Acceptable Identity Documents

To obtain your driver’s licence, you must present acceptable, valid ID. Documents must be ORIGINAL and VALID. Copies, including certified copies, are not acceptable unless noted in the lists below.

Acceptable Identity Documents

To apply for an Ontario driver’s licence at a DriveTest Centre, you will be required to show proof of your:

Legal name
Date of birth (must state the day, month, and year of birth)
For commercial drivers: residency, legal presence, and work eligibility

Legal name is defined as the one registered at birth or the one changed legally through adoption, court order/change of name certificate, or marriage. If there is a variation in the names on the legal identification you present and the name that appears on your licence, you will be required to provide additional supporting documents to link the names together.

Proof of identity requirements can be met by presenting one or multiple documents, depending on the level of detail available on the documents you choose to show. The following sections and tables indicate the documentation (or combination of documents) that can be used with your licence application. Please note that, in all the following tables, the symbol • indicates a particular piece of information is satisfied.

There may be other documentation requirements for licence exchanges and out-of-country and out-of-province drivers.

Note About Gender Neutral Documentation:

The Ministry of Transportation requires DriveTest to collect and input male (M) or female (F) in order to create a driving record and generate a driver’s licence number. If you are providing documents that are gender-neutral or have no gender indicated, you will be required to self-declare M or F at the time of your driver’s licence application.

After applying for your licence you may change your sex designation on your driver’s licence to an X. To do so please visit a ServiceOntario centre. You do not have to bring any supporting documents.

For additional information on changing the sex designation on your government identification, please go to: https://www.ontario.ca/page/change-sex-designation-your-government-ids

Options for Providing Proof of Identity with Only One Document

The following tables lists the types of identification that include all the information required to apply for an Ontario driver’s licence. One table is for Canadian citizens; the other table is for permanent and temporary residents. Please read carefully to avoid disappointment when filing your application.

Canadian Citizens

Acceptable identity documents	Legal name	Date of birth
Canadian or U.S. birth certificate or a proof of birth document issued by a U.S. jurisdiction An Ontario birth certificate can be received within 15 days of application through ServiceOntario. Quebec birth certificates issued before January 1, 1994, are not acceptable. Proof of birth documents issued by the US territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands are not acceptable. An acceptable proof of birth document issued by a U.S. jurisdiction is issued by a state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics Office, Board of Health, or equivalent state-level government agency.	•	•
Certified Copy of Statement of Live Birth (issued in Ontario only)	•	•
Certified Copy of Delayed Statement of Birth/Live Birth (issued in Ontario only)	•	•
Passport	•	•
Canadian Citizenship Card with photo issued prior to February 1, 2012. OR Citizenship Certificate/ Certificate of Canadian Citizenship (small wallet-sized card issued from 1954 to January 2012). Notes: Canadian citizenship documents issued beginning February 1, 2012, are not valid as proof of any of the two data elements. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) regards the name on the non-picture side of the Canadian citizenship cards, issued until February 2012, as the legal name. That name is taken from a birth certificate or an immigration document; therefore, the name on the non-picture side of these cards is used in creating an applicant’s driver record.	•	•
Secure Certificate of Indian Status Card (issued on or after December 15, 2009, by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)	•	•
Ontario Photo Card	•	•

Temporary or Permanent Residents

Acceptable identity documents	Legal name	Date of birth
Passport	•	•
Canadian Permanent Resident Card with or without signature	•	•
Record of Landing¹ (Form IMM 1000) Notes: If information on the IMM 1000 is amended and an IMM 1436 is issued, IMM 1436 must be accompanied by IMM 1000 to be acceptable.	•	•
Confirmation of Permanent Resident Form (IMM 5292) accompanied by a valid passport from country of origin	•	•
Report pursuant to the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IMM 1442) with photo	•	•
Secure Certificate of Indian Status Card (issued on or after December 15, 2009, by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)	•	•
Student Authorization/Study Permit (IMM 1442)	•	•
Employment Authorization/Work Permit (IMM 1442)	•	•
Visitor Record (IMM 1442)	•	•
Temporary Resident’s Permit (IMM 1442) (formerly Minister’s Permit/Extension of Minister’s Permit)	•	•
Ontario Photo Card	•	•
Refugee Travel Document (issued by the Government of Canada)	•	•
Certificate of Identity (issued by the Government of Canada)	•	•
U.S. Passport Card	•	•

Canadian Military Personnel and Family

Acceptable identity documents	Legal name	Date of birth
Canadian Forces Identification Card NDI 20	•	•
Civilian Identification Card NDI 21	•	•

Options for Providing Proof of Identity With Two Documents

If you do not have one of the acceptable ID documents from the tables above, a combination of the following documents is also acceptable. In the following tables, two documents may be required to satisfy both data elements (legal name, complete date of birth).

If there is a variation in the names on the legal identification you present and the name that appears on your licence, you must provide additional supporting documents to link the names together.

Acceptable identity documents	Legal name	Date of birth
Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate (issued in Ontario only)	•
Certificate of Indian Status (laminated card issued by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)	•
Nexus Card and FAST/EXPRESS Card		•

Acceptable identity documents	Legal name	Date of birth
Canadian or U.S. birth certificate or a proof of birth document issued by a U.S. jurisdiction An Ontario birth certificate can be received within 15 days of application through ServiceOntario. Quebec birth certificates issued before January 1, 1994, are not acceptable. Proof of birth documents issued by the US territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands are not acceptable. An acceptable proof of birth document issued by a U.S. jurisdiction is issued by a state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics Office, Board of Health, or equivalent state-level government agency.	•	•
Certified Copy of Statement of Live Birth (issued in Ontario only)	•	•
Certified Copy of Delayed Statement of Birth/Live Birth (issued in Ontario only)	•	•
Passport	•	•
Canadian Citizenship Card with photo issued prior to February 1, 2012. OR Citizenship Certificate/ Certificate of Canadian Citizenship (small wallet-sized card issued from 1954 to January 2012). Notes: Canadian citizenship documents issued beginning February 1, 2012, are not valid as proof of any of the two data elements. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) regards the name on the non-picture side of the Canadian citizenship cards, issued until February 2012, as the legal name. That name is taken from a birth certificate or an immigration document; therefore, the name on the non-picture side of these cards is used in creating an applicant’s driver record.	•	•
Secure Certificate of Indian Status Card (issued on or after December 15, 2009, by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)	•	•
Ontario Photo Card	•	•

Support Documents for Acceptable ID

Support documents from the following table are required if one of the following scenarios occurs:

If the name on the other identity documents is different from what you wish to appear on your driver’s licence or differs from what appears on your previous/existing Ontario driver’s licence.
If the name differs between the two identity documents you provide.
If the date of birth on the immigration paper(s) is incomplete or if it is not possible to provide. government-issued documents to prove date of birth.

Acceptable Identity Documents	Legal Name	Date of Birth
Marriage Certificate Canadian or foreign Issued by federal/provincial/state government Original or certified copy	•
Change of Name Certificate Canadian or foreign Issued by federal/provincial/state government	•
Court order showing legal name, date of birth, and court seal, obtained for the purposes of name change, divorce, or adoption	•	•
Sworn affidavit with support documents Sworn affidavit must be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths/Notary Public and must state the legal name, date of birth, and the reason why no date of birth or only a partial date of birth is available. Supporting documents include: Certified copies of school records. Employment records or place of worship records with an original seal or stamp indicating “certified true copy” signed by an authorized signing officer for the institution or organization. Form 39 issued by the Office of the Registrar General of Ontario and is for a child born in another country and adopted in Ontario. An insurance policy that has been in effect for more than 3 years. Sworn affidavit is acceptable only if the date of birth on the immigration paper(s) is incomplete or if it is not possible for the applicant to provide government-issued documents to prove the date of birth.		•

Acceptable Identity Documents for Commercial Class Upgrades

Residency Verification

Two documents from the list below must be provided as proof of residency.
All documents must be current, not expired, valid originals or printed hard copies (no photocopies or electronic versions), and in English or French.
Federal, provincial or municipal tax and benefit documents must be from the current or previous year.
You must redact any personal financial information (e.g., credit card number, bank account number, etc.) or personal identifier (e.g., Social Insurance Number [SIN]).

Residency Verification Acceptable Documentation – Document Type
Government Tax & Benefit Documents Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions Child Tax Benefit Statement Income Tax Assessment (most recent) Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid (T4E) Statement of Old Age Security (T4A OAS) or Canada Pension Plan Benefits (T4A P) Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits (T5007) Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Works Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
Government Assistance Documents Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Works Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
Employment Documents Employer Record (pay stub, letter from employer on company letterhead) Provide statements for the three (3) most recent pay periods.
Financial & Banking Documents Monthly Bank Account Statements for Savings or Chequing Accounts Provide statements for the most recent/previous 3 months Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) statement Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) statement Registered Home Ownership Savings Plan (RHOSP) statement From a bank, trust company, or credit union Credit Card Statements Provide statements for the previous 3 months
Insurance Documents Insurance Policy (home, tenant, auto, or life)
Housing & Property Documents Mortgage Agreement Rental or Lease Agreement Property Tax Bill Utility Bill (cable TV, internet, hydro, gas, water) Phone bills are not accepted.
Education Documents Report card or transcript from a school, college, or university

Legal Presence and Work Eligibility Verification

Legal presence and work eligibility documents must:

Be valid (not expired) and include the same name as the applicant.
Show at least six months of validity in Canada from the current date.

Legal Status – Maintained Status (formerly “implied status”):

Individuals who have applied to extend their temporary status are considered to have maintained status and will be issued an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR).
Individuals under “Maintained Status” must provide their acceptable Legal Presence document as noted below and their AOR.

Work Eligibility – Authorization to Work:

Individuals may continue to be eligible for a commercial class driver’s licence once their original work permit expired and while awaiting a decision on their extension application.
To be eligible for continued work eligibility, individuals must provide:
- Their current work or study permit
- The AOR as noted above
- Work Permit holders must also provide an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued letter confirming they are authorized to continue working while their work‑permit extension is being processed. The IRCC letter will be valid for only one year.

Legal Presence and Work Eligibility Acceptable Documentation:

At least one document from the list below is required to verify legal presence and work eligibility.
If one does not satisfy both legal presence and work eligibility, then two documents are required.
You do not need to provide work eligibility documentation if you are applying for a Class D licence with RV restriction.

Section A: Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents

Document	Legal Presence	Work Eligibility
Canadian Passport	•	•
Canadian Birth Certificate (Prov./Terr.)	•	•
Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS)	•	•
Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) + Foreign Passport	•	•
Permanent Resident (PR) Card	•	•
Canadian Citizenship Certificate (with photo)	•	•
Record of Landing (IMM 1000)	•	•

Section B: Temporary Status

Temporary Immigration Document (IMM 1442) must be accompanied by either:

A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) if issued
A valid foreign passport

Document	Legal Presence	Work Eligibility
Work Permit (IMM 1442) Closed work permits must specify an Ontario truck / bus driver employer and location. Open work permits are accepted, unless they restrict the area of work or to another province.	•	Depends on conditions
Study Permit (IMM 1442) Must allow work off campus in the Ontario truck / bus driver industry and must not restrict employment.	•	Depends on conditions
Visitor Record (IMM 1442)	•
Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) (IMM 1442)	•
Refugee Protection Identity Document (IMM 1442)	•
Refugee Claimant Document	•
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade/Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Canadian Identity Cards	•
Foreign Passport with valid Canadian immigration document (TRV, eTA, entry stamp)	•
Canadian‑issued Travel Documents (refugee, certificate of identity, temporary passport)	•	Depends on status
NEXUS / FAST / EXPRESS Card	•