Singapore Traffic Police 2027 lowered demerit point thresholds - what drivers need to know

Drivers, 18 demerit points will get your licence suspended from 1 January 2027, with the revised Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS) making it easier for errant drivers to lose their licences. Here's what you need to know about the upcoming changes, including how they affect speeding offences starting next year.

Singapore's Traffic Police (TP) announced the revised DIPS on 31 July 2026, citing deteriorating road safety and a need to deter traffic violations. The changes will affect both non-probationary and probationary motorists, alongside adjustments to re-training and corrective driving courses.

What is DIPS and why is it changing?

The Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS) is Singapore's demerit point framework for managing traffic offences. Motorists accumulate demerit points for offences, and reaching the maximum threshold can result in a driving licence suspension or revocation.

From 1 January 2027, TP will lower the thresholds for both concurrent and probationary motorists, whilst extending suspension periods. The changes are intended to keep errant drivers off the roads for longer and improve overall road safety.

According to TP, Singapore recorded 149 road fatalities in 2025, the highest in a decade, compared with 142 in 2024. The number of injured persons also rose from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.

DIPS changes from 1 January 2027

The most significant change with the revised DIPS is the reduction in the number of demerit points a motorist can accumulate before facing suspension or licence revocation.

Non-probationary motorists are those who have completed their one-year probationary period. Probationary motorists are new licence holders within their first year of driving.

How the lower threshold will affect speeding offences

The revised DIPS means that motorists can reach their suspension threshold with fewer accumulated points.

For example, a non-probationary motorist who receives 6 demerit points for speeding and 12 points for beating a red light would accumulate 18 points. Under the revised system, that would reach the threshold for suspension.

TP has also stated that offences currently carrying 24 demerit points per infraction will be revised to 18 points, since there is no practical need to award more than 18 points under the new scheme. These include exceeding the vehicular or road speed limit by more than 50km/h, and reckless or dangerous driving.

Important note: The broader speeding penalty increases took effect on 1 January 2026. The 2027 DIPS changes primarily affect the points accumulation threshold and suspension scheme, rather than introducing another across-the-board increase in speeding composition fines.

Here is a summary of the heavier penalties for speeding offences in Singapore which took effect on 1 January 2026:

Longer driving suspensions for errant motorists

Under the revised DIPS, motorists who reach the suspension threshold will face longer periods off the road.

The revised suspension periods are intended to keep motorists who repeatedly commit offences off the roads for longer.

DIPS Retraining Course - fewer opportunities for offenders

The DIPS Retraining Course will also be revised from 2027.

Under the new system, motorists will have just one opportunity, following their first suspension, to reduce their suspension period. Completing the course will reduce a four-month suspension to six weeks.

The retraining course and accompanying reduction will no longer be available for subsequent suspensions.

Safe Driving Course to be discontinued

The Safe Driving Course (SDC), which allows eligible motorists to expunge four demerit points, will be discontinued from 1 January 2027.

The TP said its review of data from 2023 to 2025 found low participation and minimal differences in re-offending rates between course participants and non-participants. Only 15 percent of those offered the course in 2025 participated in the course.

No new SDC offer letters have been issued since 1 August 2026. Motorists who received offer letters before that date must complete the course by 31 December 2026.

Probationary motorists face earlier licence revocation

New probationary drivers will also be subject to a stricter threshold.

From 1 January 2027, probationary motorists will have their licences revoked if they accumulate 12 demerit points within their one-year probationary period, down from the current 13-point threshold.

TP says the measure aims to encourage responsible driving behaviour from an early stage.

What happens to existing demerit points?

To help motorists transition to the revised system, the TP will implement a one-time demerit point deduction on 1 January 2027.

- Non-probationary motorists: Up to six demerit points will be deducted from their balance as of 31 December 2026.
- Probationary motorists: Up to one demerit point will be deducted.

If a motorist's balance is lower than the applicable deduction, it will be reduced to zero. Any remaining deduction may be applied to offences committed before 1 January 2027, even if the notice of traffic offence is issued later.

The adjustment does not apply to offences committed on or after 1 January 2027, and composition fines remain payable.

What should motorists do before 2027?

With the revised DIPS taking effect on 1 January 2027, motorists should familiarise themselves with the updated demerit point thresholds and avoid accumulating further traffic offences.

Speeding remains a key area to watch out for, particularly following the enhanced penalties introduced in 2026. Understanding how individual offences contribute to your demerit point balance will help you stay informed about the consequences of unsafe driving.

For the latest information, refer to the Singapore Police Force's official DIPS announcement and its traffic offence penalties page.

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