified for twice the original disqualification period.

You must notify the Registrar within 21 days (or 28 days with the permission of the Registrar and only at a Registration & Licensing or Service SA Centre) of the date the Notice was issued if you elect to choose the ‘good behaviour’ option. Failure to apply within this timeframe will result in the disqualification taking effect as specified in the Notice.