GRADUATED LICENSING IN ONTARIO

Obtaining a Class G License (car, van and small truck)
Graduated licensing is a two-step licensing process that was fully implemented in Ontario on June 6, 1994. It affects new drivers applying for their first Ontario Class G (car) and Class M (motorcycle) license. Graduated licensing will last a minimum of 20 months for drivers during which time they can gain the knowledge and skill needed to operate a motor vehicle safely.

Class G Requirements
To enter level One, Class G drivers must be at least 16 years of age, pass a vision test to ensure their eyesight meets the provincial standard for drivers, and pass a written test of their knowledge of the rules of the road.

Class G (car, vans and small truck drivers)

Level One: Level One lasts 12 months. If a new driver successfully completes an approved driver education course, this period will be reduced to eight months. Level One drivers:
-must not drive if they have been drinking (maintain a zero blood alcohol level when driving);
-must have only one passenger in the front seat. That person, the accompanying driver, must be a fully licensed driver with at least four years of driving experience. The accompanying driver must be authorized to operate a Class G passenger vehicle and must have a blood alcohol level of less than .05 per cent;
-must limit the number of backseat passengers they carry to the number of seat belts in the backseats of the vehicle;
-unless accompanied by a Driving Instructor licensed in Ontario, you must not drive on any "400 series" King's Highway with a posted speed limit greater than 80 km/hr., the Queen Elizabeth Way, Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway, E. C. Row Expressway or the Conestoga Parkway;
-must not drive between the hours of midnight and 5 am;
-may drive Class G vehicles only; and
-may choose to voluntarily display a vehicle sign indicating their new driver status. This is provided by the government to all new drivers entering Level One.

At the end of Level One, drivers must pass a road test of their driving skills before being eligible to proceed to Level Two.