Under the British North America Act of 1867, Canada is made up of a number of different provinces or territories and each has its own jurisdiction when it comes to driving regulations. Every province is responsible for issuing its own driving licence.
Exchange your licence
If you are moving to Canada from the UK mainland, you will be pleased to know that provided you can supply proof of 24 months driving experience, you can simply exchange your UK driving licence for a full Canadian licence in the following provinces: Alberta, Labrador, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
Exceptions
Unfortunately this concession does not yet apply to all provinces although the Foreign Office is working on this. Also, driving licences issued by the Northern Ireland Authorities do not benefit from these concessions. If you are not moving to Canada from the UK or you are driving in the UK on a licence issued by another country, you should check with your Foreign Office to see if any similar reciprocal arrangements exist.
Gaining a licence
If you take up residence in one of the other provinces or do not meet the above criteria, you will be required to take two tests – a practical exam and a written exam. Every province has slightly different criteria so it is imperative that you check the rules pertaining to your preferred destination. The written exam will be computer based, so you get your results immediately. The pass mark is circa 80%. Most provinces provide a mini version of their written test online so you can practice.
The practical test is comparable to the UK driving test. It takes an hour or so and will cover similar things as covered in your current country of residence.
Taking the driving test
If you do have to take a driving test, it is wise to book one as early as possible to avoid delays. You should also check how long you are able to drive on your existing foreign licence. Make sure that you make the authorities aware that you are a resident in Canada, as different rules apply for visitors. For example, the province may impose a time limit (such as three months) for new residents to apply for a driving test, yet allow visitors to drive for six months on their foreign licence.
If in doubt, check it out
Regardless of whether you have to take a driving test or not, it would be prudent to arrange for a few driving lessons as driving in another country will always be slightly different. Even the most experienced driver can brush up on their skills. Consider how likely you would be to pass your test based on the way you normally drive compared to the ‘test’ drive you undertook all those years ago.