In Ontario, a driving school can take four months off your G1 wait, but only if the school and the course are approved by the province.
A driving school in Ottawa is one piece of a longer path: Ontario's graduated licence, with a G1 stage, a G2 stage and two road tests at a DriveTest centre. Without a course, the G1 stage lasts 12 months. With a ministry-approved beginner driver education course, the Ministry of Transportation says it can be completed in eight. This guide walks through the steps, how to check that a school is approved, what the province charges, how to book a road test at an Ottawa centre, what examiners look for and what changes in winter.
Key Highlights
TL;DR: The path is G1 (12 months, or eight with an approved course), then G2 (12 months), then the full G licence. Check any school against the ministry's approved list before you pay. Province-set fees are $159.75 for the G1 package, which includes your G2 road test, and $91.25 for the G road test. Book through DriveTest, cancel at least 48 hours ahead, and check its service disruptions page on test day in winter.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Wait times | G1: 12 months, or eight with an approved beginner driver education course. G2: 12 months. The ministry says the whole path takes at least 20 months |
| 📍 Ottawa DriveTest centres | 5303 Canotek Rd., Unit 14, and 1570 Walkley Rd. Both offer G2 and G road tests |
| 🎟️ Province-set fees | G1 package $159.75 (knowledge test, G2 road test, five-year licence). G road test $91.25. Taxes included |
| ⏰ Booking | Online, or by phone at 647-776-0331 or 1-888-570-6110. Cancel at least 48 hours ahead to keep your fee |
G1, G2 and G Licence Steps in Ontario, and How Long Each Takes
To apply for a first licence you must be at least 16, pass a vision test and pass a knowledge test on the rules of the road and traffic signs. You can apply at a DriveTest centre without an appointment, with original identification showing your legal name and date of birth. Passing earns you a G1 licence. The province also says that since May 11, 2026, applicants for a class G or M licence must declare that Ontario is their primary residence and that their presence in Canada is legal.
A G1 licence normally lasts 12 months before you can take your first road test. The rules are strict. You must keep your blood alcohol at zero, drive with a fully licensed driver who has at least four years of experience and a blood alcohol level under .05, and keep that person as the only other occupant of the front seat. You may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. You also may not drive on 400-series highways with a posted limit over 80 km/h or on certain high-speed expressways, unless your accompanying driver is a certified driving instructor, in which case you may drive on any road. Highway 417, the Queensway, is on the province's list of 400-series freeways, so work out the rule with your instructor or accompanying driver before you go near it.
Passing the first road test (the one DriveTest calls the G2 road test) gives you a G2 licence. At G2 you can drive without an accompanying driver, on all Ontario roads and in most cases at any time of day, but your blood alcohol must still be zero and you may carry only as many passengers as there are working seatbelts. If you are 19 or under, the ministry adds a midnight-to-5-a.m. limit: one passenger aged 19 or under in your first six months, then up to three. That limit does not apply when a fully licensed driver sits beside you or when the passengers are immediate family. After 12 months at G2 you can take the G road test, and passing it gives you full G privileges.
Add it up: 12 months at G1 plus 12 at G2 is 24 months, or 20 with an approved course, which matches the ministry's "at least 20 months". You have up to five years to finish. If your G1 expires before you pass the first road test, you start over and pay again. For the zero-alcohol rules that follow novice drivers, see our guide to Ontario impaired driving laws.
New to Ontario? A valid licence from another province or country works for 60 days. Ontario has exchange agreements with every Canadian province and territory and with a list of countries that includes the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Australia. Drivers from other places must pass the vision and knowledge tests for a G1. From July 1, 2026, the ministry lets them claim up to 12 months of previous driving experience, backed where needed by an authentication letter from their embassy, consulate or licensing agency. Any G1 time they still owe drops by four months with an approved course.
What an Approved Beginner Driver Education Course Changes
The program the ministry approves is called Beginner Driver Education, or BDE. It must total at least 40 hours: 20 of classroom instruction, delivered digitally or in person, 10 in a vehicle with a licensed instructor, and 10 hours of flexible instruction. The flexible hours can be used for more classroom time, digital lessons, in-car time, driving simulator work or homework. Classroom work comes first, and the in-vehicle lessons must be finished within a year of starting.
The ministry also sets limits that tell you what a legitimate course looks like. In-person classes may have up to 40 students and virtual ones up to 20. No more than two students may share an instructor in the car. You cannot do more than two hours of in-vehicle training in a day, and after five hours of classroom instruction you may do no more than one hour in the car that day. Only licensed instructors working for licensed schools can teach the course, and school licences are renewed every three years if the school keeps meeting the rules.
What you get for the time is a shorter G1 stage. When you finish an approved course, the school certifies you online and your student driver record is updated. The handbook says that reduces the time you must spend at G1 by four months, and the ministry says it may also save you money on insurance, which we cover below. Your proof is your driver's licence history, which the ministry says you can order for $12.
One trap: DriveTest will cancel your road test, charge you 50 per cent of the fee and make you pay the rest to rebook if you are enrolled in a course but your school has not certified you on the day of the test. Ask your school for a date by which your certification will be filed, and book the road test after it.
Choosing a Driving School in Ottawa: Approval, Contracts and Course Prices
The ministry is direct on this point: not all driving schools offer government-approved courses. Its page lists approved schools in a table you can search and filter by city, and a separate list of revoked schools that are no longer allowed to teach approved courses. At the time of writing the revoked list includes schools with Ottawa addresses, so check the name and address you are dealing with against both lists before you pay a deposit. A listing in a directory, ours included, is not proof of approval. Browse the driving schools in our Ottawa directory to see what is nearby, then confirm each school on the ministry page.
The ministry's choosing-a-school checklist is worth printing. It asks for a course information package, instructor qualifications and experience, student progress reports, modern training materials, tuition receipts, and the 20, 10 and 10 hour breakdown. It also asks for clear contract statements on the cost of every part of the course, including the use of the school's vehicle for the road test and any later road test. A school that cannot tell you in writing what a second road-test attempt costs is not meeting that checklist.
Be wary of what the ministry lists as signs of fraud: offers of a "guaranteed licence" or of passing without a road test, training vehicles that lack a dual brake, and insisting on cash only without a receipt. It also warns that asking for or accepting a BDE certificate without finishing the required hours can lead to a licence suspension and prosecution, and your certification and its benefits can be removed from your record. The handbook adds that neither the ministry nor DriveTest charges a fee to book road tests, and DriveTest says no third-party booking service is affiliated with it.
On price, the ministry says that approved schools set their own rates and that rates vary across Ontario, and it does not publish a typical course price. We have not quoted one here, because the dollar ranges you will find online come from schools and comparison sites and not from a source we could check. Ask each school for a written, itemized quote and compare them. If you have a fee dispute, the ministry points to Consumer Protection Ontario at 416-326-8800 or 1-800-889-9768, and notes that the ministry itself cannot refund what you paid a school. To report a complaint about a school or instructor, email driver.education@ontario.ca.
Insurance Discounts After a Driving School Course
The ministry says an approved course may bring savings on car insurance, and then adds a caution: the discount is not part of Ontario's BDE program, completing a course does not guarantee one, and you should contact your insurance provider for details. That is the honest summary, and it means the course price and any saving are two separate questions.
FSRA, Ontario's insurance regulator, gives a bit more. It says most companies offer a discount or a reduced premium to new drivers who have completed a recognized driver-training program, and it tells young drivers to take a course their insurer recognizes. It does not publish a percentage for that discount, so be sceptical of any school that promises one. Ask your broker or insurer which courses it recognizes and what proof it wants before you sign up, and keep your driver's licence history as backup.
Separately from the course, the graduated licence discount applies automatically in principle. FSRA says a driver should get a 10 per cent rate reduction on all coverages when entering G2, provided there are no chargeable convictions or at-fault accidents, and another 10 per cent when becoming fully licensed at G, with the same condition during G2. Each applies for one year. FSRA also suggests that a young driver may pay far less as a named occasional driver on a parent's or guardian's policy than as the principal driver of a vehicle, and says some companies give student discounts for good grades.
For how to compare quotes, which other discounts exist and how to make a complaint if an insurer treats you unfairly, see our car insurance guide for Ottawa.
Booking a Road Test at an Ottawa DriveTest Centre
DriveTest's centre locator lists two full-time centres in Ottawa. Ottawa Canotek is at 5303 Canotek Rd., Unit 14, K1J 9M1, and offers G2 and G road tests in English and French, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Ottawa Walkley is at 1570 Walkley Rd, K1V 6P5. It offers G2, G, motorcycle and commercial tests in English and French, with road-test appointments Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and counter services Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The locator also lists part-time travel points near Ottawa, including Rockland and Carleton Place, that offer G2 tests on set dates only. Hours change, so check the DriveTest centre locator before booking.
You can book online, by phone at 647-776-0331 or 1-888-570-6110, or at any DriveTest centre. Have your Ontario driver's licence number and its expiry date ready, a first, second and third choice of location, and a preferred date and time. You must prepay at booking, and online that means a Visa or MasterCard credit card. DriveTest says it charges no service fee for regular road tests, only the fees the province sets, and that online you can book up to 24 hours in advance and reschedule or cancel up to 48 hours in advance. It also lists situations where you must call or visit instead, such as an expired licence, trying a test in the last 24 hours, or cancelling or rescheduling three or more tests in six months. The locator's "estimated wait time" is for counter services, not road-test dates, and we found no published wait time for Ottawa road-test dates, so the booking system is the place to see what is open.
The fees are set by the Government of Ontario and include taxes. They are not high next to a course, but they add up if you fail a test:
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| G1 package (knowledge test, G2 road test, five-year licence) | $159.75 |
| Knowledge test, each extra attempt | $16.00 |
| G2 road test, if you need to pay for it again | $53.75 |
| G road test | $91.25 |
A first-time pass at both tests costs $251.00 in provincial fees, $159.75 plus $91.25. The cancellation rule matters as much as the fee. If you arrive late, miss the appointment or cancel within 48 hours, you lose your prepaid fee, with exceptions that include bad weather that stops you reaching the centre, illness or a death in the immediate family (with proof for most), jury duty and an unexpected work call-in. Prepaid fees stay valid for six years.
Check your vehicle before test day, because DriveTest centres do not supply one. You may use a car you own, borrow or rent, and it does not need to be an instructor's car. If your vehicle fails the examiner's basic check, the test is declared out of order, you lose 50 per cent of the fee and you pay that half again to rebook. DriveTest lists what triggers that, including a non-working turn signal, brake light or horn, a damaged windshield, a flat or temporary tire, a missing seatbelt, a passenger or pet in the car, and a recording device such as a dash camera or phone that has not been disabled. A G road test also needs at least five highway trips on 80 km/h roads or 400-series highways in the last three months, which you declare on a form. In Ottawa, Highways 416 and 417 are on DriveTest's list.
Bring your current licence, glasses if you need them to drive, enough fuel for the test and a printout of your confirmation email. Arrive 30 minutes early. If you are a G1 driver, someone qualified to accompany you must drive you to the centre, and G2 drivers should plan another way home in case they fail.
What Examiners Check on a G2 or G Road Test
DriveTest calls the G2 test a "city test" of basic skills that usually takes about 20 minutes. The province says it covers left and right turns, stopping, parallel parking, one-way streets, lane changes, three-point turns, driving in residential neighbourhoods, traffic lights and stop and yield signs. The G test is more advanced, includes a highway component and usually takes about 30 minutes.
Until further notice, the G road test has been modified at full-time DriveTest centres, which includes both Ottawa centres. It leaves out parallel parking, roadside stops, three-point turns and residential driving, because the G2 test already covered them. It still includes major roads and expressways with merging on and off, speed and space, turns, curves, lane changes, intersections and business areas. Part-time travel points still give the standard G test.
The Official MTO Driver's Handbook describes what examiners watch for, and the habits repeat from task to task. Check traffic before slowing and again before every turn or lane change, including your blind spot. Signal early enough for others to react. Keep at least a two- to three-second gap behind the vehicle ahead, and look in your mirrors every five to 10 seconds. Stop completely behind the stop line and do not roll. Keep both hands on the wheel through turns and intersections. In a roadside stop, stop parallel to the curb and no more than about 30 centimetres from it, then switch to your hazard lights. In a parallel park, start with at least 60 centimetres between your car and the one ahead of the space. Electronic aids such as automatic parking, lane monitoring, cruise control and back cameras may not be used.
The examiner will not coach you, so ask questions before you start. They will walk around the car first, and they may stop or refuse to start the test if the vehicle is not in good working order, if you show signs of impairment, or if your driving is too unsafe to finish. Afterwards you get a brief verbal summary. A paper copy of the scoresheet is available on request within 13 months, and results from a tablet test can be downloaded online for 15 days. If you pass, you get a temporary licence valid for 90 days, and you must apply your results within 12 months. If you do not pass, you may retest, generally after at least 10 days, and the fee applies again.
Winter Road Tests in Ottawa
DriveTest says G2 and G road tests are available year-round and take place in any weather unless you are told otherwise. In extreme weather a test may be rescheduled or postponed for safety. On the day, check its service disruptions page, which it says is updated often, especially in winter, or call 1-888-570-6110 for a recorded message. If your centre is listed as cancelled, do not cancel online: DriveTest asks you not to, so that its team can cancel for you and you keep your prepaid fee.
If bad weather instead stops you from reaching the centre, such as hazardous freezing rain or snow, you do not lose your fee, but you must ask to reschedule within three days of the missed appointment. After three business days you need proof, such as a newspaper article on the extreme weather that day.
Winter also changes the vehicle check. DriveTest's out-of-order list includes non-working windshield wipers or no washer fluid, and a non-working defroster or defogger, when weather conditions warrant, plus defective tires and non-working head lights or tail lights. Our suggestion is to treat that as a checklist: fill the washer fluid, replace worn wiper blades, test the defroster, and clear snow and ice from every window and light before you leave home. Our winter car care guide for Ottawa covers tires, wipers and fluids in more detail.
Practice in winter conditions helps too, since your instructor or accompanying driver can show you how a car behaves on packed snow. Our winter driving safety guide covers the road side, and the winter parking ban guide explains the City's winter rules, which matter for lessons that start from the curb.
FAQ
Q: How long does it take to get a full G licence in Ontario?
The ministry says the process takes at least 20 months. That is 12 months at G1, or eight with an approved beginner driver education course, plus 12 months at G2, with a road test at each step. You have up to five years to finish before you must start over.
Q: Do I need a driving school to take a road test in Ottawa?
No. DriveTest calls beginner driver education courses optional but recommended, and you may use a car you own, borrow or rent. An approved course is the only route to the shorter eight-month G1 stage, and an instructor can drive with you on roads a G1 driver otherwise cannot use.
Q: How do I know a driving school in Ottawa is approved?
Check the school's name and address against the ministry's government-approved driving schools list, and make sure it does not appear on the revoked list. Not every school offers an approved course. Ask for the 20-hour classroom, 10-hour in-car and 10-hour flexible breakdown in writing, and a receipt for every payment.
Q: Does a driving school course lower my car insurance?
It may. The ministry says insurers can offer a discount after an approved course but that nothing is guaranteed, and FSRA says most companies offer a discount to new drivers who finish a recognized program. FSRA gives no percentage, so ask your insurer or broker what it recognizes before you enrol.
Q: What happens if I cancel or miss my road test?
If you arrive late, miss the appointment or cancel within 48 hours, you lose your prepaid fee. Exceptions include bad weather that stops you reaching the centre, illness, a death in the family and jury duty, usually with proof. Reschedule at least 48 hours ahead, using DriveTest's website or phone line.
Q: What if I fail the road test?
The examiner gives you a verbal summary and the scoresheet shows where to improve. You can try again, generally after at least 10 days, as long as your licence is valid, and you pay the road test fee again. If your G1 has expired, you must start over and pay the test fees again.
Final Thoughts
The licence path is the same for everyone in Ontario, and the choices you control are small but real: whether to take an approved course, which school to trust, and when to book. Check the ministry's approved and revoked lists before you pay, get the contract in writing, and ask your insurer what proof it needs. Rules, fees and DriveTest hours change, so confirm them on the official pages below before you book. To see the schools near you, browse the driving schools directory for Ottawa.
Source: Ontario.ca, Get a G driver's licence: new drivers
Source: Ontario.ca, Government-approved driving schools
Source: Ontario.ca, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: Getting Your Driver's Licence
Source: Ontario.ca, The Official MTO Driver's Handbook: The Level Two Road Test
Source: DriveTest, Road Tests for Cars, Vans and Small Trucks
Source: DriveTest, Fees for Drivers' Licences & Tests
Source: DriveTest, Payments, Cancellations & Refunds
