New to Ontario? How to get your driver’s licence

You have 60 days

New residents can drive on a valid licence from another province, state or country for 60 days. After that, you need an Ontario licence.

If your licence can be exchanged

Ontario has exchange agreements with every Canadian province and territory, the Canadian Armed Forces, U.S. states, and these countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, the Isle of Man, Japan, Kosovo, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Ukraine.

• Two or more years of experience in the last three years: you exchange for a full G, with no road test.
• Less than two years: you get a G2, and take the G road test once your total experience reaches two years.

Learner’s permits can’t be exchanged, from anywhere. Everyone exchanging takes a vision test.

If it can’t be exchanged

You go through graduated licensing: a vision test, a knowledge test, then the G2 road test, and the G road test at least 12 months later.

If your licence was issued more recently than you actually started driving, you’ll need a letter of authentication to get credit for the extra time.

What to bring to DriveTest

• Original identity documents showing your legal name and date of birth
• Your original, valid foreign licence
• Original proof of your driving experience, in English or French
• Payment for fees

A licence that isn’t in English or French needs a recent translation from an approved translator. A letter or abstract of authentication must be issued within the last six months, come from the licensing authority, an embassy, consulate or high commission, and show when you were first licensed, the class, the status and the expiry date. DriveTest doesn’t accept letters from insurance companies or third-party websites.

You can apply at any DriveTest centre as a walk-in, and Hamilton’s centre also offers bookable appointments for exchanges.

What can feel different here

• You can turn right on a red light after a full stop, unless a sign says otherwise.
• When a school bus has its red lights flashing, traffic in both directions stops, unless the road has a median.
• At pedestrian crossovers and school crossings, you wait until people have completely crossed the road.
• When you see an emergency vehicle or tow truck stopped with its lights flashing, slow down and move over if you safely can.
• Winter. If you’ve never driven on snow and ice, the winter driving guide is worth a read.

The right-of-way guide and the road signs guide cover these rules in more detail.