Home > Help Centre > Information & Resources As a car insurance broker, we receive all kinds of questions about Ontario Driver's Licences. Some are simple and others more complicated. They range from questions about driver education, to our system of graduated licencing, to switching a licence from another province.
So we’ve taken the Top 15 Questions our customers ask us about Ontario Driver's Licences with brief answers. There are additional links for those who want to get more details. We hope you find this list of questions and answers helpful.
In Ontario, you can legally drive with an out-of-province licence for up to 60 days. After 60 days, you will have to apply for or exchange your existing driver's licence for an Ontario licence. If you have a full, valid licence from another Canadian province or territory, you can exchange your driver's licence for an Ontario licence. Just go to a DriveTest Centre near you . If you have a valid driver's licence from another country, you need to find out if your country has a licence exchange agreement with Ontario. You can find out from this list of eligible countries . You can exchange your driver's licence if your country is on this list. The exchange process is the same as if you’re from a Canadian province. Some conditions apply to drivers who do not have a full driver's licence or are in a learning program. Find out more information for drivers who don't have full licence and are moving to Ontario . More information : You can change your driver's licence address in-person or online. More information : Before you drive you have to take a written and a vision test. You will want to pick up a Drivers Handbook to begin to learn the rules of the road. You will also have to pay licencing and test fees. Bring the right identity documents to prove your age, your legal name and where you were born. You don’t want to have to go back for a second time. Here’s the list of what is acceptable ID . More information : Ontario Graduated Driver's Licencing is a 2-step process for new and young drivers. The goal is to give new drivers practice and experience over a 20-month period – this length of time is the minimum it will take for a driver to pass through the graduated licencing system. There are driving restrictions for the G1 and G2 class licences. Below are some of the main restrictions : There are more restrictions for G2 drivers under 19 years of age. Once a driver graduates to a full G licence, they have no driving restrictions. More information : An Enhanced Driver's Licence is a driver's licence that can also be used as a travel document for proof of identity and citizenship between Canada and the United States. It can only be used for land or water travel and is not permitted for air travel. More information : Ontario has 16 classifications of driver's licences. Each classification allows you to drive different types of vehicles. The two most common ones are : There are many classes for commercial licences such as Class A for tractor trailers or Class B for school buses. You can learn more about all the Ontario licence classifactions at the MTO website.
More information : DriveTest is a private company that conducts all driving tests and manages driving documents on behalf of the Ontario government. DriveTest operates 55 DriveTest Centres across Ontario. More information : The Senior G Driver's Licence Renewal Program is an Ontario driving program for seniors 80 years and over to renew their driver's licence every two years. The Ontario government’s website provides comprehensive information about how to renew a licence, about the vision test and in-class screening. More information : If you are in Ontario at the time you lose your driver's licence, go to your nearest Service Ontario for a replacement. Remember to bring personal ID to confirm your name, date of birth and your signature (a passport works well). You’ll be given a temporary driver's licence. You’ll receive your permanent driver's licence with your photo in 4-6 weeks. If you’re outside of Ontario, you can request a one-time replacement of your licence. Once you return to Ontario, you will have to go into Service Ontario to replace your temporary licence. More information : There are a few different types of documents or records a driver can order from Service Ontario that have past driver and license information. So it's important to understand which document is needed prior to ordering it. Be sure to confirm which specific document is needed for your purpose. A Driver's Licence History record is one of the most common document needed by drivers for reasons such as employment or insurance. It provides information on a driver's current and past driving history. It includes information about the driver (name, height, weight, etc.), present and previous addresses, dates of renewals and class changes (G1, G2 and G), beginner driver education course completion date and a few other things. The Driver's Licence History report is commonly used by new or young drivers to show proof of completion of a certified beginner driver education course. This report can be obtained online from Service Ontario.
Please go to the Service Ontario website to see a full list of all the driving record reports that are available.
More information : Before you can get your suspended licence reinstated and renewed, you need to :
The length of a licence suspension impacts the steps drivers have to take to have a licence reinstated. More information : More information : A beginners driver education course provides lots of benefits to new and young drivers :
More information : A road test is an in-vehicle driving test to ensure that a driver has the required skills to safely drive the type of vehicle for the class of licence they are trying to obtain - G class, M class or a commercial class. The most common road tests are for regular car (G class) and motorcylce (M class) drivers. To get a full G or M class licence a driver must successfully pass two levels of road tests :
Road tests must be completed at a DriveTest location. You can schedule a road test in 3 ways :
More information : When you finish your road test, your examiner will give you a full report on your driving. If you fail your road test, you will have to wait a minimum of 10 days before you can take the test again. Carefully read the examiner's report so you can fix the driving errors the examiner identified during your test and work on improving those driving skills before you book another test.
More information :
What Drivers Need To Know About Showing Proof Of Car Insurance In OntarioTop 15 Ontario Driver's Licence Questions
Aug 12, 2015
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) About Ontario Driver's Licences
Just click on the question below to go the the answer.
1. I just moved to Ontario, how do I get (switch or exchange my licence for) an Ontario driver's licence?
Switch from another province
Switch from another country
How to exchange your out-of-province driver's licence
Exchange out-of-country driver's licences
2. How do I change my Ontario address? Can I do it online?
To change your address In Person :
To change your address Online :
Info on changing your driver's licence
Change your health card and driver's licence address
3. How do I get (apply for) my driver's licence?
Where to get the Ontario Drivers Handbook
ID you need to apply for your licence
Getting a G licence
Tips for saving on car insurance for new and young drivers
4. What is Ontario Graduated driver's licencing and what is the difference in the various G class licences?
G1 licence drivers
G2 licence drivers
A guide to Ontario’s graduated licencing system
Top 10 Questions about Ontario’s graduated G licence
5. What is an Enhanced Driver's Licence?
How to apply for an Enhanced Driver's Licence
6. What are the various Ontario driver's licence classifications?
Read about each classification on the Ministry of Transportation’s website.
DriveTest driver's licence types and classifications
7. What is DriveTest?
Learn more about DriveTest
8. What is the Senior G Driver's Licence Renewal program?
How to renew your G licence for drivers 80 and over (Government of Ontario website)
Ministry of Transportation Senior driver's licence renewal program
Aging and Driving: Ontario’s Licence Renewal Program for Drivers Age 80 and Above (download pdf)
9. What should I do if my driver’s licence was lost, stolen or damaged?
How to replace your driver’s licence outside of Ontario
How to replace a lost, stolen or damaged driver’s licence
10. How do I get information or reports about my driver's licence and driving history?
Driver's Licence History
Learn more about driver history records
Get a Driver's Licence History report online
Full list of Ontario driving record reports
11. My driver's licence is suspended, how do I get it reinstated?
How to get a driver’s licence back after a suspension
How to surrender your licence
Types of driver's licence suspensions
12. My driver's licence is expired how do I renew it?
Expired Less Than 1 Year
If your driver’s licence has expired for less than a year, you can renew it at any Service Ontario location. Make sure you bring the proper identification with you.
Expired More Than 1 Year But Less Than 3 Years
If your licence has expired for over one year but less than 3 years, you must go to a DriveTest Centre. You will have to take a vision test and pay licencing fees.
Expired More Than 3 Years But Less Than 10 Years
If your licence has been expired for over 3 year but less than 10, you will be considered a new driver. You must go to a DriveTest Centre to renew your licence. Drivers in this category do not have to wait the usual time frames that new drivers do. They will be required to take a vision test, pass the knowledge and road tests and pay the fees.
ID you should bring for your licence renewal
More info on what to do if your licence has expired
13. Why should you do a Beginners Driver Education course and where is a list of MTO approved courses?
Ontario government approved driver training schools
Car insurance savings tips & discounts for new and young drivers
14. What is a Road Test and how do I schedule one?
Level One Road Test (or G2 / M2 Road Test)
Level one tests a driver to ensure that they have the basic skills and knowledge to drive safely on regular streets and roads (not 400 series highways or expressways). This includes basic driving manueuvres such as starting, stopping, turning, parking, changing lanes, etc. When a driver passes the level one road test they graduate to the next licence level - G2 or M2. Learn more about the Level One road test.
Level Two Road Test (or G / M Road Test)
Level two is much more demanding and tests drivers on advanced driving skills and knowledge. Drivers must prove that they can safely drive at high speed on 400 highways and expressways. When a driver passes the level two road test they will get their full G or M licences. Learn more about the Level Two road test.
Road test requirements and information
Road test preparation fact sheet (pdf)
Graduated licensing requirements
Book a road test online
DriveTest locations
15. What should I do if I fail my road test?
Graduated licencing and road tests
Driver Testing (DriveTest website)
We hope you’ve found the answers to our Top 15 Ontario Driver's Licence Questions article helpful. For more information, please visit the Ministry of Transportation’s website.
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