Ontario · incidents on or after July 1, 2026

What could an impaired-driving case trigger?

Separate the immediate roadside consequences from the penalties that can follow a criminal conviction. This estimator shows sourced minimums—not a prediction of your case.

If you are in custody or facing a deadline: contact a lawyer now. The Law Society Referral Service says not to use its online form in a crisis; call 1-855-947-5255 or 416-947-5255 in the GTA, weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Describe the situation

No information leaves this page. Your choices only update the estimate below.

The warn range is administrative. Fail, refusal, and drug cases can also lead to criminal charges.
Ontario’s 2026 administrative rules use a 10-year look-back in the source summaries reviewed.
A charge is not a conviction. Choose the tier that would apply only if there is a conviction.
Justice Canada sets higher first-offence minimum fines at 120 mg and 160 mg per 100 mL of blood.
Cases involving bodily harm or death have different, much more serious exposure and are not calculated here.
Scope: Ontario incidents dated July 1, 2026 or later. Older incidents are not modelled.

Fail result · first conviction scenario

Immediate administrative consequences plus sourced conviction minimums.

$1,550+ known minimum cash
This calculator does not cover injury or death. Those cases can carry substantially different charges, maximum sentences, and licence consequences. Do not rely on the standard estimate below.
1

Immediate roadside action

2

If there is a criminal conviction

This is not the full financial cost.

Towing and storage, victim surcharge, legal fees, reinstatement, remedial programs, ignition-interlock installation/monitoring, insurance increases, missed work and any judge-imposed amount above the minimum are excluded.

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How to read the result

Roadside action and conviction are separate layers.

A roadside suspension can start immediately. Criminal penalties require a conviction. Both layers can apply to the same incident.

01

The stop

Ontario can impose an immediate suspension, vehicle impoundment, monetary penalty and remedial requirements before the criminal case is decided.

02

The court case

Federal law sets minimum fines for a first conviction and minimum jail terms for repeat convictions. BAC and refusal matter most at the first-conviction tier.

03

Returning to driving

Ontario’s post-conviction licence suspension, remedial program, ignition interlock and post-interlock zero-tolerance condition can continue long after court.

Questions people ask

Is a warn-range reading a criminal DUI?

The reviewed Ontario 2026 source summary describes warn-range consequences as administrative and occurring without a criminal charge or court proceeding. Other facts may still lead to charges, so this distinction is not legal advice.

Why does the cash total say “known minimum”?

It adds only the sourced administrative monetary penalty and a fixed federal minimum fine where the sources provide one. It intentionally excludes variable and case-specific costs.

Does a first conviction always mean no jail?

The Justice Canada table gives a minimum fine for the standard first offence, not a mandatory minimum jail term. Aggravating facts, separate offences, bodily harm, death or the way the Crown proceeds can change exposure.

Can I use this for an incident before July 1, 2026?

No. The Ontario licence and post-interlock summary used here is expressly tied to offences on or after July 1, 2026.

Sources & scope

  1. Justice Canada — Criminal Code impaired-driving penaltiesMinimum fines by BAC, repeat-offence jail minimums and federal driving prohibitions.
  2. Humberview Insurance — Ontario roadside and conviction summaryImmediate 90-day suspension, seven-day impoundment, $550 penalty, remedial programs and Ontario conviction consequences.
  3. Nadi Law — Ontario rules after July 1, 2026Post-conviction licence, ignition-interlock and six-month zero-alcohol/zero-drug condition summary.
  4. Ontario 2026 warn-range rule summarySeven-, 14- and 30-day warn-range suspensions; $250, $350 and $450 administrative penalties; 10-year look-back.
  5. Law Society of Ontario — Referral ServiceOfficial lawyer-referral route and crisis contact instructions.

Information only, not legal advice. “DUI” is a common search term; Ontario and federal law use impaired-driving and related offence language. This tool models a narrow standard scenario and does not determine guilt, defences, sentencing, insurance eligibility or total cost.

Search guide · Ontario DUI penalties 2026

Ontario impaired-driving penalty table

A plain-language comparison of roadside administrative action, federal criminal minimums and Ontario’s post-conviction licence consequences.

Immediate roadside penalties

Roadside action begins before guilt is decided. A warn-range result is handled administratively in the 2026 summary reviewed; a fail, refusal or drug-impairment result can also lead to criminal charges.

ScenarioSuspensionMoneyOther immediate action
Warn range, first occurrence7 days$250 administrative penaltyEducation requirement may apply [4]
Warn range, second occurrence14 days$350 administrative penaltyTreatment requirement may apply [4]
Warn range, third or later30 days$450 administrative penaltyTreatment requirement may apply [4]
Fail, refusal or drug impairment90 days$550 administrative penalty7-day impound plus remedial program [2]

Criminal conviction minimums

ConvictionFederal court minimumOntario licenceInterlock
First$1,000 fine at BAC 0.080–0.119; $1,500 at 0.120–0.159; $2,000 at 0.160+ [1]At least 1 year [3]At least 1 year [3]
Second30 days in jail [1]At least 3 years [3]At least 3 years [3]
Third or later120 days in jail [1]Lifetime suspension in the reviewed summary [2]At least 6 years in the reviewed summary [2]

Important: the table is not a sentencing forecast. Bodily harm, death, other charges, Crown election, prior history and case-specific aggravating factors can change the result. Use the calculator for a sourced baseline, then get legal advice.

Refusal and drug cases

Justice Canada’s materials list a $2,000 minimum fine for a first refusal offence. Hybrid drug-impaired offences use the same mandatory minimum structure as alcohol-impaired driving: $1,000 for a first offence, 30 days for a second, and 120 days for a third. The calculator applies those sourced minimums but cannot decide whether a particular charge fits that category.

Search guide · DUI demerit points Ontario

How many demerit points does impaired driving carry?

The short answer is zero—but that does not make an impaired-driving conviction less serious.

No demerit points for the criminal conviction

Ontario insurance explainers from Square One and ThinkInsure both state that impaired driving has no demerit points. That is because impaired driving is a Criminal Code offence rather than a standard Highway Traffic Act points offence.

Zero points does not mean zero licence impact. A fail or refusal can bring an immediate 90-day suspension, and a first criminal conviction can bring at least a one-year Ontario suspension plus interlock requirements.

What insurers look at instead

The Square One guide says insurers focus on the conviction, not the point total. It also says Ontario insurers commonly consider convictions from the past three years. An impaired-driving conviction can therefore have a much larger underwriting effect than a minor ticket that carries points.

Could related charges carry points?

Yes. A single incident can produce more than one allegation. A related Highway Traffic Act conviction—such as careless driving—may carry demerit points even though the impaired-driving conviction itself does not. The calculator does not model separate traffic charges.

Licence suspension versus points

Demerit points are one administrative system. Immediate roadside suspensions, Criminal Code driving prohibitions, and Ontario’s post-conviction suspensions are separate systems. That is why looking only at “points” gives a misleading picture of an impaired-driving case.

Search guide · insurance after DUI Ontario

What can happen to car insurance after a conviction?

There is no honest one-size-fits-all percentage. The conviction can move a driver into high-risk underwriting, sharply raise premiums, or lead an insurer to decline coverage.

A published Ontario example—not a quote

Canadian Underwriter, citing Ratehub.ca data, modelled a Mississauga driver whose clean-record annual premium was $1,950. After a criminal drunk-driving conviction, the article used an increase of more than 150%, taking the annual premium to $5,850. Over three years, it calculated $18,800 paid, or $12,950 more than the clean-record scenario.

Do not treat that example as your rate. Your insurer, location, vehicle, age, driving history, policy, conviction details and available high-risk market all matter. This site does not sell or quote insurance.

Why the calculator excludes insurance

A legal minimum can be sourced from a statute or government table. An insurance premium cannot: it is an underwriting result. Adding a generic “DUI insurance cost” would make the total look precise when it is not. The calculator therefore shows insurance as an excluded variable cost.

Questions to ask a broker

  • Will the current insurer renew, non-renew or cancel under the policy terms?
  • When must a criminal conviction or licence suspension be disclosed?
  • Which high-risk markets will quote once the licence is eligible for reinstatement?
  • How do interlock restrictions affect eligibility and listed drivers?
  • How many years will the insurer’s underwriting rules consider the conviction?

These are questions, not assumptions about any specific policy. The policy wording and insurer’s underwriting decision control.

Search guide · charged with DUI in Ontario

What to do after an impaired-driving charge

A practical, neutral checklist for the period before the first court appearance. It does not tell you what plea to enter or which defence applies.

1. Read every document and calendar the date

Confirm the date, time and location on the court paperwork, along with release conditions and any separate licence documents. Nadi Law’s process summary stresses knowing the first court date and looking for legal help before it.

2. Preserve the paperwork and your recollection

Keep the papers from police, tow or impound records, receipts and any time-stamped information you already lawfully possess. Write a private chronology while events are fresh, but do not post case details publicly.

3. Seek disclosure

Disclosure is the Crown’s information and evidence about the case. The reviewed process summary says it may include police notes, videos, photos, witness statements and reports. Counsel can assess what is present, what is missing and what it may mean. A London-area self-represented guide also directs accused people to contact the Crown Attorney’s Office for disclosure and a screening form; local procedures can differ.

4. Get advice before choosing a plea

A guilty plea accepts the charge and moves the case to sentencing. A not-guilty plea requires the Crown to prove the offence. The right choice depends on the evidence, available defences, immigration or employment consequences and the person’s instructions—not on a calculator.

5. Use a regulated referral route

The Law Society Referral Service connects Ontario residents with a lawyer or paralegal in the relevant area and says participating professionals offer a free consultation of up to 30 minutes. In a crisis or custody situation, call the service instead of using the online form.

Do not drive while suspended. This guide cannot determine whether you are legally permitted to drive, when an interlock exception begins, or whether a document changes the effective period. Confirm your status before driving.

Search guide · Ontario impaired-driving FAQ

Ontario DUI questions, answered carefully

Clear distinctions between a roadside result, a criminal charge, a conviction, a prohibition and an Ontario licence suspension.

Is “DUI” the official charge name in Ontario?

“DUI” is a common search term. Canadian law uses offences such as operation while impaired, having a prohibited blood-alcohol concentration within two hours of driving, and refusal or failure to comply with a demand.

Is BAC 0.05 the criminal limit?

No. Ontario’s warn range begins at 0.05 and can trigger administrative consequences. The Criminal Code “80 or over” threshold is 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood, commonly written as 0.08, within two hours of driving.

What is the minimum fine for a first conviction?

Justice Canada lists $1,000 at BAC 0.080–0.119, $1,500 at 0.120–0.159, and $2,000 at 0.160 or higher. The first-offence refusal minimum is also $2,000. Those are minimums, not guaranteed totals.

How long is the immediate roadside suspension after a fail or refusal?

The Ontario-focused summary used by this calculator lists 90 days, along with a seven-day vehicle impoundment and a $550 administrative penalty.

Will I get demerit points?

The reviewed Ontario insurance sources say impaired driving itself carries no demerit points. The conviction, suspension and underwriting consequences are far more serious than the point system.

Can the calculator tell me whether I will be convicted?

No. It does not examine disclosure, testing procedures, witness evidence, Charter issues or available defences. It only maps selected facts to published minimum consequences.

Does an ignition interlock let me drive immediately?

Not necessarily. Eligibility, timing, installation, program participation and licence conditions matter. The calculator shows the minimum interlock period described in the reviewed sources, not the date a particular person can drive.

What changes if someone was injured or killed?

The standard calculator no longer applies. Bodily-harm and death offences carry different and more serious sentencing and licence consequences. The result screen deliberately stops short of estimating them.

Does this cover incidents before July 1, 2026?

No. The Ontario licence and post-interlock rules summarized here are scoped to incidents on or after July 1, 2026.