You may also lose your licence for the following reasons:
Medical suspension
By law, all doctors must report the names and addresses of everyone 16 years or older who has a condition that may affect their ability to drive safely. Addiction to alcohol or drugs are conditions that affect your ability to drive. Doctors report this information to the Ministry of Transportation and it is not given to anyone else. Your driver’s licence may be suspended until new medical evidence shows that the condition does not pose a safety risk.
Discretionary HTA suspensions
Your licence may be suspended:
- If you don't tell the truth:
- in an application, declaration, affidavit or paper required by the Highway Traffic Act, its Regulations or the Ministry of Transportation.
- about vehicle liability insurance.
- If you fail to insure your vehicle.
- If you are convicted of some driving offenses, included careless driving and driving 50 km/h or more over the speed limit.
Mandatory HTA suspensions
Your licence will be suspended:
- If you are convicted of failing to stop for a police officer and the court believes you wilfully avoided police during pursuit - that you tried to escape the police. (Your licence will be suspended for a minimum of five years.)
- If you don't pay a traffic fine when ordered by the court.
Administrative suspension
Your licence will be suspended immediately for 90 days:
- If you fail or refuse to give a breath or blood sample when asked by police.
- If your blood alcohol concentration is more than 80 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood (.08).
This suspension takes effect while you are still at the roadside or at the police station. It is an administrative suspension by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and is separate from any criminal charges or prosecution which may also take place.
Novice driver violations
Drivers holding G1, G2, M1 or M2 licences must follow the specific rules for their class of licence. If you violate any of the graduated licensing conditions for your class of licence, your licence will be suspended for 30 days. This suspension takes effect from the time you surrender your licence on or after the date of the suspension. You can lose your licence for up to two years if you fail to hand over your licence.
Your licence will be cancelled:
- If you fail a driver's re-examination.
- If you don't pay your reinstatement fee.
- If your cheque for licence fees is not honoured by your bank.
- If you voluntarily surrender your driver's licence to the Ministry of Transportation or it is surrendered or returned by another jurisdiction.
Criminal Code suspensions
You will receive a one-year licence suspension the first time you are convicted of a Criminal Code offence.
If you are convicted of a second Criminal Code offence, your licence will be suspended for three years. A third Criminal Code offence will get you a lifetime suspension from driving with the possibility of reinstatement after 10 years. Fourth time offenders convicted of a Criminal Code offence are suspended from driving for life with no possibility of reinstatement. Convictions will remain on your driver’s record for a minimum of 10 years. The court can order a longer suspension if it believes that keeping you off the road will improve safety.
Your licence will be suspended if you are convicted of any of the following Criminal Code offences:
- Driving or having care and control of a vehicle while your ability is impaired by alcohol or drugs
- Refusing to submit to a breath test for alcohol
- Failing or refusing to provide a breath sample for roadside testing
- Driving or having care and control of a vehicle when your blood alcohol concentration is more than 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood (.08)
- Failing to remain at the scene of a collision to escape criminal or civil liability
- Dangerous driving
- Causing bodily harm by criminal negligence
- Causing death by criminal negligence.
© 2003 Queen's Printer for Ontario
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