Getting your driver's licence

Ontario's graduated licensing system: the G1 knowledge test, the conditions you drive under at G1 and G2, and the shortest time each level takes.

Level One (G1)

• A full G licence is not enough on its own: the accompanying driver must also have at least four years of driving experience.
• The usual limit for an accompanying driver is under 0.05%, but a driver aged 21 or under must always have a BAC of zero, including when accompanying.
• The highway restriction is lifted only when the accompanying driver is a driving instructor; then a G1 driver may drive on any road.
• The zero-alcohol rule applies to every G1 and G2 driver, whatever their age. Being over 21 does not change this for a novice driver.
• A driving instructor lifts only the highway restriction. The midnight-to-5 a.m. ban and the need for an accompanying driver still apply.
• A G1 driver must not drink any alcohol before driving: the BAC must be zero. Even a small amount breaks a G1 condition.
• The accompanying driver must have at least four years of driving experience and a valid Class G (or higher) licence.
• G1 drivers must not drive between midnight and 5 a.m., even with an accompanying driver.
• G1 drivers may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m., even with an accompanying driver. Hand over the wheel before midnight.
• The accompanying driver's BAC must be less than 0.05% while with a G1 driver. They are responsible for helping and guiding the new driver.
• G1 drivers may not use 400-series highways posted over 80 km/h or certain high-speed expressways such as the QEW and Gardiner Expressway, unless the accompanying driver is a driving instructor.
• The accompanying driver needs a valid Class G (or higher) licence and at least four years of driving experience. A G1 or G2 driver cannot supervise.
• The accompanying driver must sit in the front passenger seat and be the only other person in the front, so they can watch and guide you.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a working seatbelt, so the number of passengers is limited to the number of working seatbelts.
• The accompanying driver must be the only other person in the front seat, and every passenger needs a working seatbelt.
• Besides 400-series highways over 80 km/h, G1 drivers may not use named high-speed roads such as the QEW, Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway.
• An accompanying driver must hold a valid Class G (or higher) licence. A suspended licence is not valid, no matter how much experience the person has.

Graduated licensing

• A government-approved driver education course shortens the G1 period by four months, from 12 months to 8 months.
• Level Two always lasts at least 12 months. Driver education shortens only the G1 period, not the G2 period.
• All drivers aged 21 and under must have a BAC of zero, no matter what class of licence they hold.
• Level One lasts 12 months. You must hold your G1 for at least 12 months before you can take the G2 road test.
• Level Two lasts at least 12 months. Driver education does not shorten the G2 period.
• You have five years to complete graduated licensing. If you do not finish in that time, you must start again from the beginning.
• Approved courses are at least 40 hours long. Completing one can cut the G1 period to 8 months and may lower your insurance costs.
• The G1 period drops to 8 months with the course, and the G2 period is 12 months, so the whole process takes at least 20 months.
• An approved course shortens Level One from 12 months to 8 months. Eight months after January 10 is September 10.

Level Two (G2)

• The midnight-to-5 a.m. passenger limits are only for G2 drivers aged 19 and under. Jordan just needs a working seatbelt for each person and a BAC of zero.
• Like G1 drivers, G2 drivers must have a BAC of zero every time they drive.
• The limits apply to G2 drivers aged 19 and under. They end when the driver earns a full G licence or turns 20.
• In the first six months of G2, drivers 19 and under may carry only one passenger aged 19 or under from midnight to 5 a.m. After six months, up to three are allowed.
• After the first six months of G2, drivers 19 and under may carry up to three passengers aged 19 or under between midnight and 5 a.m.
• A G2 driver may drive alone on any Ontario road. The zero BAC, seatbelt and hand-held phone rules still apply.
• In the first six months, Lee may carry only one passenger aged 19 or under at that hour, unless a fully licensed driver sits in the front seat or the passengers are immediate family.
• The limits do not apply if the passengers are immediate family, or if a fully licensed driver is in the front passenger seat.

Applying for a licence

• You must be at least 16 years old to apply for a licence and drive in Ontario.
• To get a G1 you pass a vision test and a knowledge test on the rules of the road and traffic signs. Road tests come later, to move up to G2 and G.
• You must prove your legal name and date of birth with original, valid documents. Photocopies are not accepted.

New drivers to Ontario

• New residents may use a valid out-of-province or foreign licence for 60 days. After that, you need an Ontario licence.

Read this part of the official handbook on Ontario.ca →