Speed Cameras Are Gone in Toronto. Here's What Still Gets New Drivers Ticketed (2026)

“So we can speed now, right?" If that thought has crossed your mind, you're not the only one.

I get why. The speed cameras in Toronto are gone. The province banned them in November 2025, and the city pulled down all 150 of them. A lot of people took that as permission.

It's not. And if you're on a G1 or G2, it's actually the worst time to get relaxed about speed. Here's why.

What Happened to the Speed Cameras

Ontario passed a law last fall that banned automated speed cameras across the province. Tickets stopped on November 14, 2025. Anything issued before that date still counts.

The province said speed bumps, roundabouts and flashing signs would replace them. Some of that is coming. But a City of Toronto report from February said doing it citywide could take around 13 years.

So right now, most of those old camera spots have a sign and nothing else.

What Changed on the Roads

Drivers noticed. In June, the city published numbers comparing speeds before and after the cameras came down.

• Speeds went up at 101 of the 104 spots they measured.
• The share of drivers going 11 km/h or more over the limit went from 2% to 8.1%.
• The jump was biggest on 30 km/h streets. Those are school zones and quiet neighbourhood roads.

That's the part that bothers me as an instructor. Those are exactly the streets where a kid runs out from between two parked cars. And this month, police data showed pedestrian deaths in Toronto on track for a five year high.

When everyone around you is speeding, it feels normal. It feels like you're the problem for going the limit. You're not.

What Still Gets You Ticketed

The cameras are gone. Police aren't.

Toronto's police chief said after the ban that every officer, not just the traffic unit, is expected to help with traffic enforcement. Police say they use data to decide where to show up, and speeding is one of their main targets.

The difference is you don't get a ticket in the mail anymore. You get pulled over. And a ticket from an officer goes against your licence, not just your wallet.

Red light cameras are also still running. Those weren't part of the ban.

Why This Hits G1 and G2 Drivers Harder

This is the part most new drivers don't know. A speeding ticket on a novice licence works differently than on a full G.

Here's how demerit points work for G1 and G2 drivers:

• 2 to 5 points: you get a warning letter.
• 6 to 8 points: you can be called in for an interview.
• 9 points: your licence is suspended for 60 days.

A full G driver doesn't get suspended until 15 points. You get there at 9.

Now look at what one speeding ticket costs in points:

• 16 to 29 km/h over: 3 points
• 30 to 49 km/h over: 4 points
• 50 km/h or more over: 6 points

And there's a bigger one. As a novice driver, getting convicted of going 30 km/h or more over the limit means at least a 30 day suspension, and you could have your licence cancelled.

Thirty over sounds like a lot. On a 40 km/h side street, it's 70. On Lake Shore or the Don Valley, people hit that without noticing.

Stunt Driving Is Closer Than You Think

In Ontario, going 40 km/h or more over the limit on a road under 80 km/h counts as stunt driving. On faster roads it's 50 over. And anything 150 km/h or more is stunt driving anywhere.

If you get stopped for it, you lose your licence on the spot for 30 days and your car gets impounded for 14 days. If you're convicted, fines run from $2,000 to $10,000, plus 6 demerit points and a longer suspension.

If you're driving your parents' car, that's their car sitting in an impound lot for two weeks.

So 80 on a 40 km/h road is stunt driving. Late at night on an empty street, that happens faster than you'd think.

The Ticket Is Only the Start

Even one speeding conviction can follow you for years on your insurance. New drivers already pay the most, and a conviction on your record pushes it up more.

If you took a BDE course to bring your insurance down, one ticket can eat that savings fast. We broke down how that discount works in our post on driving school insurance discounts in Ontario.

Speed and Your Road Test

Your examiner isn't a camera either. They watch your speedometer the whole time.

Going over the limit is one of the easiest ways to lose marks. Going way over, especially in a school zone, can end the test right there. Check our list of G2 automatic fail reasons to see what examiners treat as an instant fail.

The habit you build now is the one you'll bring into the car on test day. If you drive 15 over with your friends, you'll creep over with an examiner beside you too.

How to Actually Stay at the Limit

A few things that work for my students:

• Look for the sign after every turn. Speed limits change a lot in Toronto. A lot of residential streets are 30 or 40 km/h now.
• Check your speedometer every few seconds. Make it as automatic as checking your mirrors.
• Don't match the car in front of you. If they're speeding, let them go. You don't have to keep up.
• Ignore the tailgater. If someone's on your bumper, stay at the limit. Pull over somewhere safe and let them pass if you need to.
• Use cruise control on the highway if your car has it.
• Leave five minutes earlier. Most speeding comes from running late.

Speed Camera FAQ

Are there still speed cameras in Toronto? No. Ontario banned them and Toronto took all of them down by the end of November 2025.

Are red light cameras still in Toronto? Yes. The ban only covered speed cameras.

How many demerit points before a G2 gets suspended? Nine. At that point your licence is suspended for 60 days. You'll get a warning letter starting at 2 points.

Can a G2 lose their licence for one speeding ticket? Yes. A novice driver convicted of going 30 km/h or more over the limit gets at least a 30 day suspension.

Do old speed camera tickets still count? Tickets issued before November 14, 2025 are still valid.

The Bottom Line

Speed cameras in Toronto are gone, but the rules didn't change. Police still ticket, and a G1 or G2 can lose their licence much faster than a full G driver.

Drive the limit even when everyone else isn't. You'll keep your licence, your insurance and your test day on track.

If you want to build calm, steady habits before your test, every Rydbie Driving School instructor is MTO certified. You can book a lesson here.

And if you're getting ready for test day, start with our guide on how to pass your G2 road test in Toronto.