Here's your nationwide guide to Double Demerits this Australia Day long weekend

For many, the Australia Day public holiday is spent relaxing by the beach, at a pub, or visiting friends.

If you're planning on driving at all during this year's Australia Day weekend, it's important to know when double demerits will apply in your state.

Australia Day falls on on a Sunday this year, meaning the public holiday is on Monday, January 27.

Here is your state-by-state guide to Australia Day double demerit points for 2025.

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NSW, ACT, and WA

In NSW, ACT and WA, double demerits apply from Friday, January 24 to Monday, January 27.

Friday is not a public holiday, but since the public holiday is on Monday, its likely many Aussies will make an extra-long weekend of it.

In NSW during double demerit periods, you could lose double the license points for getting caught doing the following: speeding, using a mobile phone illegally, riding without a helmet, not wearing or incorrectly wearing a seatbelt or carrying passengers not wearing or incorrectly wearing a seatbelt or restraint.

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The ACT and WA follow a similar system.

In the ACT, one additional demerit point (rather than double) is applied for more minor offences such as failing to keep left.

In WA, driving a motor vehicle fitted with a speed camera-evading device, or driving in a manner to evade speed cameras, will incur 14 a-point penalty during a double demerit period.

Note that these three states and territories are the only ones in country that actually enforce double demerits on public holidays.

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Queensland

Queensland approaches double demerits differently.

Rather than having them in place for all drivers around public holidays, the Sunshine State instead keeps them in effect year-round, but only for drivers who commit the same offence twice in the space of 12 months.

This applies to speeding more than 20km/h over the limit, as well as mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.

If you are a Queensland license holder and commit a traffic offence anywhere in Australia, demerit points may be applied as if the offence was committed in Queensland.

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Victoria, SA, NT and Tasmania

Victoria does not impose double demerit periods.

Likewise, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory do not impose the penalty over public holidays or the Christmas period.