A licensed driving instructor must carry a regular Ontario licence card and openly display a separate driving instructor’s licence card in the vehicle while teaching. Becoming a licensed driving instructor for Class G students can take several months.
Driving Instructor Licences
Many new drivers opt to take lessons before taking a road test. In Ontario, a paid Class G driving instructor requires a licence.
Becoming a Licensed Driving Instructor
Ontario Regulation 473/07 provides guidelines for driving instructor applicants. The guidelines specify the minimum standards of instruction in Beginner Driver Education programs and ensure that only eligible instructors teach beginner drivers.
There are no driving instructor’s licence exchanges. If you recently moved to Ontario from another province or country, you must complete all the steps below to obtain your driving instructor’s licence.
Requirements for New Driving Instructors
If you want to teach students pursuing a Class G licence, you must:
- Hold a valid Ontario driver’s licence (other than class G1, G2, M1, M2, or M(L)).
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Have no demerit points on your driver’s record.
- Pass a terminal check at the DriveTest Centre to ensure you meet licensing requirements.
- Meet Ministry of Transportation (MTO) vision standards.
- Pass a G1 knowledge test (there is a one-year wait period following two unsuccessful attempts).
- Pass a Class G road (highway) test (there is a one-year wait period following two unsuccessful attempts).
- Pass a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters (CRJM) Check or equivalent.
- Complete an MTO-approved driving instructor’s course.
Process for Obtaining a New Driving Instructor’s Licence
As a driving instructor applicant — and as a fully licensed driving instructor — you will likely make multiple visits to a DriveTest Centre. From the time your application is made, you have one year to meet all the requirements. If you cannot complete all the steps within one year, you will need to pay all the fees again. The process for getting a driver instructor’s licence is as follows.
- Study for the knowledge test.
As a mentor for students pursuing their Class G licence, you must be very familiar with the Official MTO Driver’s Handbook and the Highway Traffic Act. You can purchase driver’s handbooks at a DriveTest Centre or another authorized retailer. - Visit a DriveTest Centre to obtain the driving instructor paperwork and apply for a driving instructor’s licence.
Paperwork includes a Highway Traffic Act sheet and a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters (CRJM) Check or equivalent. At the DriveTest Centre, you must complete the Application for Ontario Driving Instructor Licence (SR-LD-007) form. You must also present a valid Ontario driver’s licence (other than class G1, G2, M1, M2, or M(L)) at the time of your application. A customer service agent will check your driving record to ensure you are eligible (e.g., no demerit points, no licence suspension in the past two years). - Pay the non-refundable application fee at the DriveTest Centre.
Fees are set by the MTO and are subject to change. They are payable at any DriveTest Centre by cash, VISA, MasterCard, Interac, Canadian travellers cheques, and money orders payable to Serco Canada Inc. Sorry, personal cheques are not accepted. Please note that, if you are successful in earning your driving instructor’s licence, there is an additional driving instructor licensing fee that will be calculated automatically. The exact amount will be provided to you when your temporary licence is issued. You must renew your driving instructor’s licence every three years before March 31 of that year. This fee bridges the gap between the day you earn your licence and your renewal date. - Take a vision test at the DriveTest Centre.
The test takes only a few minutes. Make sure to bring any corrective lenses with you. - Complete and pass a G1 knowledge test at a DriveTest Centre.
The knowledge test is the same test that your students will take. The test typically takes 30 minutes. There is no appointment required.If you are unsuccessful with your knowledge test or the Class G road test, you may pay the fee and take the test again. Driving instructor applicants are disqualified from applying for a licence for a period of one year upon failing their second attempt (within a period of 365 days) at the G1 knowledge test or Class G road test (for the purposes of obtaining a driving instructor’s licence). Disqualified applicants must retake all tests, and repay the appropriate fees, once the disqualification period has passed. - Book and then take your Class G road (highway) test at a DriveTest Centre.
For the Class G road test, a driver examiner will assess your more advanced driving skills. This is the same road test that your students will take. Standby road test appointments may be available on a first-come-first-served basis. - Initiate a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters (CRJM) Check or equivalent.
Drivers who are applying for a Driving Instructor licence will need to obtain a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters (CRJM) Check or equivalent. The CRJM Check will ensure regulatory standards under the Highway Traffic Act are met. Applicants can apply for a CRJM Check at their local police service or through an authorized criminal record check provider. If applying through the police, please contact your local police service to determine the appropriate location to obtain your CRJM Check. Fees may vary between police services. If fingerprinting is required to confirm your identity, this may impact processing times. These checks can take several days or weeks; if you are in a hurry to get your licence, you may choose to start this process prior to taking your Class G road (highway) test.Once you receive the results, if they have yet to be mailed, emailed or electronically submitted to the MTO Driver Improvement Office take them to a DriveTest Centre. The agent will forward the information to MTO for review. If your Criminal Record and Judicial Matters (CRJM) Check or equivalent is not cleared or requires further review, you will receive a letter from the MTO Driver Improvement Office. - Once you have passed the required Class G tests and cleared the VSC, complete an MTO-approved driving instructor course.
Several colleges, associations, and private companies offer driver instructor courses. These courses may take several weeks, or even months, to complete so ensure you sign up for a course that allows you to meet all the licensing requirements within one year. Courses may include in-class and in-vehicle topics, avoiding and managing collisions, defensive driving, Highway Traffic Act, and first aid. - Once you have passed the driving instructor course, ask the course instructor to complete the required section along with their signature on the reverse of your application (form SR-LD-007) and take it to a DriveTest Centre.
An agent will check that all the elements of your application are in order. - Pay the driving instructor licensing fee.
The fee is calculated automatically. - Obtain your temporary driving instructor’s licence from the agent at the DriveTest Centre.
You can expect to receive your official driving instructor’s licence card in the mail. The temporary licence is valid for 90 days. If you do not receive your official driving instructor’s licence before the expiry date, please visit your local ServiceOntario office. - Enjoy your driving instructor’s licence.
Thank you for helping to keep Ontario’s roads safe.
