How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's graduated licensing path from a Class 7 learner's licence at 16 to a full experienced Class 5 licence, with SGI's three stages, tests, and restrictions.
How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in New Brunswick
New Brunswick's graduated licensing path from a Class 7 Level 1 learner's licence at 16 to a full Class 5 licence, with stages, tests, restrictions, and out-of-province exchange.
Applies in: New Brunswick
New Brunswick runs a graduated licensing system for new drivers, and the whole path runs through Service New Brunswick centres, not a separate licensing office. The program was introduced in the New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Act in 1996, and the province states the law is focused on experience, not age: all new drivers spend a minimum of 24 months with a graduated driver's licence before they get a full licence. This guide follows the two levels exactly as the Government of New Brunswick's graduated drivers' licences page states them: Level 1 (learner), Level 2 (intermediate), then a full Class 5 licence.
Step 1: Get a Class 7 Level 1 learner's licence
Anyone applying for a driver's licence for the first time, regardless of age, completes the required driver's test and is issued a Class 7 Level 1 Graduated Licence. To get it you must be 16 years of age or older, pass a vision screening (20/40 best eye), and pass the written, basic, and sign tests. If you are under 18, you need parental consent witnessed by a non-relative. Study the official New Brunswick Driver's Handbook first — the tests are drawn from it — then go to a Service New Brunswick centre and take the tests. A graduated licence is identified with an "L" on the front of the licence.
Step 2: Learn under the Level 1 restrictions
A Level 1 licence is an instructional licence. The restrictions the province states for Level 1 are:
- No passengers allowed except the accompanying driver, who must hold a Class 5 or better licence, have a minimum of three years of driving experience, and sit in the front passenger seat.
- Prohibited from driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
- Zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol while driving.
You must hold Level 1 for a minimum of 12 months, or 8 months if you graduated from a recognized licensed driving school. Any breach of the zero-tolerance condition results in a one-year suspension, followed by a return to the beginning of the graduated licence period with no credit given for a previously passed road test or driver training course. Suspension for loss of all points results in a three-month suspension followed by a return to the beginning of the graduated licence period, again with no credit given.
Step 3: Pass the road test for Class 7 Level 2
To move to Level 2 you must complete Level 1 and pass the road test. The minimum age is 16 years and 8 months if you completed a driver training course, or 17 years if you did not. Level 2 lasts a minimum of 12 months; if you entered Level 2 early as a result of a driver training course, the balance of the 24-month graduated period is spent in this level.
As a Level 2 driver you may drive with up to three passengers, with only one in the front seat. If you are under 21, you are prohibited from driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver (Class 5 or better) with at least three years of driving experience; an automatic exemption is granted for work and education, and a written application to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles is required for other purposeful activities. The province's summary page also lists driving to or from work or school, driving in an emergency, having the Registrar's permission, or being 21 or older as the cases where a Level 2 driver may drive between midnight and 5 a.m. The zero-tolerance rule for drugs and alcohol still applies at Level 2.
Step 4: Apply for a full Class 5 licence
After completing 24 months at Level 1 and Level 2 combined, with at least 12 months in Level 2, you get a Class 5 licence — but no road test is required, and the licence is not automatic. It is your responsibility to apply for a Class 5 licence upon completion of a Class 7 Graduated Licence (Level 2). Failure to apply could result in graduated-licence sanctions being applied that could affect your driving privileges, so file the application as soon as you qualify rather than waiting.
What it costs
The fees on the Government of New Brunswick's driver's licences page, as of August 1, 2026, are:
- Written test, first attempt: $25.
- Written test, re-write: $15.
- Road test, Class 9, 7, 6 or 5, for each attempt: $25.
- Driver's licence, Classes 1–9, valid for four years: $100.
- Replacement of a driver's licence of any class: $25.
Two timing rules come with the fees. Test results are valid for six months, and any licence issuance or upgrade must be completed within six months of starting the process — so do not sit the written test months before you plan to finish. When you apply for your licence you receive a 30-day temporary document, and your card arrives securely in the mail within approximately 14 days.
Moving to New Brunswick with a licence from elsewhere
New Brunswick expects a new resident to get a New Brunswick licence as soon as they take up residence — there is no grace period stated for new residents. Drivers from Canadian provinces or the United States may exchange their licence class for class, including Class 7, without taking any driver's test or submitting a medical, provided the licence from the other province or state is surrendered if possible, an Application for Driver's Licence is completed, the driver is 16 or older (with parental consent to 18), the application fee is paid, the licence does not expire within the next six months, and proof of identity and residency documents are provided.
The countries below have reciprocity with Canada, and their nationals can exchange their licence without testing for a Class 5 or motorcycle licence (if their licence indicates they can operate a motorcycle), as published on the Government of New Brunswick's driver's licences for new residents page: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Isle of Man, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands (Holland), New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Wales. They must still provide proof of identity, proof of address, the foreign licence, a translation if the licence is not in English or French, and proof of legal presence in Canada. Taiwan carries extra document rules, and Ukrainians exchange a category B or BE licence for a Class 5 without the written and road tests, subject to vision testing.
Drivers from any other country must take a full driver licence examination: a vision test, a written examination, and a road test. Temporary residents holding a work or study permit valid for more than six months may drive on their valid home-country licence for up to six months from the day they land in Canada. Students who move to New Brunswick do not need to exchange their licence while in school, but as soon as they take up permanent residence or become gainfully employed, they must exchange it. Drivers being transferred from other provinces receive credit for their participation in a graduated program in their province, but once they have registered as a driver in New Brunswick they are required to follow New Brunswick's graduated program.
Figures the opened gnb.ca pages do not state
The opened Government of New Brunswick pages state the stages, ages, hold periods, restrictions, and the reciprocal-country list set out above. Confirm the current fees with Service New Brunswick before you book. The reciprocal list changes as agreements are signed or revised, so confirm your country against the current new-residents page rather than relying on any list, including this one.
Related guides:
- How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Nova Scotia — Nova Scotia's graduated system, the closest Atlantic comparison to New Brunswick's two-level program.
- How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Ontario — Ontario's G1, G2, and full G graduated system.
- How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Manitoba — Manitoba's graduated path, another two-stage comparison.
- How to Start Exchanging Your Foreign Driver's Licence in Canada — how a licence from outside Canada is exchanged, including the national picture behind New Brunswick's reciprocal list.
The New Brunswick graduated licensing path to a full Class 5 licence
- Get your Class 7 Level 1 learner's licence at 16Pass the vision screening and the written, basic, and sign tests at a Service New Brunswick centre, with parental consent witnessed by a non-relative if you are under 18
- Hold Level 1 for at least 12 monthsDrive only with a supervising driver holding a Class 5 or better licence with at least three years of experience in the front passenger seat, never between midnight and 5 a.m., with zero alcohol or drugs
- Pass the road test for Class 7 Level 2At 16 years and 8 months with a recognized driving school course, or 17 without one, the road test moves you to the intermediate stage
- Hold Level 2 for at least 12 monthsDrive on your own with no more than three passengers, with the night-driving limits that apply under 21, still with zero alcohol or drugs
- Apply for a full Class 5 licenceAfter 24 months in the program with at least 12 months at Level 2, apply for the Class 5 yourself — no road test is required, but the licence is not issued automatically
Questions people ask
How old do I have to be to start driving in New Brunswick?
You can apply for a Class 7 Level 1 learner's licence at 16, after passing the vision screening and the written, basic, and sign tests. If you are under 18, you need parental consent witnessed by a non-relative. The program is about experience, not age: every first-time driver, whatever their age, starts at Level 1 and spends a minimum of 24 months in the graduated program before getting a full Class 5 licence.
How long does the whole New Brunswick graduated licensing process take?
A minimum of 24 months from Level 1 to a full Class 5 licence. Level 1 lasts at least 12 months, or 8 months if you graduate from a recognized licensed driving school. Level 2 lasts at least 12 months, and the balance of the 24-month period is spent there if you entered Level 2 early through driver training. There is no road test to move from Level 2 to Class 5, but you must apply for the Class 5 licence yourself when you qualify.
What are the restrictions on a Level 1 learner's licence in New Brunswick?
You may carry no passengers except the accompanying driver, who must hold a Class 5 or better licence, have at least three years of driving experience, and sit in the front passenger seat. You cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. You must maintain zero blood alcohol content and use no drugs while driving. Any breach of the zero-tolerance condition results in a one-year suspension followed by a return to the beginning of the graduated licence period, with no credit for a passed road test or driver training course.
What changes at Level 2 in New Brunswick?
You may drive without a supervising driver, with no more than three passengers and only one in the front seat. If you are under 21, you cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless you are accompanied by a licensed driver with at least three years of experience, or you are driving to or from work or school, or in an emergency, or you have the Registrar's permission. The zero-tolerance rule for drugs and alcohol still applies, and losing all your points means a three-month suspension followed by a return to the beginning of the graduated period.
I already have a licence from another province or country. Can I exchange it in New Brunswick?
Licences from other Canadian provinces and the United States exchange class for class without a test or a medical, provided you surrender the old licence, complete an application, pay the fee, and provide proof of identity and residency. Nationals of the reciprocal countries on the Government of New Brunswick's new-residents page — including Austria, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, among others — can also exchange for a Class 5 without testing. Anyone else takes a full examination: vision test, written test, and road test. Check the current list on the official page before you go, because the list changes as agreements are signed or revised.
How soon must a new resident get a New Brunswick licence?
As soon as you take up residence. New Brunswick states no grace period for new residents: you must exchange your licence when you take up permanent residence or become gainfully employed. Students do not need to exchange while in school. Temporary residents with a work or study permit valid for more than six months may drive on a valid home-country licence for up to six months from the day they land in Canada.
Sources
- Government of New Brunswick, Graduated drivers' licences — the two-level program, the minimum 24 months, the Level 1 and Level 2 requirements, durations, restrictions, the night-driving exemptions, the zero-tolerance suspension rules, and the rule that the driver must apply for Class 5.
- Government of New Brunswick, Driver's licences for new residents — class-for-class exchange from other provinces and the United States, the full reciprocal-country list, the Taiwan and Ukraine conditions, the six-month rule for temporary residents, and the student exemption.
- Government of New Brunswick, Driver's licences — the licence classes, the fees as of August 1, 2026 (written test $25 first attempt / $15 re-write, road test $25 for Class 7 or 5, licence $100 for four years, replacement $25), the six-month test-result validity, and the 30-day temporary document with the card arriving in about 14 days.