How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Ontario — G1, G2, and Full G

Ontario does not hand a new driver a full licence in one step. Every new driver applying for a first car licence enters the graduated licensing system, run by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), and works through three stages: G1, G2, and full G. Two road tests sit between the stages, and minimum waiting periods sit between the tests. This guide follows the Official MTO Driver's Handbook, the chapter on getting a driver's licence, and states each stage, restriction, and waiting period as the handbook states it.

This guide covers the graduated path for a first Ontario licence only. A driver who already holds a licence from another province or country follows the exchange route instead, which the site's foreign licence exchange guide covers, including the 60-day rule for new Ontario residents and the July 2026 experience-credit rule. A person who wants to teach driving, rather than learn it, needs a driving instructor's licence, which the site's driving instructor guide covers. Motorcycle licensing (M1, M2, full M) runs on its own parallel graduated system and is not covered here.

Step 1: Apply for Level One — age, documents, vision, and knowledge

To apply for a licence, you must be at least 16 years old, pass a vision test, and pass a test of your knowledge of the rules of the road and traffic signs. The handbook states the three requirements together, and passing the vision and knowledge tests is what puts a new driver at Level One with a Class G1 licence.

Bring original proof of your legal name and complete date of birth, showing day, month, and year. Photocopies and expired documents are not acceptable. The handbook lists a passport (Canadian or foreign), a Canadian Citizenship Card with photo, and permanent immigration documents — the Permanent Resident Card, the Record of Landing (Form 1000), and the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (Form IMM 5292) — as well as temporary immigration documents, including a student authorization, employment authorization, visitor record, temporary resident's permit, or report under the Immigration Act. Where the document presented does not show the legal name or complete date of birth, additional documents are required, such as a Canadian or United States birth certificate, a marriage certificate, a change-of-name certificate, or a court order for adoption, change of name, or divorce bearing the legal name, date of birth, and court seal. Direct identification by a parent or guardian is not acceptable.

Take the documents to a DriveTest Centre or a Travel Point, which is a temporary DriveTest Centre where there is no regional centre. Phone ahead to find the nearest Travel Point and when it is open. When you apply, you will be asked questions about your health; people with certain physical or medical conditions are not allowed to drive for safety reasons, and doctors and optometrists must by law report the name and address of anyone over 16 who has a condition that may make it unsafe for them to drive. Report any change in a medical condition that may affect the ability to drive safely once licensed.

A fee is payable when you apply. The handbook states that the fee includes the cost of the knowledge test, the first road test, and a five-year licensing fee, and that there are more charges for the second road test and for any retests. A road-test appointment must be prepaid. This guide states no dollar figure for any fee, because no MTO fee figure could be verified on an official page; confirm the current fees at the DriveTest Centre or on the ministry website before you apply.

Since May 11, 2026, an applicant for a class G or class M licence must also declare that Ontario is their primary place of residence and that their presence in Canada is legal. That declaration is part of the application, as the handbook chapter now states it.

Step 2: Level One (G1) — learn under supervision for 12 months, or 8 with a course

Level One lasts 12 months. If you pass an approved driver-education course, you can complete Level One in eight months. The handbook encourages every new driver to take an approved course and to begin training as soon as they become a Level One driver, so as to get as much driving experience as possible.

The restrictions at Level One are strict, and they are stated here in full because breaking one of them is the fastest way to lose the licence:

• Your blood-alcohol level must be zero. You must not drive if you have been drinking alcohol.
• You must not drive alone. An accompanying driver must sit in the front passenger seat, and that is the only person who can be in the front seat with you while you drive.
• The accompanying driver must have a valid Class G licence or higher, at least four years of driving experience, and a blood-alcohol level of less than 0.05% while accompanying you. Time spent at the G2 level counts toward the four years, as long as the G2 licence was valid and not suspended. The accompanying driver's licence may carry demerit points, but it cannot be suspended.
• Each person in the vehicle must have a working seat belt.
• You must not drive on 400-series highways with a posted speed limit over 80 km/h, or on the Queen Elizabeth Way, Don Valley Parkway, and Gardiner Expressway in the Greater Toronto Area, the E.C. Row Expressway in Windsor, and the Conestoga Parkway in Kitchener-Waterloo. The exception is where the accompanying driver is a driving instructor, in which case any road may be driven.
• You must not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.

Study the Official MTO Driver's Handbook before the G1 knowledge test, and bring two pieces of identification, money for the test fees, and glasses or contact lenses if they are needed to drive. Passing a road test of driving skills moves a Level One driver to Level Two and a Class G2 licence.

Step 3: The Beginner Driver Education course, and how to choose a school

A Beginner Driver Education (BDE) course can be the difference between 12 months at Level One and eight. The handbook's chapter on choosing a driving school sets out what counts. A BDE course in a driving school approved by the provincial government teaches the skills and attitudes of a safe and responsible driver, and it may make a driver eligible to take the road test sooner and save money on insurance premiums.

A ministry-approved BDE course must last a minimum of 40 hours: at least 20 hours in-class, 10 hours in-vehicle, and 10 hours of flexible instruction, which may include classroom instruction, computer-based instruction, in-vehicle instruction, driving simulator instruction, and home links or homework. Graduating from an approved course is noted in the driver's licence history and reduces the time at Level One by four months. It may also bring savings on car insurance; the handbook states the saving as a possibility, not a rate, and no discount figure is stated in this guide.

Only ministry-licensed driving schools offer the course, licences are renewed every three years where schools continue to meet legislative and program requirements, and only licensed instructors working for licensed schools can teach it. All ministry-approved driving schools are listed on the ministry's website, and the ministry also lists revoked driving schools that are not on the approved list. Check both lists before enrolling: a course from a school that is not approved does not earn the four-month reduction, whatever the school advertises.

The handbook's school checklist is worth working through before paying: a course information package, a personalized program, adequate classroom facilities, a low student-to-teacher ratio, audiovisual equipment, the in-class, in-vehicle, and flexible topics covered, instructor qualifications and upgrading, student progress and evaluation reports, the minimum 20, 10, and 10 hour split, modern training materials, use of a vehicle for the road test, tuition receipts, and clear contract statements about the cost of every aspect, including use of a vehicle for the road test and any subsequent road test. All ministry-licensed driving schools offer in-class and in-car training for a fee, and all lessons are taught by a ministry-licensed driving instructor.

Step 4: Level Two (G2) — drive alone, with a zero limit, for at least 12 months

Level Two lasts at least 12 months. Passing the first road test — the G1 exit test — moves a driver to Level Two, with more privileges because of the driving experience gained. The G2 licence allows driving a Class G vehicle without an accompanying driver, subject to conditions.

At Level Two, the blood-alcohol level must still be zero, and each person in the vehicle must have a working seat belt. The midnight-to-5 a.m. passenger restrictions apply to G2 drivers aged 19 and under: in the first six months after receiving the G2 licence, only one passenger aged 19 or under may be carried; after six months, and until the full G licence is obtained or the driver turns 20, up to three passengers aged 19 or under may be carried. The restrictions do not apply where a fully licensed driver sits in the front passenger seat, or where the passengers are members of the driver's immediate family — a guardian, or those related by blood, marriage, common-law relationship, or adoption. Separately, it is now law that all young drivers aged 21 and under, regardless of licence class, must have a blood-alcohol level of zero.

Before the G1 exit test, study the handbook and bring a vehicle in good working order, money for test fees if applicable, and glasses or contact lenses if needed, arriving at least 30 minutes before the appointment. An accompanying driver must come to the test centre with a Level One driver; a Level Two driver should be prepared to take alternate transportation home in case of a failed test, since a failed Level Two driver is unqualified to drive.

Step 5: The road tests — booking, the test itself, and retests

Road tests check driving skills in the vehicle and in traffic: the ability to follow the rules of the road and safe driving practices, including starting, stopping, and turning, traffic signs and lights, passing vehicles including bicycles, controlled and uncontrolled intersections, parallel parking and reversing, foreseeing hazardous conditions, and other safe driving practices. Book an appointment by internet, phone, or in person at any DriveTest Centre; the handbook gives the DriveTest Centre numbers as 647-776-0331 and 1-888-570-6110.

Bring the appropriate vehicle. It must be fit, in proper working condition, plated, and insured. No pets or passengers other than the driver examiner are allowed in the vehicle during a road test; driving instructors, friends, relatives, and translators may not accompany the driver. Electronic driving aids such as automatic parallel-parking systems, lane monitoring, cruise control, and back cameras may not be used during the test; the driver must demonstrate the skills without reliance on driving aids, including shoulder checks and mirror checks. The examiner explains the test before it begins, states the time allowed, and is not permitted to coach during it, so questions should be asked before the test starts. At the end of each test, the examiner gives a complete report of the driver's skills and explains any mistakes.

Two timing rules govern retests and missed appointments. A driver must wait at least 10 days between tests. Cancelling or rescheduling with less than 48 hours' notice, or failing to attend, means the prepaid road-test fee is not refunded, except in stated extenuating circumstances such as a death in the immediate family, where the fee remains as a credit on the driving record. If the vehicle does not meet ministry standards, or another non-vehicle reason means the test cannot be completed, the examiner declares the test out-of-order: 50% of the fee is lost, the other 50% remains as a credit, and booking a new test requires paying the deducted 50% again. Concerns about a vehicle should be raised with the DriveTest Centre before the appointment.

The second road test — the G2 exit test — has one extra preparation requirement. A driver must have highway driving experience, meaning experience driving on highways with speed limits of at least 80 km/h, before taking it, and must complete a Declaration of Highway Driving Experience form describing that experience before the test. Bring the same items as for the first test: a vehicle in good working order, money for test fees if applicable, glasses or contact lenses if needed, and arrival at least 30 minutes early. After 12 months at Level Two, passing this test qualifies the driver for full licence privileges.

Step 6: Full G, the five-year limit, and requalification

Passing the second road test gives a full Class G licence, which allows driving any car, van, or small truck, or a combination of vehicle and towed vehicle up to 11,000 kilograms, provided the towed vehicle is not over 4,600 kilograms. The full G licence carries no novice restrictions.

The whole graduated process takes at least 20 months: 12 months at Level One, or eight with an approved course, plus at least 12 months at Level Two. Novice drivers — Classes G1, G2, M1, and M2 — have five years to complete the process, except that Class M1 has its own shorter validity. If a Class G1, G2, or M2 licence is about to expire and the process is not complete, the same class of licence can be regained or retained by passing a test and paying the five-year licensing fee, a process the handbook calls requalification. A notice is sent to G1, G2, and M2 drivers before their licence expiry date to inform them of their options. A driver who neither completes the process nor requalifies before the licence expires has no licence to drive and must reapply for a Level One licence.

Keep the licence current once it is held. Renewal, address and name changes, and medical reporting all sit in the keeping-your-licence chapter of the handbook, and the licence itself must be carried whenever driving. A driver who moves to Ontario from elsewhere, or who leaves Ontario, should check the new-resident and exchange rules before the 60-day grace period for a new resident's existing licence runs out, rather than assuming the graduated path applies.

Related guides:

• How to Become a Driving Instructor in Canada — the instructor's licence, examinations, and approved course, for readers who want to teach the BDE course described here.
• How to Start Exchanging Your Foreign Driver's Licence in Canada — the exchange route for drivers who already hold a licence from another province or country, including Ontario's reciprocal list and experience-credit rules.
• How to Start a Driving School Business in Canada — starting a driving school, including the ministry licensing that an approved BDE school must hold.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, "Getting Your Driver's Licence," Official Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Driver's Handbook — the graduated licensing system, the 16-year minimum, the vision and knowledge tests, the Level One and Level Two durations and restrictions, the road test rules, the 10-day retest wait, the highway experience declaration, the BDE 40-hour structure, and the new-resident and exchange sections.
• Government of Ontario, "Keeping Your Driver's Licence," Official Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Driver's Handbook — the five-year completion limit, requalification by test and five-year fee, and the expiry notice.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, "Confirmation of Permanent Residence document" — the Confirmation of Permanent Residence, also known as IMM 5292 or IMM 5688, issued to foreign nationals whose permanent residence application is approved.
• DriveTest, "Road Tests – Cars, Vans, and Small Trucks" — the Class G road test highway driving declaration: at least five drives on highways with a speed limit of at least 80 km/h in the last three months.

No fee dollar figure is stated in this guide, because no MTO or DriveTest fee figure could be verified on an official page; the handbook states only that a fee is payable on application, that it includes the knowledge test, first road test, and five-year licensing fee, and that further charges apply for the second road test and retests. No insurance discount figure is stated, because the handbook states only that an approved course may bring savings. Re-check the handbook chapter and the DriveTest fee information on the day you apply, because the ministry page governs over this summary.