How To Get Ontario Driver’s License

In today’s technology-growing world, having a driver’s license has become an important part of the day to day life.

Cars and bikes are found in every other house nowadays. To ride these vehicles, you need to have full command of driving.

Even if you don’t know driving, there are many driving schools or driving classes available where the driving instructor or school instructor guides you through the dos and don’t while driving on the road.

He can also guide you through the road test before booking the road test appointment. But before appointing him, you must go through his license and the expiry date.

1. Need For A Driving Licence

In big or metropolitan cities, people have a long distance between their homes and office. They can’t walk or ride a bicycle daily to cover this long distance daily. Hence people there usually prefer bikes or cars for moving from one place to another.

Earlier, people used to love walking on the roads or they preferred to go anywhere on foot or rarely by bicycle. But nowadays, people don’t have that much time which is why they use bikes or cars to move from one place to another.

But you cannot ride a bike casually. You need to have proper documentation such as a driving license for that. Strict checking takes place everywhere especially in big cities and a person without a license is heavily charged with fines.

However, getting a driving license requires a hell lot of patience as you have to undergo a long and slow process in person.

Different countries and states follow different rules to provide a driving license to their citizens. As for the Ontario driver’s license, you have to follow certain procedures. 

2. Some Safety Rules To Be Followed While Driving In Ontario

Even though you might be having years of driving experience, you must know the rules and regulations to be taken care of while driving. Every other country has some differences in driving rules. If you are a resident of Ontario, you must go through the Ontario driver’s handbook. Some of the common rules of the road in Ontario are –

1. In Ontario, you cannot drive a car without having verified car insurance. You must have car insurance to secure the money spent in buying the vehicle. Car insurance is also helpful in case of any accident or mishappenings.

2. On bikes, you can have up to three passengers with you. However, you must prefer only two passengers as tripling is not allowed in many areas.

3. You must drive safely and avoid increasing your speed as far as possible.

4. If you are planning to keep someone as your driver, prefer to have an experienced driver. Licensed drivers have better driving skills and a better driving record. Also, verify the driver’s license number and expiry date.

5. You as well as your accompanying driver must not forget to wear your seatbelt. If not done, heavy charges are fined.

6. You must follow the traffic light and should not rush especially during the red signal. You may be charged heavily if you are caught rushing with great speed.

7. Using mobile or other telephonic devices driving is illegal in Ontario. There are greater risks of accidents or any other mishappenings as the driver cannot fully concentrate on driving.

8. You must not consume alcohol or any such drinks while driving. A person is not in his normal state of mind after having alcohol or any such beverage. Driving in such conditions might be risky for both the driver and the passengers.

9. At the zebra crossing, you must stop and allow all travellers to cross the road safely. You should proceed only after everyone has safely crossed the road.

10. If there are any emergency vehicles like an ambulance coming from behind, you must leave the required space and allow the vehicle to go ahead. There might be someone inside the ambulance whose life can be saved through your kind action.

3. Prerequisites

For getting a driver’s license in Ontario, you need to pass some of the important criteria. First of all, your age must not be less than 16 years.

3.1 Documents Required For The Written Knowledge Test 

For having a driver’s license, you need to prove your age and for that, you must have the following documents legal name, photo ID, and birth certificate without which you may not be able to have a driving license. 

3.2 Vision Test 

Secondly, vision tests are conducted at the driving test center to ensure that you have proper eyesight and that giving you a driving license won’t be harmful to anyone at any cost. You must pass the vision test to get the license.

During the vision test, you are allowed to drive a small truck along a path filled with hurdles and breakers. You must cross all of them smoothly without causing any harm to the vehicle as well as to yourself.

If you have recently shifted to Ontario and you have a driving license from some other country or state, you can use that in Ontario for up to 60 days.

However, you must apply for the license beforehand as, after the end of 60 days, your license will become invalid and useless. But if you are a permanent resident of Ontario, then you must have a driver’s license in Ontario to move your Vehicles onto the roads of the city.

Having known everything about the prerequisites for the online renewal of your license, you are now ready to go to the license center and apply for your new license. Do keep all the necessary documents ready beforehand.

You should also consult a driver’s examiner or permanent resident of Ontario for having a driving license. He can properly guide you through all the necessary steps that you will encounter during the process.

4. Types Of Driving Licenses In Ontario

There are two levels of driving license prevalent in Ontario – class g and class m licence. The class g licence is basically for cars, small trucks, school buses etc and the class m licence is for motorcycles, scooters etc.

The class g or class m licence is further subdivided into two graduated licensing levels namely g1 and g2 or m1 and m2 respectively. The full class g licence is the last level of licence in Ontario. All three licence systems are collectively known as the graduated licensing system.

4.1 G1 Licence

This is the first level of license that can be considered a learner’s license. To get the g1 type new driver’s licence, you must have completed the age of 16 years. Also, you must successfully pass the vision test and the written knowledge test comprising questions related to traffic signs and rules on the road.

However, this type of driving class full licence has some prohibitions. For example, people with a full-class g1 license cannot drive alone. They must have only one passenger with a full class g licence along with them. The other person must be the owner of a full-class g license for more than 4 years.

Also, both the driver and his partner must not have any level of alcohol in their body. Driving at night or driving on highways and without seatbelts is strictly prohibited for novice drivers and such types of license owners.

4.2 G2 Licence

This is the second level of license used by the people of Ontario. They have fewer prohibitions as compared to the g1 license users. The g2 license users do not require any other passenger and can drive independently without any fear.

You must be of the age of 19 years or more for having a g2 license. You can have a g2 licence after passing the g1 exit test. The g2 license is valid for one year and thereafter, you can go for the g2 exit test.

The g2 license users also have the same restriction like zero blood alcohol level and all the passengers wearing seat belts etc.

4.3 Full G Licence

It is also known as a full driver’s licence and is the last step of the graduated licensing system. It offers the maximum amount of freedom that one can have while driving.

This license includes useful restrictions to ensure the safety of the people. Some of these include the age limit of 21 years and a blood alcohol level of not more than 0.08 percent.

This is the aim of almost all citizens of Ontario to have a full licence. Having this licence, you are free to roam about without any restriction and no other police will ever restrict you about anything.

5. Applying For A Driver’s License in Ontario

5.1 Steps Involved For Inexperienced Drivers

If you don’t have any driving experience and you are applying for the license for the first time, then you must follow the steps given below:

1. First of all, take a road test appointment at a drive test center or travel point either through online or offline mode. This appointment will include a written knowledge test and a driving test.

2. Prepare for the written test by going through the driver’s handbook. The handbook describes the do’s and don’ts of the road and traffic signals.

3. To appear in the road tests, you need to pay a minimal fee which is fixed depending on the level of license you are applying for. This fee includes the cost of appearing for the online written test and road test.

4. To apply for a driver’s license, you need to be on time and visit the driver’s test center on the day of the appointment.

5. At the centre, you must show your valid photo ID, and documents proving your legal name, date of birth and age. You will also have to undergo an eye test and answer questions related to your medical history to ensure that you can drive safely.

6. After verifying all the supporting documents, you are now ready to appear for the knowledge test.

7. After clearing the knowledge test, you are now an owner of the G1 licence or the beginner’s licence. You can apply for a G2 license only after the completion of 12 months of a G1 license.

5.2 Steps Involved For Drivers Having Previous Driving Experience

For drivers having previous driving experience, separate rules need to be followed. The rules depend on the country whose licence you have. Ontario may or may not have a reciprocal agreement with the country whose license you have. Both cases have some separate rules.

5.3 Steps Involved For A Country Having A Reciprocal Arrangement For Driver’s Licence

Countries like Australia, Japan, New Zealand, France, Germany etc. have a reciprocal arrangement for Ontario driver’s licences.

The process of applying for a driving license in this case is quite simple and does not require a driving test if you have two or more years of driving experience in the reciprocal country. The steps involved in the process of getting the license are given as-

1. Go to the temporary drive test center or service Ontario in person and apply for the license.

2. You will have to give an eye test.

3. You must carry your original photo ID comprising your date of birth, full name and signature.

4. Also, carry your valid driver’s license from the reciprocal country. Do not forget to ensure the expiration date of the licence.

5. At the drive test center, you have to pay the required fee before submitting the application form

For less than two years of driving experience or if you have a learner’s license from the reciprocal country, you cannot have the Ontario license directly.

However, you will get some advantages from having a temporary driver’s license. Additionally, you will have to pass the G2 or M2 road test after completing two years of driving experience.

5.4 Steps Involved For A Country Not Having A Reciprocal Arrangement For Driver’s Licence

In this case, you will have to show the relevant documentation according to your driving experience. If you have one year of driving experience, you will have to show the usual driving license that you have.

For two or more years of driving experience, you must possess a driving extract. The driving extract consists of the issue and expiration date, whether it is a learner’s license or a full class license, and the confirmation that the license was valid for the said period.

There are separate rules according to the years of your driving experience. For more than two years of driving experience, passing both the G1 and G2 road tests is compulsory. The G1 test can be taken after the written test.

In the G1 test for drivers, your driving skills like parking, stopping or turning the car and your knowledge of speed limits are checked. On passing this driving test, you will have your G1 licence.

After completing one year of experience in a G1 licence, you can apply for a G2 licence. In this process, a license from any other country is also considered.

If you have one year of driving experience from a foreign country, you can directly apply for a G2 licence. After passing the G2 driving test, you will have your full licence.

For two or more years of driving experience, you will have to give one G2 driving test after clearing the written test and eye test. On successful completion of the G2 road test, you will have your full license in your hand.

It’s not a big deal to have a driver’s licence in Ontario. You just need to gather all the documents before applying for the license. Also, you must have a good knowledge of the traffic rules and road signs and most importantly about the rules of the road and traffic signs while driving a vehicle.

Also, every country has some separate driving rules. Therefore, if you frequently switch between different cities or countries, you must know all the rules existing in that particular city or country.

Conclusion

Sufficient knowledge and practice can give you a driver’s license in Ontario in no time. While appearing for the written and road test, you must have a deep knowledge of the frequently asked questions and the trick of answering the questions to clear the test.

You must practice road tests beforehand like turning the car, parking or stopping the car, making a pattern while driving the car etc. If you will practice these tricks beforehand, there’s no doubt that you will have your driver’s licence in your hand within a few days or months.

Reading the above article, you must have got enough knowledge of the tips and tricks required to have your driving license in hand. Just follow them all and you will have it in no time.

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