Obtaining a Driver's Licence

Passenger Vehicles (Class 5)

Change

Before you can hold a licence to drive a passenger vehicle (automobile), you must obtain a learner's licence, pass the driving course, and then pass the SAAQ's knowledge and road tests.

Driver’s licence

A Class 5 licence authorizes its holder to drive

  • an automobileVehicle with 2 axles and whose net weight is under 4,500 kg.
  • a motor homeA motor vehicle permanently converted into living quarters., also known as a recreational vehicle (RV)
  • a tool vehicleA road vehicle, other than a vehicle mounted on a truck chassis, designed to perform a task and having a workstation integrated into the cab. A truck chassis is a frame fitted with the mechanical components found on a vehicle made for the transportation of passengers, freight or equipment.
  • a service vehicleA vehicle used to supply, repair or tow road vehicles.
  • a moped or motorized scooterA 2- or 3-wheel passenger vehicle equipped with an electric motor or a gasoline-powered engine with a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cc and an automatic transmission.
  • a tractorA tractor equipped with tires that is usually used for farm purposes, may or may not be authorized for road use and belongs to a person or corporation that owns or leases a farm and has farming as its primary occupation or is a member of an association certified under the Farm Producers Act.

1 Eligibility

To obtain a Class 5 licence, you must:

  • be at least 16 years of age
  • have the consent of your father, mother or legal guardian, if you are under age 18

If you are not a Canadian citizen

You must provide proof that you are authorized to stay in Canada for at least 6 months

1 Eligibility

2 Registering for a driving course and theoretical training

To obtain a passenger vehicle driver's licence, you must:

The Class 5 driving course is mandatory

It consists of:

  • a 24-hour theoretical component
  • a 15-hour practical on-road component with a driving monitor

Before obtaining a Class 5 learner's licence

You must:

  • complete Phase 1 of the driving course, which includes 4 theory modules of 2 hours each given in the classroom
  • pass the knowledge test given by your driving school covering this material

If you are not a Canadian citizen

You must schedule an appointment by telephone before registering for a driving course.

Montréal area: 514 954-7771
Elsewhere in Québec: 1 888 356-6616

A clerk will ask you which official documents you have in your possession (birth certificate, Permanent Resident Card, passport, etc.) to determine your status and check which procedure applies to your situation.

If you are hearing-impaired

We pay for the services of certified sign-language interpreters for the theoretical parts of the driving course. 

To take advantage of this service, you can either contact us or contact or a sign-language interpretation service mandated by us in order to have the cost of an interpreter authorized. The mandated sign-language interpretation service must serve the area in which the driving school is located. You must take your driving course in a driving school certified by the Association québécoise des transports (AQTr – Web site in French only).

A list of certified driving schools can be found on the Web site of the AQTr.

Interpretation services mandated by the SAAQ:

2 Registering for a driving course and theoretical training

3 Obtaining a learner's licence

    • Costs

      $57.40 (valid 18 months, includes cost of photos)

Before obtaining a Class 5 learner's licence

You must have passed Phase 1 of the driving course, which corresponds to 9 hours of classroom theoretical training.

You may then go to one of our service outlets to have your file opened and be issued a learner's licence.

The learner's licence gives you access to the road network provided you are accompanied by a driving school monitor or an accompanying riderPersonne qui est titulaire, depuis au moins 2 ans, d'un permis de conduire valide de la classe que souhaite obtenir l'apprenti conducteur et qui est en mesure de lui fournir aide et conseils..

If you are not a Canadian citizen

You must schedule an appointment by telephone before registering for a driving course.

Montréal area: 514 954-7771
Elsewhere in Québec: 1 888 356-6616

A clerk will ask you which official documents you have in your possession (birth certificate, Permanent Resident Card, passport, etc.) to determine your status and check which procedure applies to your situation.

Opening the file

If this is your first licence application, you must present 2 official documents, including one with photo:

Documents you must present in order to obtain a driver's licence for the first time

If you were born in Canada

At least one of the two documents must be from the following list:

  • Original copy of the birth certificate issued by the Directeur de l’état civil du Québec after January 1, 1994 or by another Canadian province or territory
  • Canadian Citizenship Certificate with photo
  • Canadian passport
  • Official Canadian Armed Forces identity card
  • Certificate of Indian Status

The other document may be one of the following:

  • Health Insurance Card
  • Driver’s licence issued by a jurisdiction other than Québec
If you were not born in Canada

At least one of the two documents must be from the following list:

  • Canadian Citizenship Certificate with photo
  • Proof of known legal presence in Canada
  • Permanent Resident Card

The other document may be one of the following:

  • Health Insurance Card
  • Foreign driver’s licence

To obtain your learner's licence

You must:

Step 1 – Present the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (PDF, 103 KB) form, duly completed and signed by your mother, father or legal guardian, if you are under age 18

Step 2 – Provide an attestation from the driving school confirming that you successfully completed Phase 1 of the driving course

Step 3 – Pass the vision test and fill out the Declaration of Illness or Impairment form

Step 4 – Pay the applicable fee for the learner's licence

Payment methods

At our service outlets, we accept payment:

  • in cash
  • by Interac (debit card)—not available in some service outlets
  • by one or more pre-authorized debits (a cheque specimen must be provided)
  • by cheque or money order

Payment by credit card is not accepted.

3 Obtaining a learner's licence

4 Practical training

Once you have obtained your learner's licence, you may get behind the wheel, provided you are accompanied by a monitor from a driving school recognized by the Association québécoise des transports (AQTr – Web site in French only) or an accompanying riderPerson who has held a valid driver's licence for 2 years of the same class of licence as that sought by the learner driver, and who is qualified to provide the learner with help and advice. . 

The practical training at the driving school consists of:

  • 15 hours of driving on the road with a monitor
  • 24 hours of theory

You should take advantage of this opportunity to accumulate as many hours of driving as possible to gain confidence and make regular progress.

Obligations of learner's licence holders

  • Always drive accompanied by a person who has held a valid Class 5 driver's licence for at least two years and who is qualified to provide you with help and advice
  • Always remember that you are subject to:
4 Practical training

5 Knowledge tests

    • Costs

      $11.00

    • Time/Duration

      • 1 hour

Before scheduling an appointment for the knowledge tests

You must have held a learner's licence for at least 10 months.

Taking the knowledge tests

You must schedule an appointment

Online

Driving Test – Passenger Vehicles

Using the automated telephone service

Making an Appointment for a Driving Test – you will have to provide your learner's licence number

If you are hearing-impaired

The knowledge tests have been adapted for people who are hearing-impaired. The tests can be administered with the help of a sign-language interpreter, whose services are paid for by us, in the following service centres:

  • Gatineau service centre
  • Hamel service centre in Québec
  • Henri-Bourassa service centre in Montréal
  • Rimouski service centre
  • Rouyn-Noranda service centre
  • Saguenay service centre
  • Sherbrooke service centre

For more information or to schedule an appointment:

Québec area: 418 643-5213
Montréal area: 514 873-5803
Elsewhere (Québec, Canada, United States): 1 888 667-8687

TDD/TTY:
Montréal: 514 954-7763
Elsewhere in Québec: 1 800 565-7763

To help you prepare for the tests

We recommend you study the following publications:

They can be purchased from Publications du Québec and at bookstores.

We also recommend:

  • Road Access Binder, available at recognized driving schools

On the day of the tests

You must:

Step 1 – Go to the service outlet with which you have scheduled an appointment to take the tests

Step 2 – Present:

  • your learner's licence

    • OR

  • the identity card you were issued for the tests

Step 3 – Pay the applicable fees for the knowledge tests

Payment methods

At our service outlets, we accept payment:

  • in cash
  • by Interac (debit card)—not available in some service outlets
  • by one or more pre-authorized debits (a cheque specimen must be provided)
  • by cheque or money order

Payment by credit card is not accepted.

If you fail the tests

You must wait at least 28 days before you will be allowed to retake the knowledge tests. You will have to schedule another appointment.

5 Knowledge tests

6 Road test to obtain a probationary licence

    • Costs

      • Road Test : $27.50
      • Probationary Licence : $170.67 (covers 24 months)

    • Time/Duration

      Approximately 1 hour

Probationary Licence – Passenger Vehicle

This road test is the final step before obtaining your probationary licence.

Before you schedule an appointment for this test

You must:

  • have passed a driving course at a driving school recognized by the Association québécoise des transports (AQTr – Web site in French only)
  • have held a Class 5 learner's licence for at least 12 months
  • have passed the knowledge tests

Procedure for the road test

You must schedule an appointment

Online

Driving Test – Passenger Vehicles

Using the automated telephone service

Making an Appointment for a Driving Test – you will have to provide your learner's licence number

If you are hearing-impaired

The road test must be carried out using a vehicle equipped with a dual pedal system. We reimburse the cost of renting such a vehicle.

For more information or to schedule an appointment:

Québec area: 418 643-5213
Montréal area: 514 873-5803
Elsewhere (Québec, Canada, United States): 1 888 667-8687

TDD/TTY:
Montréal: 514 954-7763
Elsewhere in Québec: 1 800 565-7763

Cancelling the test

If you cannot make it to your test, we ask that you cancel the appointment at least 48 hours in advance, otherwise you will be charged a cancellation fee.

In case of poor weather, check to make sure your appointment has not been cancelled.

On the day of the test

You must:

Step 1 – Go to the service outlet with which you scheduled your appointment to take the test, with:

  • your learner's licence

    • OU

  • the identity card you were issued for the tests

    • AND

  • your attestation of successful completion of a driving course
  • the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority form (PDF, 103 KB), duly completed and signed by your mother, father or legal guardian, if you are under age 18
  • the valid and signed registration certificate for the vehicle you will be using for the test
  • a paper copy of your proof of liability insurance

Step 2 – Pay the applicable fees for:

  • the road test
  • the probationary licence (if you pass the test)

Payment methods

At our service outlets, we accept payment:

  • in cash
  • by Interac (debit card)—not available in some service outlets
  • by one or more pre-authorized debits (a cheque specimen must be provided)
  • by cheque or money order

Payment by credit card is not accepted.

Useful information

Vehicle used to take the road test

  • We do not provide vehicles for road tests. You must report to your test with a vehicle that is in good mechanical condition.
  • Regardless of the vehicle used, you will not be allowed to carry any passengers or pets.

The examiner will ask you to install a removable sign on the vehicle's roof bearing the words “Examen de conduite”, which we will provide.

If you rent an automobile

Bring the rental contract or receipt with you to your test.

Road test procedure

Before the test, the examiner will inform you about the test procedure.

Whether you pass or fail, the examiner will take the time to indicate your strong points and those that need some improvement.

If you fail the road test…

You must wait at least 28 days before you will be allowed to retake the road test. You will have to schedule another appointment.

To keep your probationary licence

You must:

  • have fewer than 4 demerit points on your driving record
  • abide by the zero-alcohol rule while driving

Obtaining the driver's licence

If you maintain a good driving record, you may obtain your Class 5 driver's licence after 2 years.

Warning

The probationary licence does not authorize its holder to act as an accompanying rider for a learner driver

To act as an accompanying rider, you must have held a valid driver's licence for at least 2 years.

6 Road test to obtain a probationary licence