Graduated Licensing in Canada: New Driver Rules by Province

Every Canadian province and territory requires new drivers to pass through a graduated licensing system (GLS or GDL) before earning a full licence, with zero tolerance for alcohol at every stage.

What Is Graduated Licensing?

Graduated licensing lets new drivers build experience in lower-risk conditions before they earn full driving privileges. Every Canadian province runs its own version of the system, generally called a Graduated Licensing System (GLS) in Ontario and British Columbia, or Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) in Alberta.

The details differ by province, but the underlying structure is the same everywhere: a supervised learner stage, an intermediate stage where the driver can go solo but still faces restrictions, and finally a full licence with no restrictions tied to novice status.

The Restrictions Every New Driver Shares

A handful of rules repeat across every province's graduated system, even though the exact wording and penalties vary.

• Zero blood alcohol. Every learner and intermediate-stage driver in Canada must maintain a BAC of 0.00, regardless of age. This is stricter than the 0.08 Criminal Code limit and the 0.05 limit some provinces apply to fully licensed drivers.
• Supervising-driver requirements. Learner-stage drivers must be accompanied by a fully licensed adult, seated in the front passenger seat, who meets a minimum experience or licence-class requirement.
• Passenger and late-night limits. Most provinces cap the number of passengers a new intermediate-stage driver can carry, and several restrict driving during late-night hours for at least part of the learner or novice period.
• Device and highway restrictions. British Columbia bars any personal electronic device use, even hands-free, for L and N drivers, and Ontario blocks G1 drivers from 400-series highways and other high-speed expressways.

Ontario: G1, G2, and G

Ontario's system, set out in the Highway Traffic Act and O. Reg. 339/94, is the most detailed in the country and is often used as the reference model for the rest of Canada.

G1: The Learner Stage

A G1 licence holder must maintain zero blood alcohol and must always be accompanied by a fully licensed driver with at least four years of driving experience, seated in the front passenger seat. That supervising driver's own BAC must be under 0.05, and zero if the supervisor is 21 or under.

G1 drivers cannot drive on 400-series highways or other high-speed expressways, including the QEW and the Gardiner Expressway, and cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. A G1 licence must be held for at least 12 months before the first road test, or 8 months if the driver completed an approved driver-education course.

G2: The Intermediate Stage

Passing the G1 road test moves a driver into the G2 stage, which must last at least 12 months. G2 drivers can drive alone, on any road, and at any time of day. The zero-BAC rule continues to apply throughout G2.

For G2 drivers aged 19 and under, a passenger limit applies only between midnight and 5 a.m. For the first six months on a G2 licence, no more than one passenger aged 19 or under may be carried during those hours, unless a fully licensed driver with at least four years of experience is in the front seat, or the passengers are immediate family members. After six months, and until the driver earns a full G licence or turns 20, that overnight limit rises to three passengers aged 19 or under. Outside midnight to 5 a.m. there is no passenger cap.

Full G Licence

Passing the G2 road test earns a full Class G licence, which removes the graduated-system passenger, highway, and curfew restrictions. New drivers have five years from the date they receive their G1 to complete the entire G1 to G2 to G sequence. Missing that window means starting the process over from G1.

British Columbia: L and N

British Columbia's Graduated Licensing Program, run by ICBC, uses an L (learner) stage followed by an N (novice) stage, each marked with a mandatory magnet sign on the vehicle.

L drivers must be supervised by a driver aged 25 or older who holds a valid Class 1 through 5 licence, seated in the front passenger seat, and can drive only between 5 a.m. and midnight. They may carry a maximum of two passengers: the supervisor plus one more.

N drivers can drive alone but are limited to one passenger unless a qualifying supervisor (25 or older, holding a Class 1 through 5 licence) is present. That limit does not apply to immediate family members. Both L and N drivers must maintain zero alcohol and drugs in their system and cannot use any personal electronic device, including hands-free systems, while driving.

Alberta: Class 7 and Class 5-GDL

Alberta's Graduated Driver Licensing program starts with a Class 7 learner licence and moves to a probationary Class 5-GDL licence after the road test.

Class 7 drivers must always be accompanied by a fully licensed Class 5 (or higher) driver seated in the front passenger seat and must maintain a BAC of exactly 0.00. Drivers under 18 also face a midnight-to-5 a.m. driving restriction for part of the learner period.

Class 5-GDL drivers can drive alone but keep the zero-BAC rule, cannot supervise a learner driver, and are limited to as many passengers as there are seatbelts in the vehicle. The probationary period lasts at least two years, and Alberta suspends a GDL licence at a lower demerit-point threshold than a fully licensed one.

Quebec: Permis d'apprenti conducteur and Permis probatoire

Quebec's SAAQ runs a learner permit, the permis d'apprenti conducteur, followed by a probationary permit, the permis probatoire, before a regular licence.

Learner-stage drivers must be accompanied by someone who has held a Class 5 licence, or higher, for at least two years, seated in the front passenger seat, and cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. Probationary drivers can drive alone but remain subject to Quebec's zero-alcohol rule, which also applies to every driver under 22 regardless of licence class.

Quebec's demerit system hits new drivers hardest of all: a probationary or learner driver loses their licence at just four points, compared with 8, 12, or 15 points depending on age for a regular licence.

Graduated Licensing at a Glance

Exact timelines and minor rules can change. Confirm current requirements with your provincial licensing authority before planning a road test.

Demerit Points Hit New Drivers Harder

Every province lowers the demerit-point threshold for graduated-licence holders compared with fully licensed drivers. In Ontario, a novice G1/G2 driver faces a 60-day suspension at 9 points, while a fully licensed driver is not suspended until 15. Alberta suspends a GDL licence at 8 points versus 15 for a full licence, and Quebec revokes a probationary or learner licence at just 4 points. See our Ontario demerit points guide for the full point schedule and how points are counted.

Impaired Driving and New Drivers

Because every graduated-licence holder is held to a 0.00 BAC, even a small amount of alcohol can end a new driver's licence long before they would reach the federal Criminal Code impaired-driving threshold of 80 mg per 100 mL of blood. Our impaired driving in Canada guide covers the federal Criminal Code rules, mandatory alcohol screening, and how provincial administrative suspensions stack on top of graduated-licence restrictions.

Car Seats and Other Rules for Families With New Drivers

New drivers who carry younger siblings or their own children also need to know their province's car seat rules, which are separate from graduated-licensing passenger limits and are enforced regardless of the driver's licence stage. See our car seat laws in Canada guide for the current rules by age and province.

Dash Cams for New Drivers

Many new drivers install a dash cam for insurance and evidence purposes, which is legal in every province. If the dash cam records audio, Canada's one-party consent rule under the Criminal Code applies. Our Canada recording laws guide explains what you can record and how footage can be used.

For the full list of provincial rules covered on this site, visit our Canada driving laws hub.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about Canadian graduated licensing rules and is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your provincial licensing authority before relying on any figure in this article.