WA Double Demerit Dates 2026: Every Holiday Window + a Worked Speeding-Fine Example Under Western Australia's System
Western Australia runs eight double demerit periods in 2026 — more than any other state — starting with the New Year window that carries over from 19 December 2025 and finishing with the Christmas block that runs into January 2027. During each window the fine stays the same, but the demerit points double, and WA doubles points on a much wider list of offences than the eastern states. Here is every 2026 date, the full offence list, and a worked example showing exactly what a 20 km/h-over speeding ticket does to your licence over the Australia Day long weekend.
Every WA double demerit period in 2026
The dates below are published by the WA Road Safety Commission. Each period runs from the very start of the first listed day to the very end of the last listed day — in practice, from 12:01am on the opening date through to 11:59pm on the closing date. Note that WA lists the periods by calendar date rather than a fixed "long weekend," so a couple of them (New Year and Labour Day) span parts of the shoulder days too.
| Public holiday | Double demerit period (2026) | Length |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (1 Jan) | 19 Dec 2025 – 4 Jan 2026 | 17 days |
| Australia Day (26 Jan) | 23 – 26 Jan | 4 days |
| Labour Day (2 Mar) | 27 Feb – 2 Mar | 4 days |
| Easter (3–6 Apr) | 2 – 6 Apr | 5 days |
| Anzac Day (25 Apr, holiday 27 Apr) | 24 – 27 Apr | 4 days |
| WA Day (1 Jun) | 29 May – 1 Jun | 4 days |
| King's Birthday (28 Sep)* | 25 – 28 Sep | 4 days |
| Christmas / Boxing Day (26 & 28 Dec) | 18 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | 17 days |
*The King's Birthday holiday falls on different dates in the Karratha and Port Hedland areas, so the double demerit window there differs from the statewide 25–28 September dates. Always confirm your local public-holiday date if you drive in the Pilbara.
The two long windows — New Year and Christmas — each run 17 days and straddle two calendar years. Plenty of West Aussies are caught out in early January thinking "the holiday is over," when the double demerit period is still live until 4 January. If you're road-tripping the coast between Christmas and New Year, assume every offence counts double.
Which offences double in WA (it's a longer list than NSW)
This is where WA differs sharply from New South Wales and the ACT. In NSW, double demerits apply to a narrow set — speeding, seatbelts, motorcycle helmets and mobile phones. WA's scheme, set out by the Road Safety Commission, is broader and explicitly includes drink and drug driving and running red lights. The full list of offences that attract double demerits during a WA holiday period:
| Offence | Normal points | During a double demerit period |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding (varies by band — see below) | 2 – 7 | 4 – 14 |
| Drink or drug driving | varies by reading | doubled |
| Failing to correctly wear a seatbelt or child restraint | varies | doubled |
| Running a red light | varies | doubled |
| Illegal mobile phone use while driving | varies | doubled |
| Using a device to evade / interfere with speed cameras | 14 | doubled |
Two things to note. First, the fine dollar amount never changes during a double demerit period — only the points do. Second, the offences that double in WA cover the exact behaviours most common on a long weekend of holiday driving: a quick glance at the phone, a rushed amber light, or a couple of extra drinks at a barbecue. That's the design — the scheme targets holiday road-toll spikes.
The WA speeding fine table (2026)
WA sets speeding fines in penalty units, and one penalty unit is currently $50 (per the Department of Transport WA). Here is the full schedule for cars and motorcycles (vehicles under 22,500 kg GCM), showing normal points and the doubled figure that applies during a holiday window.
| Speed over the limit | Fine | Normal points | Doubled points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not more than 9 km/h | 2 units = $100 | 0 | 0 |
| More than 9 but ≤ 19 km/h | 4 units = $200 | 2 | 4 |
| More than 19 but ≤ 29 km/h | 8 units = $400 | 3 | 6 |
| More than 29 but ≤ 40 km/h | 16 units = $800 | 6 | 12 |
| More than 40 km/h | 24 units = $1,200 | 7 | 14 |
Notice the top of that table: driving more than 40 km/h over in a double demerit period lands you 14 points in a single offence — above the 12-point full-licence threshold — so one ticket can suspend a clean full licence outright. And a "0-point" low-range ticket still has no points to double; you just pay the $100.
Worked example: 20 km/h over on the Australia Day long weekend
Meet Marcus. He holds a full (unrestricted) WA licence and has a clean record — zero demerit points. On Sunday 25 January 2026, driving home from a beach day, he's clocked doing 80 km/h in a 60 km/h zone in suburban Perth. That's 20 km/h over the limit, and 25 January falls squarely inside the Australia Day double demerit window (23–26 Jan 2026).
Step 1 — Find the band. 20 km/h over sits in the "more than 19 but ≤ 29 km/h" band. Normal penalty: 8 penalty units = $400 and 3 demerit points.
Step 2 — Apply the fine. The dollar amount does not double. Marcus's fine is $400, the same as any other week of the year.
Step 3 — Double the points. Because the offence happened inside a double demerit period, the 3 points become 6 points.
Step 4 — Check the licence impact. Marcus's full-licence threshold is 12 points in a rolling 3-year period. One doubled ticket puts him at 6 of 12 — halfway to a suspension from a single Sunday drive. In a normal week the same ticket would have cost him only 3 points.
The bottom line for Marcus: $400 + 6 points. Same money, double the licence damage. Two more moments of inattention this year and he's disqualified for three months.
Now change one detail: suppose the same 80-in-a-60 was clocked by Marcus's daughter Chloe, who is seven months into her first year on P plates. Her fine is identical — $400 — but her doubled 6 points blow straight through the 4-point novice threshold. Chloe is suspended and her provisional licence is cancelled (see the next section). Same offence, same weekend, radically different outcome.
The 12-point threshold — and how doubling accelerates it
A full WA licence holder can accumulate up to 12 demerit points within a rolling three-year period before facing disqualification. Hit 12 and you're issued an Excessive Demerit Points Notice, then disqualified for a minimum of three months — or you can elect a 12-month Good Behaviour Period instead (during which incurring further points triggers a longer suspension).
The maths of doubling is what catches people out. In a normal year, it takes four mid-range (20–29 km/h) speeding tickets at 3 points each to reach 12. During double demerit periods, the same tickets are worth 6 points each — so it takes only two. Two careless long weekends and a clean licence is gone.
- WA has eight double demerit windows in 2026 — the New Year (19 Dec 2025–4 Jan) and Christmas (18 Dec 2026–3 Jan 2027) blocks run 17 days each.
- Only the points double — your fine dollar amount stays exactly the same.
- WA doubles points on a wider list than NSW: speeding, drink/drug driving, red lights, seatbelts/restraints, mobile phones and speed-camera-evasion devices.
- A 20 km/h-over ticket is $400 + 3 points normally → $400 + 6 points in a double demerit period.
- Full licence = 12 points / 3 years. Doubling halves how many tickets it takes to hit it.
- Novice drivers (learner + first P year) are suspended at just 4 points — one doubled mid-range ticket ends their licence.
Learner and provisional drivers: much lower thresholds
WA runs a graduated demerit point system for novice drivers, and the thresholds are far lower than a full licence — which makes double demerit periods disproportionately dangerous for young drivers. Per Transport WA:
| Licence stage | Points before disqualification | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Learner's permit → end of first year of P plates | 4 points | Disqualified min. 3 months; licence/permit cancelled |
| Second year of provisional licence | 8 points | Disqualified min. 3 months; licence cancelled |
| Full (unrestricted) licence | 12 points / 3 years | Disqualified min. 3 months, or elect 12-month Good Behaviour Period |
The key trap: at just 4 points in the first novice year, a single doubled mid-range speeding ticket (6 points) — or even a doubled 4-point offence from the 9–19 km/h band — takes a new driver over the edge. And unlike full licence holders, a novice cannot elect Double or Nothing / a Good Behaviour Period: the licence is suspended and automatically cancelled, meaning they must re-apply once the suspension ends. For a P-plater, a double demerit long weekend is the single most expensive weekend of the year to speed.
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Frequently asked questions
Do double demerits increase my fine, or just the points?
Only the demerit points double. The dollar amount of a WA infringement is fixed by the offence band and does not change during a holiday period. A 20 km/h-over ticket is $400 whether it's a random Tuesday or the Australia Day long weekend — but the points go from 3 to 6.
What time do WA double demerit periods start and finish?
The WA Road Safety Commission publishes the periods by calendar date. In practice each window runs from the first minute of the opening date (12:01am) to the last minute of the closing date (11:59pm). For example, the Australia Day 2026 window covers all of 23, 24, 25 and 26 January.
Does WA double points for mobile phone use and drink driving too?
Yes. Unlike NSW's narrower scheme, WA doubles points for speeding, drink and drug driving, running red lights, seatbelt and child-restraint offences, illegal mobile phone use, and using devices to evade speed cameras. It's one of the broadest double demerit schemes in the country.
I'm on my P plates — how many doubled points suspend me?
In your first novice year (learner plus first year of provisional) the threshold is just 4 points. A single doubled mid-range speeding ticket is 6 points, which already exceeds it — resulting in a minimum three-month disqualification and cancellation of your licence. Novices can't elect a Good Behaviour Period.
Can one speeding ticket suspend a full WA licence during double demerits?
Yes, at the top band. Driving more than 40 km/h over the limit is 7 points normally, doubling to 14 — above the 12-point full-licence threshold — so a single high-range offence in a double demerit period can suspend even a completely clean full licence.
Where can I check the official 2026 dates?
The definitive source is the WA Road Safety Commission double demerits page and the Department of Transport driving-offences page. Dates can change if public-holiday declarations move, so confirm before a long-weekend trip. Both are linked throughout this article.