Ontario G1 test 2026: requirements and learner rules

Age, residence and the first tests

To apply as a new driver in Ontario, you must be at least 16, live in Ontario rather than be a visitor, and pass a vision test and a knowledge test. The knowledge test covers road rules and traffic signs.

The checked source says that from 11 May 2026, G- and M-class applicants must declare Ontario as their primary residence and confirm that their presence in Canada is legal. That declaration is separate from passing the tests.

For a car, van or small truck, the source identifies the G licence class. Other vehicle classes have different purposes. This guide does not extend the G1 description to motorcycle licensing or commercial vehicle qualifications.

Once the vision and knowledge tests are passed, the applicant receives a G1 and is a beginner driver. The learning conditions continue while practising. A knowledge-test pass should not be described as permission to drive alone.

The source says drivers on Ontario roads must carry a valid licence and have the required vehicle permit, licence plate and insurance, while obeying traffic laws. Obtaining a learner licence is only one part of those road-use requirements.

Where to take the test and what ID to prepare

Knowledge tests are available at DriveTest centres without appointments. The source separately lists the ServiceOntario Bay and College location in downtown Toronto as appointment-only. Do not apply the Toronto location’s arrangement to every DriveTest centre.

Applicants need original identification showing legal name and date of birth. The source has lists for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and temporary residents, with a link to the full accepted-document guidance.

For permanent residents, the supplied examples include a PR card, Record of Landing, and Confirmation of Permanent Residence accompanied by a valid passport from the country of origin. The accompanying-passport condition belongs with the COPR example.

Temporary-resident examples include study and work permits and specified immigration documents. Use the full official list for the document you hold. This guide does not turn one example into a promise that any document with a similar title will be accepted.

A SIN application or health-card checklist does not replace the driver-licensing identity list. Check the exact document requirements for this process before travelling to the centre, particularly if names or dates need clarification.

Study materials and fees

The Official Ministry of Transportation Driver’s Handbook covers road rules and practical driving guidance for the knowledge test. The source provides an online version and describes buying a hard copy through DriveTest centres or retailers.

The checked price for the handbook is $14.95 plus taxes. That is a handbook price, not the application fee or knowledge-test package fee. Keep that distinction when estimating what you need to pay.

The source says licence and knowledge-test fees apply but directs readers to the fee list. No exact application or test fee is verified in the supplied facts. Check the official list before attending rather than using an unsupported amount here.

This guide does not supply a verified pass mark, question count or time limit. Use the official test and handbook information for those details. A preparation checklist should not invent test specifications just because they are commonly repeated elsewhere.

Study the actual rules as well as traffic signs. The knowledge test is an entry step; learning and supervised practice continue afterwards. A practice quiz or unofficial promise of success is not a substitute for the official material.

G1 conditions: supervision, alcohol, roads and hours

A G1 driver must maintain zero blood alcohol and make sure every passenger wears a working seatbelt. The learner may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. These conditions apply during the G1 learning stage.

The accompanying driver must be fully licensed with at least four years of driving experience. Their blood alcohol must be below 0.05, or zero if they are aged 21 or under, according to the supplied source.

The accompanying driver must be the only other person in the front seat. Supervision is not satisfied merely because an experienced driver is somewhere in the vehicle. Keep the seating rule with the experience and alcohol requirements.

G1 drivers may not drive on 400-series highways or high-speed expressways, with examples including the 401, QEW and Gardiner Expressway. Ontario says the learner can drive on any road with an Ontario-certified driving instructor.

The instructor exception concerns the road restriction described in the source. It should not be presented as removing every G1 condition. Continue to use the official learner rules for supervision, alcohol, seatbelts and hours.

From G1 to G2 and the full G licence

In most cases, the G1 practice period is 12 months before the first road test. Completing a government-approved driver education course can reduce it to eight months. The course must be approved; an arbitrary driving lesson package is not the verified condition.

The first road test is the G2 road test, also called the G1 exit test. It assesses basic driving skills such as turns, stopping, parking, lane changes and residential driving. Passing it leads to G2.

After G2, the source describes another 12 months of practice before the G road test. That second test covers more advanced skills, including highway driving. Passing leads to a full G licence.

Ontario describes the two-step process as taking about 20 months for most people, with up to five years to complete it. That general description does not guarantee a particular person’s earliest test appointment or completion date.

The source says a failure to complete the process within five years means starting over. It also has specific instructions for failed tests and expiring learner licences. Check those sections for your situation rather than treating the general timeline as an extension.

G2 restrictions and booking road tests

G2 drivers can generally drive without an experienced accompanying driver, on all Ontario roads and at any time of day. They must still have zero blood alcohol and carry no more passengers than the number of working seatbelts.

For G2 drivers aged 19 or under, the source adds overnight passenger limits. During the first six months, between midnight and 5 a.m., only one passenger aged 19 or under is allowed. Afterwards, the limit becomes three such passengers.

The source describes exceptions to that passenger limit for immediate family and when accompanied by a fully licensed driver with at least four years’ experience. Read the full rule rather than transferring an adult-driver summary to every young G2 holder.

Road tests need booking. The source asks for the Ontario licence number and expiry, preferred location, alternative locations and a preferred date and time. This is separate from the no-appointment knowledge-test arrangement at DriveTest centres.

The source says road-test cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before the appointment to avoid a cancellation fee. No cancellation-fee amount is verified here. Use the official booking guidance for current arrangements and availability.

Keep the application, decision and document separate

An application is a request for the responsible agency to assess your situation. Preparing a form or finding this guide does not establish approval. Keep any official confirmation with the application record so you can distinguish what you submitted from what the agency decided.

Use the name of the service when organising documents. A health card, immigration document, tax credit and social insurance number serve different purposes. Evidence accepted for one process should not automatically be assumed to meet another process’s document rules.

For a personal question, start with the official page linked below and follow the route that fits your situation. A general guide cannot inspect a file or resolve a mismatch in your records. SettleCA does not collect identification, bank details or application documents.

Keep a note of which step you have completed and what remains outstanding. That can help distinguish a question about preparing an application from one about a submitted file. The appropriate next step may differ even when two people are applying for the same service.

Do not infer a service fee or processing time from an unrelated program. Where the supplied facts do not verify a figure, this guide directs you to the official source. A current official fee or status check is more useful than an unsupported estimate.

What this guide verifies and where to check next

The factual source record was checked on 11 November 2026. This guide was published and updated on 12 November 2026. Those dates describe the supplied evidence and editorial build, rather than a live check of your application or a guarantee that no official instructions have changed.

The official sources below are labelled by subject. Start with the source for this specific application, then use related sources only for a separate service you need. A cross-link does not mean the agencies share one application or that approval transfers automatically.

Before submitting, compare your documents and chosen route with the official instructions. If the instructions do not cover a detail of your situation, use the responsible service’s help route. This guide does not replace a personal eligibility decision.

The related guides can help organise other tasks, but they are separate processes. Complete the requirements for each service in its own context. A useful checklist keeps the program name, evidence and decision together without combining different eligibility tests.