Driving licence: getting on the road
Steps, in order
- Check your province's licensing authority for two questions: can your foreign licence be exchanged directly, and how long may you drive on it after arrival?
- If you must take tests, budget for a knowledge test, a road test, and, in most provinces, a graduated system that starts with restrictions.
- Get car insurance before driving a car you own: insurance is mandatory, and the cost for a new driver without Canadian history is often high. Compare quotes and ask about newcomer discounts.
- Learn the local rules that catch newcomers out: winter tires in some provinces, school-bus stopping rules, and strict penalties for impaired driving.
Rules differ by province: Every province and territory issues its own licence, sets its own graduated-licensing steps, and decides which foreign licences can be exchanged directly. Start at your province's official site (below), then follow its links to health, driving, tenancy or schools — never assume one national rule.
Province official sites — start here
- British Columbia — official site
- Alberta — official site
- Saskatchewan — official site
- Manitoba — official site
- Ontario — official site
- Quebec — official site
- New Brunswick — official site
- Nova Scotia — official site
- Prince Edward Island — official site
- Newfoundland and Labrador — official site
- Yukon — official site
- Northwest Territories — official site
- Nunavut — official site
Official & finder links
Check before you act: No provincial licensing URL was verified for this draft; the parent must add the verified licensing-authority link for each province the page covers, or a single verified index page.
General information only — not legal or financial advice. Rules, benefit amounts and local services change. Use the official or finder links above to confirm details before acting. No local addresses or phone numbers are listed here on purpose — use the national finders above for your area.