Singapore Demerit Points System (DIPS) & Traffic Offences Guide 2026
Updated August 2026 guide to Singapore's Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS). Covers suspension thresholds, probationary revocation, demerit-point expiry, speeding and red-light offences, retraining, the Safe Driving Course and 2027 DIPS changes.
Statutory Overview & Driving Framework
Singapore's Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS) is the Traffic Police framework for managing demerit points, licence suspensions, rehabilitation and incentives for safe driving. It applies to holders of valid Singapore driving licences. Under the current rules in force in August 2026, a new or probationary licence holder is under one year of probation from the date the licence is issued and has the licence revoked if 13 or more demerit points are accumulated during that probationary period. For non-probationary motorists with no existing suspension record, the first suspension is triggered by 24 or more demerit points within 24 months and lasts 12 weeks. A second suspension is triggered by 12 or more points within 12 months and lasts 24 weeks; a third suspension lasts 1 year, a fourth 2 years, and a fifth and subsequent suspension 3 years, subject to the current DIPS rules. If a suspension lasts 1 year or more, the licence is revoked and the motorist must satisfy the applicable relicensing requirements. The current DIPS retraining course can reduce the first suspension from 12 weeks to 4 weeks, or to 1 week where none of the offences leading to the first suspension involved a traffic accident; for a second suspension, successful completion can reduce 24 weeks to 12 weeks. Traffic Police has announced major changes from 1 January 2027: the first-suspension threshold for non-probationary motorists will fall from 24 to 18 points within 24 months, probationary revocation will fall from 13 to 12 points, suspension periods will increase, and offences that currently carry 24 points will be revised to 18 points. Traffic Police will also discontinue the Safe Driving Course from 1 January 2027 and cease issuing new offer letters from 1 August 2026. The existing SDC is separate from the DIPS Retraining Course. Demerit points are removed after a licence holder remains free of scheduled traffic offences for 12 months from the date of the last scheduled offence, while previous suspension records can be removed after 24 months without a new traffic offence from the expiry of the last suspension. A Certificate of Merit (COM) is available to drivers who maintain a continuous three-year demerit-point-free record, but any insurance discount is determined by participating insurers and is not a fixed statutory 10% benefit.
Singapore Traffic Police Enforcement Notice
Singapore strictly enforces left-hand driving rules, digital speed cameras, ERP 2.0 satellite toll gantries, seat belt rules, and zero-tolerance drink driving limits (35mcg/100ml breath limit under RTA Sec 67).
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Demerit Points System (DIPS) Scope
DIPS applies to valid Singapore driving licence holders. The demerit-point regime is separate from the underlying traffic offence, any composition fine, and any court-imposed disqualification.
The current DIPS framework applies to Singapore driving licence holders across the applicable licence classes. Heavy-vehicle licence classes introduced under the current framework are also subject to DIPS.
A new licence holder is probationary for one year from the date the licence is issued. This is a licence-status rule, not simply a rule for drivers under a particular age.
A motorist becomes non-probationary after completing the one-year probationary period, subject to the applicable licence status.
Current DIPS Rules & Suspension Thresholds
1 year from the date the driving licence is issued
13 or more demerit points during the probationary period
The new driving licence is revoked. Under the current SPF appeal guidance, the motorist must retake and pass both the theory and practical tests to regain a licence.
The original phrase '12 points max' is shorthand but imprecise. The legal trigger is 13 or more points.
24 or more demerit points within 24 months
12 weeks
Successful completion of the current DIPS Retraining Course reduces the suspension to 4 weeks, and may reduce it further to 1 week if none of the traffic offences leading to the first suspension was involved in a traffic accident.
12 or more demerit points within 12 months
24 weeks
Successful completion of the current DIPS Retraining Course reduces the suspension to 12 weeks.
12 or more demerit points within 12 months under the current DIPS sequence
12 months
Because the suspension is 1 year, the driving licence is revoked under the current DIPS framework.
24 months
The licence is revoked because the suspension period is 1 year or more.
36 months
The licence is revoked because the suspension period is 1 year or more.
The original simplified description of 24 points automatically producing 12, 24 and 52-week suspensions was incomplete. The current rules differentiate first suspension from subsequent suspensions and use a separate 12-point/12-month threshold for the second and later suspension sequence.
DIPS Suspension Duration & Retraining Table
| Suspension Level | Threshold | Suspension | After Successful Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
1st | 24 or more points within 24 months | 12 weeks | 4 weeks; may be reduced to 1 week if none of the offences leading to suspension involved a traffic accident |
2nd | 12 or more points within 12 months | 24 weeks | 12 weeks |
3rd | 12 or more points within 12 months | 12 months | No retraining remission |
4th | 12 or more points within 12 months | 24 months | No retraining remission |
5thAndSubsequent | 12 or more points within 12 months | 36 months | No retraining remission |
Demerit Point Expiry & Cleared Record Rules
Previous demerit points are removed when the licence holder remains free of scheduled traffic offences for 12 months from the date of the last scheduled traffic offence committed.
This is not necessarily the same as saying that every point disappears automatically 12 months after the individual offence date regardless of later offences. A new scheduled offence restarts the relevant clean-period calculation.
Previous driving suspension records are removed when the licence holder remains free of scheduled traffic offences for 24 months from the expiry of the last suspension.
Point expiry and suspension-history expiry use different clean periods.
Traffic Police notifies licence holders of their demerit-point status after settlement of offences carrying demerit points, and the notice is intended to encourage an offence-free period.
Traffic Offence Classification & Fine Schedule
The current Traffic Police traffic-offence schedule classifies offences into demerit-point and composition-fine bands. Not every traffic offence carries the same number of points, and some serious offences are prosecuted in court rather than compounded.
Traffic Police's composition table groups Class 2B/2A/2, 3C/3/3CA/3A vehicles as light vehicles for the listed composition schedule.
Class 4/4A/4P/4AP and 5/5P vehicles are treated as heavy vehicles for the listed composition schedule.
| Offence | Demerit Points | Light Vehicle Composition Fine SGD | Heavy Vehicle Composition Fine SGD |
|---|---|---|---|
Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by up to 20 km/h or exceeding the road speed limit by up to 20 km/h | 6 | 200 | 250 |
Exceeding the vehicular or road speed limit by more than 20 km/h and up to 30 km/h | 8 | 300 | 400 |
Exceeding the vehicular or road speed limit by more than 30 km/h and up to 40 km/h | 12 | 400 | 500 |
Using mobile communication devices while driving | 12 | 400 | 500 |
Failing to conform to traffic light signals | 12 | 400 | 500 |
Exceeding the vehicular or road speed limit by more than 40 km/h and up to 50 km/h | 18 | ||
Exceeding the vehicular or road speed limit by more than 50 km/h | 24 |
The applicable fine and prosecution treatment should be checked against the current offence schedule and facts.
The original examples of red-light running at 12 points and S$400 for light vehicles, mobile-phone use at 6 points and S$300, and speeding at 4 to 24 points mixed old and current schedules. The current Traffic Police schedule gives both failing to conform to traffic light signals and mobile-device use 12 points, with S$400/S$500 composition sums for light/heavy vehicles.
School, Silver & Friendly Street Zone Enhancements
Applicable scheduled traffic offences committed within a School Zone receive the published zone enhancement, subject to the applicable composition-fine rules and cap.
Applicable scheduled traffic offences committed within a Silver Zone receive the published zone enhancement, subject to the applicable composition-fine rules and cap.
1 January 2026
Friendly Streets were added to the zone-enhancement framework from 1 January 2026.
The original page omitted the Friendly Streets framework and understated the applicable zone enhancement.
Safe Driving Course (SDC) Status & Discontinuation
Non-mandatory corrective course for eligible motorists who have incurred demerit points but are not yet liable for suspension.
Eligible motorists may attempt the SDC at most twice in 10 years, with at least one year between attempts.
Four demerit points are expunged after successful completion and the required processing period.
Traffic Police ceased issuing new Safe Driving Course offer letters from 1 August 2026.
The Safe Driving Course will be discontinued from 1 January 2027.
Motorists who already received an SDC offer letter must complete it by 31 December 2026.
The SDC is not the same course as the DIPS Retraining Course. The original page wrongly presented a generic retraining course as something a driver could voluntarily take to reduce a 12-week suspension to 4 weeks. DIPS Retraining is available to motorists liable for current suspensions and has different eligibility and remission rules.
DIPS Retraining Course & Suspension Remission
A 1.5-day rehabilitative programme for motorists who are suspended.
Successful completion reduces the current 12-week first suspension to 4 weeks, and potentially to 1 week where none of the traffic offences leading to the suspension involved a traffic accident.
Successful completion reduces the current 24-week second suspension to 12 weeks.
No retraining-course remission is offered for third and subsequent suspensions.
The revised first suspension becomes 4 months, with one opportunity to reduce it to 6 weeks by completing the DIPS Retraining Course.
The course and remission will not be available for second and subsequent suspensions.
Certificate of Merit (COM) & Insurance Discounts
Drivers who maintain a continuous demerit-point-free driving record for the past 3 years are eligible for a Certificate of Merit.
A COM is not itself a statutory 10% insurance discount. SPF states that entitlement to an insurance-premium discount depends on the participating insurance company's terms.
The General Insurance Association of Singapore states that some insurers may provide a further 5% discount where the holder has at least 30% NCD for a private car or 20% NCD for a privately owned commercial vehicle, on presentation of a COM.
The original fixed '10% COM auto insurance discount' claim was unsupported and incorrect. The amount is insurer-specific rather than a universal statutory 10%.
Traffic Police Appeals & Dispute Process
Traffic Police provides an online appeal process for suspension or revocation.
Only appeals with extenuating reasons supported by documentary evidence will be reviewed.
Appeals against the reduction of demerit points and disqualification of the driving licence will be rejected.
Traffic Police currently lists a processing lead time of approximately 3 months for the appeal e-service.
An appeal against suspension or revocation is different from disputing whether a traffic offence occurred or appealing a particular composition offence.
Where an enforcement notice requires the vehicle owner to provide driver information, the owner must follow the stated process and identify the actual driver when required.
The page should not imply that every camera offence can simply be appealed through a generic DIPS appeal form.
Checking Demerit Points & Driving Record
The Digital Driving Licence can show current licence status, demerit points and Certificate of Merit eligibility.
An 'SPF Demerit Point Status Certificate' is not a universal mandatory document generated after every offence. Digital and e-service checks are the appropriate current ways to review status.
Paying Traffic Fines & Notice Instructions
Where composition is offered, the amount and deadline are stated in the notice and should be paid through the official channel provided.
There is no universal rule that every composition fine must be settled within exactly 14 days. The notice's stated deadline controls.
Official payment channels depend on the offence and current Traffic Police service. Do not hard-code AXS, SAM or one portal as the mandatory channel for every traffic offence.
Where the offence is prosecuted in court rather than compounded, the motorist must follow the court document and attendance/payment instructions.
Upcoming 2027 DIPS Reforms & Transition Rules
1 January 2027
18 demerit points within 24 months
4 months
One opportunity at the first suspension to reduce the 4-month suspension to 6 weeks after successful completion of the DIPS Retraining Course.
Suspension periods become longer and the retraining/remission option will not be available for second and subsequent suspensions.
12 demerit points during the one-year probation period
Offences currently carrying 24 points, including exceeding the vehicular or road speed limit by more than 50 km/h and reckless or dangerous driving, will be revised to 18 points.
Up to 6 demerit points will be deducted from the balance as of 31 December 2026, subject to the announced transition rules.
Up to 1 demerit point will be deducted from the balance as of 31 December 2026, subject to the announced transition rules.
The announced adjustment can also apply to relevant offences committed before 1 January 2027 even where the notice is issued after that date, as described in Traffic Police's transition examples.
The point adjustment does not cancel the composition sums payable for the underlying offences.
31 July 2026
1 August 2026
31 December 2026
1 January 2027
Implementation Timeline (2026–2027)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
1 January 2026 | The current traffic-offence and zone-enhancement schedule applies, including the +2 demerit-point and +S$100 composition enhancement for applicable offences in Friendly Streets. |
30 July 2026 | SPF's current Certificate of Merit service states that drivers with a continuous three-year demerit-point-free record are eligible for COM. |
31 July 2026 | Traffic Police announced the revised DIPS framework that takes effect on 1 January 2027. |
1 August 2026 | Traffic Police ceased issuing new Safe Driving Course offer letters. |
24 August 2026 | Current DIPS rules remain 24 points within 24 months for first suspension of a non-probationary motorist with no existing suspension record and 13 points during probation for revocation. |
31 December 2026 | Last day for motorists who already hold Safe Driving Course offer letters to complete the SDC. |
1 January 2027 | Revised DIPS takes effect: first suspension at 18 points within 24 months, probationary revocation at 12 points, longer suspension periods, 24-point offences revised to 18 points, and SDC discontinued. |
Step-by-Step Driving & Licensing Process
Check the traffic offence notice
Determine the offence, demerit points, composition amount if any, payment deadline and whether the matter is being compounded or prosecuted in court.
Check your DIPS balance
Use the Digital Driving Licence in Singpass or the Traffic Police Check Driver Improvement Points service.
Pay or respond through the stated official process
For a compoundable offence, use the payment channel and deadline specified by Traffic Police. For a court matter, follow the court document.
Monitor the suspension threshold
Under August 2026 rules, a non-probationary motorist with no existing suspension record reaches first-suspension liability at 24 points within 24 months. A probationary driver reaches revocation liability at 13 points during the one-year probation.
Use an available corrective course where eligible
The current SDC can expunge 4 points for eligible motorists before suspension. A motorist already liable for a first or second suspension may be offered the DIPS Retraining Course to reduce the suspension period.
Appeal only where the relevant legal route exists
Appeals against suspension or revocation can be submitted to Traffic Police where there are extenuating reasons supported by documents. A generic appeal cannot simply erase demerit points or reverse a disqualification.
Maintain a clean record
A 12-month period free of scheduled traffic offences removes previous demerit points. A 24-month offence-free period after the last suspension removes previous suspension history under the current incentive rules.
Common Misconceptions & Legal Pitfalls
Practical Action Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Official Statutory Sources & Verification
Driver Improvement Point Systems
Primary current source for DIPS suspension thresholds, probationary revocation, demerit-point expiry and suspension-history expiry.
Penalties for Traffic Offences
Current offence, demerit-point and composition-fine schedule.
Tightening of the Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS)
Official 31 July 2026 announcement of the 2027 DIPS reforms, one-time transition adjustment and SDC discontinuation.
Safe Driving Course
Current SDC eligibility, four-point expungement and course limits before the 2027 discontinuation.
Submit Appeal Against Driving Licence Suspension or Revocation
Official appeal eligibility, documentary requirements, review standard and processing timeline.
Check Eligibility for Certificate of Merit
Current COM eligibility and insurer-specific discount qualification.
No Claims Discount
Insurance treatment of NCD and Certificate of Merit discounts.
Singapore Driving Licence
Digital Driving Licence, demerit-point display and licence-status services.
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