Obtaining a Driver's Licence

Passenger Vehicles (Class 5)

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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.

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 that is equipped with tires and is generally used for agricultural purposes, whether or not it is authorized for use on public roads. The tractor must belong to an individual or company that owns or leases a farm and whose principal occupation is farming, or that is a member of an association certified under the Farm Producers Act.
  • a 3-wheel T-Rex- or SlingshotA motorcycle-like vehicle equipped with seats that the occupants sit in instead of straddling and that has a structure that partially or completely encloses the occupants (what encloses the occupants must be more than simply the part of the vehicle in front of the driver and the seat backrest).-type vehicle 

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 more than 6 months.

1 Eligibility

2 Registering for a driving course and theoretical training

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

  • complete the required questionnaire before starting the driving course (PDF, 237.4 ko)
  • register for a driving course at a school that is recognized by the Association québécoise des transports (AQTr – website in French only)
    • It is possible for an individual to register for a driving course before turning 16 in order to complete the theoretical component.

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 instructor
  • a self-study component made up of 12 modules with exercises, accessible in the Driving Course section of our website
  • studying the following documents: Driving a Passenger Vehicle, the Driver’s Handbook, and our driving school's manual

Before obtaining a Class 5 learner's licence

You must:

  • complete the 4 modules of Phase 1 of the driving course. Each module includes a 2-hour theory component given in the classroom and a self-study component available in the Driving Course section of our website
  • pass the knowledge test given by your driving school covering the material studied

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

You will be asked which official documents you have in your possession (Permanent Resident Card, passport, etc.) to determine your status and check which procedure applies to your situation.

If you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

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 offer its services in 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).

A list of certified driving schools can be found on the website of the AQTr (in French only).

Interpretation services mandated by the SAAQ:

2 Registering for a driving course and theoretical training

3 Obtaining a learner's licence

    • Costs

      $72.58 (valid 18 months, includes cost of photos)

Before obtaining a Class 5 learner's licence

You must: 

  • complete the 4 modules of Phase 1 of the driving course. Each module includes a 2-hour theory component given in the classroom and a self-study component available in the Driving Course section of our website
  • pass the knowledge test given by your driving school covering the material studied

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 instructor or an accompanying driverPerson who has held for at least 2 years a valid licence of an appropriate class and who is able to provide the learner with help and advice..

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

You will be asked which official documents you have in your possession (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:

  • the original copy of the birth certificate issued by the Directeur de l’état civil du Québec after January 1, 1994, or by the government body responsible for vital statistics in another Canadian jurisdiction (note that in the case of Ontario, the accepted documents are the short form birth certificate or the original “Certified copy of birth registration”, which includes an official number and is issued by the Office of the Registrar General of Ontario)
  • a Canadian Citizenship Certificate with photo
  • a Canadian passport
  • an official Canadian Armed Forces identity card
  • a Certificate of Indian Status

The other document may be:

  • a health insurance card
  • a driver’s licence issued by another jurisdiction
If you were not born in Canada

At least one of the two documents must be:

  • a Canadian Citizenship Certificate with photo
  • a Canadian passport
  • an official Canadian Armed Forces identity card
  • a Confirmation of Permanent Residence document and a Permanent Resident Card
  • other proof of known legal presence in Canada

The other document may be:

  • a health insurance card
  • a foreign driver’s licence

To obtain your learner's licence

You must:

Step 1 – Present the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (PDF, 102.5 ko) 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 (if you have attended more than one driving school, you must provide the certificate obtained from each one)

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

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 an instructor from a driving school recognized by the Association québécoise des transports (AQTr – website in French only) or an accompanying driverPerson who has held for at least 2 years a valid licence of an appropriate class and who is able 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 an instructor
  • 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
  • Do not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
  • Always remember that you are subject to:
4 Practical training

5 Knowledge tests

    • Costs

      $11.70

    • Time/Duration

      • Approximately 30 minutes

Before scheduling an appointment for the knowledge tests

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

To pass the knowledge test, you must prepare:

  • by doing the exercises in the 12 modules of the course, available in the Driving Course section of our website 
  • by studying Driving a Passenger Vehicle, the Driver’s Handbook and your driving school's manual. The entire knowledge test covers material from all three documents. The first two are available through the Publications du Québec and in bookstores. 

Please note that using a portable electronic device (phone, watch, etc.) to record images during the road test is prohibited. If you fail to respect this rule, you will immediately fail the test.

Taking the knowledge tests

You must schedule an appointment

Online

Road Test – Passenger Vehicles

Using the automated telephone service

On the To Reach Us webpage, under the heading Appointment for a Road Test – you will have to provide your learner's licence number

If you are deaf or hard of hearing

The knowledge tests have been adapted for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The tests can be administered with the help of a sign-language interpreter, whose services are paid for by us, at 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

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

Step 3 – Pay the applicable fees for the knowledge tests

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: $29.25
      • Probationary Licence: $181.06 (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 – website 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

Road Test – Passenger Vehicles

Using the automated telephone service

On the To Reach Us webpage, under the heading Appointment for a Road 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

    • AND

  • your attestation of successful completion of a driving course (if you have attended more than one driving school, you must provide the certificate obtained from each one)
  • the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority form (PDF, 102.5 ko), 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)

Vehicle used to take the road test

  • Note that the SAAQ does not provide any vehicles for road tests. You must report to your test with a vehicle that is safe and in good mechanical condition. If the inspection reveals that the vehicle is not in good mechanical condition, the road test will not take place, and you will have to make another appointment. The examiner will check the vehicle’s mechanical components, including the windshield, side windows, rear window and rear-view and side mirrors. For a complete list of the mechanical components of the vehicle that will be checked, refer to page 14 of the Prospective Passenger Vehicle Driver (PDF, 732.4 ko)This file does not meet Web accessibility standards. guide.
  • 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. After the test, whether you pass or fail, the examiner will take the time to indicate your strong points and those that need some improvement.

Please note that using a portable electronic device (phone, watch, etc.) to record images during the road test is prohibited. If you fail to respect this rule, you will immediately fail the test.

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 (for more information, visit the Drinking and Driving: Impairment and Consequences page)
  • comply with the rule regarding the number of passengers aged 19 or younger you are allowed to carry between midnight and 5 a.m., if you are 19 years of age or younger and have held a probationary licence for less than 12 months.
Months of driving experience with a probationary licence Number of passengers (19 years of age or younger)
6 months or less1
More than 6 months     3

Regardless of the number of months you have driven with a probationary licence, members of your immediate family are not taken into account in the authorized number of passengers:

  • your married, civil union or de facto spouse
  • your children and your spouse's children
  • your brothers and sisters
  • any other child of your father or mother or of either's spouse

Restrictions on the number of passengers aged 19 or younger do not apply if you are accompanied by someone who has held a driver's licence for at least 2 years, who is in a position to give you assistance and advice and who is seated in the front passenger's seat.

Obtaining the driver's licence

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

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

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

6 Road test to obtain a probationary licence

Last update: March 12, 2021