All novice drivers who hold a G1, G2, M1 or M2 class driver's licence or any combination of novice class licences such as G2M2, have 5 years to complete the graduated licensing program and obtain a full class licence.
With the introduction of Ontario's Graduated Licensing System in 1994, new drivers must complete a two-stage program with mandatory time periods for each stage, and pass required road tests. Novice licence holders have five years to complete Level 1 and Level 2 of the program (G1, G2 or M1, M2) and graduate to a full class licence (GorM).
You are a novice driver if you have a G1, G2, M1 or M2 class driver's licence, or a driver's licence with any combination of novice classes such as G2M2. If you have a combination of a full class licence and a novice class licence, such as AM2 or MG2, you are a novice driver only for the novice class.
Check the expiry date on your novice class driver's licence. If you do not exit out of the Graduated Licensing Program in 5 years, or take a test to retain you current class, your licence expires.
In addition, you will receive a notice in the mail before your licence expires. The Notice of Novice Driver's Licence Expiry will alert you to the expiry date of your licence and explain the test options available to you. Read it carefully.
Option 1 take appropriate road test to graduate to the next level of licence
Example - take Level 1 road test to Example graduate to Level 2, or Level 2 road test to graduate to a full class licence
or
Option 2 take appropriate test to requalify to retain your current novice class licence
Example - take the knowledge test to requalify for Level 1, or Level 1 road test to requalify for Level 2
When you have decided which option is best for you, contact the nearest Driver Examination Centre to book the appropriate test. Remember to book your test appointment as soon as possible.
If you do not exit out of the Graduated Licensing Program within 5 years of obtaining your Level 1 novice licence, it will expire. Unlike a full class driver's licence, a novice class licence is not renewable. However, you may re-apply (requalify) for a novice class licence by passing a test and paying the five-year licensing fee. If you do not exit Graduated Licensing or requalify before your novice class licence expires, you will not have a licence to drive.
Insurance note: Drivers who successfully exit from Graduated Licensing, from Level 2 to a full class licence, are eligible for insurance rate discounts. Check with your insurance company.
A G1 licence holder may:
- take the G1 road test to graduate to G2, or,
- take the knowledge and vision tests to keep their G1 licence
When you pass the test, you pay a licensing fee and receive a new licence good for another 5 years
You will remain a G1 licence holder until your licence expires or you pass another road test. You may also take the G knowledge and vision tests to requalify for your G1 licence.
A class M1 licence is valid for only 90 days. Holders of this licence do not receive a notice of expiry in the mail.
A G2 (or M2) licence holder may:
- take the G2 (or M2) road test to graduate to a full G (or M) licence, or,
- take the G1 (or M1) road test to keep their G2 (or M2) licence.
When you pass the test, you pay a licensing fee and receive a new licence good for another 5 years.
You will remain a G2 (or M2) licence holder until it expires or you pass another road test. You may try the G2 (or M2) road test again or take the G1 (or M1) road test to requalify for your G2 (or M2) before it expires.
Your licence will be downgraded to G1 (or M1). You may take the G1 (or M1) road test to regain your G2 (or M2) licence before it expires.
No. If you have passed a road test in the past twelve months before your licence expires it can be counted toward your novice requalification. Go to the nearest Driver Examination Centre to pay a licensing fee and receive a new licence. For example if you pass the G1 road test to become a G2 driver a month before receiving your expiry notice, you do not need to take the test again.
If the earliest road test you can get is after your licence expiry date the Driver Examination Centre will issue you a Temporary Driver's Licence so you can drive up until the day of your test.
The licence will be expired. You may be eligible to book another road test and receive a one day Temporary Driver's Licence for the day of the test, or you may reapply for a G1 (or M1) licence by passing the knowledge and vision tests, and paying the licensing fee. If you take the road test on a Temporary Driver's Licence, be sure to make alternate arrangements for getting home in the event you are unqualified to drive after the test.
You will receive a Notice of Novice Driver's Licence Expiry tor each class. Usually your licence expiry date is the expiry date of the first novice class licence you obtained. You must exit from or requalify for each class of licence separately by passing the appropriate road test.
Your licence expiry date will usually be the expiry date of the full class licence, but your novice class may have a different expiry date. You will receive a Notice of Novice Driver's Licence Expiry tor the novice class and you must then decide if you want to retain that class by passing the appropriate road test
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