Prince Edward Island's three-stage graduated licensing path from an Instruction Driver's Permit at 16 to a full Class 5 licence, with stages, tests, restrictions, and out-of-province exchange.
Applies in: Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island runs a three-stage Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program for new drivers, and the whole path runs through Access PEI locations. All new drivers residing in Prince Edward Island, regardless of age, who are applying for their first car licence (Class 5) or motorcycle licence (Class 6) must first enter the program, which begins with an Instruction Driver's Permit (Class 7). This guide follows the three stages exactly as the Government of Prince Edward Island's Graduated Driver Licensing Program brochure states them: Stage 1 (Instruction Permit), Stage 2 (Class 5 with restrictions), and Stage 3 (Class 5 with reduced restrictions).
If you are 16 years of age or older, you may apply for an Instruction Driver's Permit, also called a Beginner's Permit (Class 7), which allows supervised operation of a motor vehicle for driving instruction during Stage 1. Parent or legal guardian consent is mandatory for drivers under 18. Study the Prince Edward Island Driver's Handbook first — driving tests are based on the rules and information in it — then contact Access PEI to book an appointment. The permit is valid for two years from the date of issue. You will be issued a bright yellow decal with a large black "L" in the centre, which you must display on the inside of the windshield just above the motor vehicle inspection sticker whenever you are driving.
The Stage 1 restrictions the province states are:
You must wait 365 days, or 275 days if enrolled in certified driver education, before your first road test.
When you have met all the requirements of Stage 1, including a successful road test, you graduate into Stage 2 and receive a Class 5 driver's licence. The minimum age of entry is 17, or 16 years plus 275 days if you successfully completed a certified driver education course. You will be issued a Graduated Decal (G), which you are required to display on any motor vehicle you operate.
The Stage 2 restrictions the province states are:
When you have spent the appropriate time in Stage 2, you automatically graduate to Stage 3. The minimum age of entry is 18, or 17 years plus 275 days if you successfully completed a certified driver education course. Stage 3 is the last year of the program and lasts one year (365 days). You still display the "G" decal on the windshield of any vehicle you drive. The restrictions ease: you are allowed as many passengers as there are available seat belts, and the Stage 2 curfew no longer applies. The zero blood alcohol and zero blood drug rules and the handheld-device ban stay in place for the whole program.
At the end of Stage 3, the "G" decal can be removed from the vehicles you have been operating, and obtaining a replacement Class 5 licence is not required. A Stage 3 driver who holds a valid Stage 3 licence is eligible to apply for a Class 4 licence restricted to operating an ambulance. If a decal is lost or destroyed during any stage, a replacement is available at any Access PEI location at no charge.
The fees on the Government of Prince Edward Island's driver's licence fees page are:
That puts the first-time path through the written test, the permit, the Novice Driver Course, and the Class 5 road test at $160 before any driving lessons. Confirm the current fees with Access PEI before you book.
Newcomers may use their driver's licence to drive in Prince Edward Island for up to four months after they become a resident of the province, and the period is extended if you have started but not completed the licence exchange process within the four months. To exchange, visit an Access PEI office in person and be prepared to fill out an application form, provide the required documents, pass a vision test, pass a written knowledge exam and a driving test, and pay the appropriate fees — unless your licence qualifies for a direct exchange.
If you are moving from another Canadian jurisdiction, or from any of the reciprocal countries below, you can exchange your licence for a Prince Edward Island licence and you will not need to complete a written knowledge exam or driving test, as published on the Government of Prince Edward Island's driving with an out-of-province licence page: Austria (Class 5 and 6), Australia (Class 5 and 6), Belgium (Class 5 and 6), France (Class 5), Germany (Class 5 and 6), Japan (Class 5 and 6), South Korea (Class 5 and 6), Switzerland (Class 5 and 6), Taiwan (Class 5), Ukraine (Class 5, effective August 15, 2022), United Kingdom (Class 5 and 6), and United States (Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). The United Kingdom includes England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden have a unilateral exchange for a Class 5 licence: holders of an active Class 5 licence or equivalent from those countries are not required to complete a written exam or road test if they present a valid licence and one of the supporting documents the page lists — a valid International Driving Permit, an original driving record issued within 30 days, an original letter from the licensing agency issued within 30 days, or an original letter from the embassy or consular office issued within 30 days.
If you are from any other country not listed as reciprocal or unilateral, you must pass a written knowledge test, complete the Novice Driver Course for Newcomers, and successfully complete a driving test. Driving examinations are conducted only at the Access PEI offices in Alberton, Charlottetown, Montague, Souris, and Summerside, and you must bring your own vehicle. Experienced drivers from non-reciprocity countries have a further option: the Licensed Driver Education Course, run by an approved licensed driving school, which can credit previous driving experience toward a Class 5 licence instead of the three-year graduated program.
The opened Government of Prince Edward Island pages state the stages, ages, hold periods, restrictions, and the reciprocal and unilateral lists set out above. Confirm the current fees with Access PEI before you book. The reciprocal and unilateral lists change as agreements are signed or revised, so confirm your country against the current out-of-province licence page rather than relying on any list, including this one.
You can apply for an Instruction Driver's Permit, also called a Beginner's Permit (Class 7), at 16. Parental or legal guardian consent is mandatory for drivers under 18. Every new driver in Prince Edward Island, regardless of age, who is applying for a first car licence (Class 5) or motorcycle licence (Class 6) must first enter the Graduated Driver Licensing system, which begins with the Instruction Driver's Permit.
About three years. Stage 1 lasts 365 days, or 275 days if you are enrolled in certified driver education. Stage 2 lasts one year, and Stage 3 lasts one year (365 days). The Instruction Driver's Permit itself is valid for two years from the date of issue, so do not let it lapse before you take the road test.
You may drive only under the supervision of an accompanying driver who is fully licensed, has held a valid licence for at least four years, and rides in the front passenger seat at all times. Only immediate family members of the supervising driver are allowed as passengers. Your blood alcohol and blood drug concentrations must be zero, and you cannot use a handheld cellular telephone, headphones, or any other handheld electronic device while driving. If you are under 21, you are prohibited from driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Any violation that carries demerit points suspends the Instruction Permit for a minimum of 30 days.
At Stage 2 you hold a Class 5 licence and may drive without supervision, but you may have only one non-family passenger, you must keep zero blood alcohol and zero blood drug concentration, you cannot use a handheld device, and you cannot drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a fully licensed driver with at least four years of experience (this rule does not apply once you are 21 or older). You may apply for a curfew exemption for work. At Stage 3 the passenger limit lifts to as many passengers as there are seat belts, the curfew ends, and the zero alcohol and drug rules and the handheld-device ban stay. You still display the G decal through Stage 3, and you remove it at the end.
If you are moving from another Canadian jurisdiction, or from a reciprocal country — Austria, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, or the United States — you can exchange your licence for a Prince Edward Island licence without a written knowledge exam or a driving test. Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden have a one-way (unilateral) exchange for a Class 5 licence, with extra supporting documents. Anyone else must pass a written knowledge test, complete the Novice Driver Course for Newcomers, and pass a driving test.
Newcomers may use their driver's licence to drive in Prince Edward Island for up to four months after they become a resident of the province. The period is extended if you have started but not completed the licence exchange process within the four months. Full-time students attending an educational institution in Prince Edward Island may drive with their home licence while it is current and valid. A visitor on a six-month visitor's visa is not required or eligible for a Prince Edward Island licence.