{"id":7797,"date":"2026-10-06T21:53:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/drivers-licence-by-province\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T21:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:53:11","slug":"drivers-licence-by-province","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/drivers-licence-by-province\/","title":{"rendered":"Driver&#8217;s licence by province and territory: the official agency for each"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/ca\/\">Home<\/a> \u203a <a href=\"\/ca\/scam-guides-canada\/\">All Canadian guides<\/a> \u203a Licence by province<\/nav>\n<p><span class=\"kicker\">Directory<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>Driver&#x27;s licence by province and territory: the official agency for each<\/h1>\n<div class=\"answer\"><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> Canada has no federal driver&#8217;s licence. Each of the ten provinces and three territories licenses its own drivers: ServiceOntario and DriveTest in Ontario, ICBC in British Columbia, registry agents in Alberta, SGI in Saskatchewan, MPI in Manitoba. Start from the agency below, typed into your browser yourself.<\/div>\n<p class=\"meta\">Last reviewed: <time datetime=\"2026-10-05\">2026-10-05<\/time> \u00b7 By <a href=\"\/ca\/author\/\">Mark Dent<\/a><\/p>\n<nav class=\"toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#s1\">The agency in each jurisdiction<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s2\">What we saw on the pages we opened<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s3\">Three habits that protect you<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s4\">If you are moving or just arrived<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"keyfacts\"><strong>Key facts, checked 5 October 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We opened the official pages for eight jurisdictions: Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories.<\/li>\n<li>For Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Nunavut, the official sites blocked our automated access. The agency names there come from the governments&#8217; own search listings and are marked below.<\/li>\n<li>ICBC is on a .com address. Not every genuine provincial agency uses a .ca or .gc.ca domain, so judge a site by where you typed it from, not by the ending alone.<\/li>\n<li>A province can change its web address at any time. If a link here fails, search for the agency by name rather than following an advert.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"s1\">The agency in each jurisdiction<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Province or territory<\/th>\n<th>Who issues the licence<\/th>\n<th>Official page<\/th>\n<th>Status of our check<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Ontario<\/td>\n<td>Ministry of Transportation; applications at DriveTest Centres, renewals and replacements through ServiceOntario<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/serviceontario\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ontario.ca\/page\/serviceontario<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>British Columbia<\/td>\n<td>ICBC, with RoadSafetyBC handling medical re-exams<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icbc.com\/driver-licensing\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">icbc.com\/driver-licensing<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Alberta<\/td>\n<td>Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, delivered through authorized registry agents<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alberta.ca\/registry-services\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">alberta.ca\/registry-services<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Saskatchewan<\/td>\n<td>SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance)<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/sgi.sk.ca\/new-drivers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">sgi.sk.ca\/new-drivers<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Manitoba<\/td>\n<td>Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), under \u201cLicensing &amp; ID\u201d<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mpi.mb.ca\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">mpi.mb.ca<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Quebec<\/td>\n<td>SAAQ (Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de l\u2019assurance automobile du Qu\u00e9bec)<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/saaq.gouv.qc.ca\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">saaq.gouv.qc.ca<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Not opened: site blocked us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New Brunswick<\/td>\n<td>Service New Brunswick centres; Motor Vehicle Branch of the Department of Justice and Public Safety<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gnb.ca\/en\/topic\/driving-transportation\/driving-licensing\/driver-licences.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gnb.ca driver&#8217;s licences<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Not opened: site blocked us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nova Scotia<\/td>\n<td>Registry of Motor Vehicles, at Access Nova Scotia and RMV offices<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/novascotia.ca\/driving-and-road-safety\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">novascotia.ca\/driving-and-road-safety<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Prince Edward Island<\/td>\n<td>Agency not confirmed by us<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.princeedwardisland.ca\/en\/topic\/drivers-licences\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">princeedwardisland.ca drivers licences<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Not opened: security wall<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Newfoundland and Labrador<\/td>\n<td>Department of Government Services, Motor Registration Division<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.nl.ca\/motorregistration\/new-drivers\/licence-application-process\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gov.nl.ca\/motorregistration<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Yukon<\/td>\n<td>Motor Vehicles offices, Government of Yukon<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/yukon.ca\/en\/driving-and-transportation\/driver-licensing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">yukon.ca driver licensing<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Not opened: site blocked us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Northwest Territories<\/td>\n<td>Department of Infrastructure, Driver and Vehicle Services<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inf.gov.nt.ca\/en\/services\/drivers-licences\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">inf.gov.nt.ca drivers-licences<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Opened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nunavut<\/td>\n<td>Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Motor Vehicles<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.nu.ca\/how-do-i-get-drivers-licence\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gov.nu.ca how to get a driver&#8217;s licence<\/a><\/td>\n<td>Not opened: site blocked us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"s2\">What we saw on the pages we opened<\/h2>\n<p>These are small facts that show how different the provinces are, and why a seller&#8217;s promise of one national process makes no sense.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ontario:<\/strong> you must be at least 16. A new resident has 60 days to apply for an Ontario licence while using an existing one, and a visitor staying over three months needs an international driving permit. The step-by-step is on <a href=\"\/ca\/get-a-drivers-licence-ontario\/\">getting an Ontario licence<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>British Columbia:<\/strong> the graduated programme runs from an L to an N to a full-privilege licence, and ICBC says you have 90 days to switch your licence after moving to the province.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alberta:<\/strong> services are delivered through authorized registry agents rather than a single government counter.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Saskatchewan:<\/strong> new drivers go through graduated licensing starting with a Class 7 learner&#8217;s licence.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Manitoba:<\/strong> MPI lists driver testing and a \u201cProving My Identity\u201d tool under its tools menu.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nova Scotia:<\/strong> a learner&#8217;s (beginner&#8217;s) licence comes first, then testing and training stages before full licensing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Newfoundland and Labrador:<\/strong> the learner&#8217;s licence needs an 85% pass on the written test at age 16; the road test follows after 12 months at that level, or 8 months with an approved driving school.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Northwest Territories:<\/strong> the Department of Infrastructure runs driver and vehicle services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"s3\">Three habits that protect you<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"steps\">\n<li><strong>Type the agency name yourself.<\/strong> Do not follow an advert, a text or a message. ICBC, North Bay police and the OPP have each warned about texts that link to fake payment pages; see <a href=\"\/ca\/icbc-serviceontario-text-scam\/\">the text scams<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pay only through the agency.<\/strong> Renewal, replacement and test fees are paid to the province. A site that adds its own \u201cservice fee\u201d is a third party, not the province.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Treat a promise of a licence with no test as the red flag it is.<\/strong> Read <a href=\"\/ca\/buy-a-drivers-licence-canada\/\">why it cannot work<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"s4\">If you are moving or just arrived<\/h2>\n<p>Every province treats a licence from another Canadian province differently from one issued abroad, and the time you may keep driving on the old licence differs. We checked only Ontario (60 days) and British Columbia (90 days). For the rest, read the agency page above before the move. A fast \u201cconversion\u201d offered by a stranger is not an agency service.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>Is there a national driver&#x27;s licence in Canada?<\/summary>\n<p>No. Driver licensing is provincial and territorial. The Government of Canada issues passports and immigration documents, not driver&#8217;s licences.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Who issues driver&#x27;s licences in Ontario?<\/summary>\n<p>The Ministry of Transportation. Applications are made at DriveTest Centres and renewals and replacements go through ServiceOntario, according to the Ontario handbook and the ServiceOntario page we opened.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Who issues driver&#x27;s licences in British Columbia?<\/summary>\n<p>ICBC, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, runs driver licensing, including the L, N and full-privilege licences.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can I use my out-of-province licence after moving?<\/summary>\n<p>For a time, yes. Ontario gives a new resident 60 days and British Columbia gives 90 days to switch. Other provinces set their own periods; check the agency before you move.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Why is ICBC on a .com address?<\/summary>\n<p>ICBC publishes its official driver-licensing pages at icbc.com. That is why you should reach any agency from a link you typed or bookmarked, not from a text or advert.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"related\">\n<h2>Keep reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/buy-a-drivers-licence-canada\/\">Can you buy a driver&#x27;s licence in Canada?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/get-a-drivers-licence-ontario\/\">Getting an Ontario driver&#x27;s licence<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/international-driving-permit-canada\/\">International driving permit in Canada<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/official-checks\/\">How to check a Canadian document<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/ca\/scam-guides-canada\/\">All Canadian guides<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources and official links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/serviceontario\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ServiceOntario<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/document\/official-mto-drivers-handbook\/getting-your-drivers-licence\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Ontario: Official MTO Driver&#x27;s Handbook, getting your driver&#x27;s licence<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icbc.com\/driver-licensing\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ICBC: driver licensing and ID<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alberta.ca\/registry-services\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Alberta: registry services<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sgi.sk.ca\/new-drivers\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">SGI: new drivers (graduated driver licensing)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mpi.mb.ca\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Manitoba Public Insurance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/novascotia.ca\/driving-and-road-safety\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Nova Scotia: Registry of Motor Vehicles, driving and road safety<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.nl.ca\/motorregistration\/new-drivers\/licence-application-process\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Newfoundland and Labrador: licence application process<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inf.gov.nt.ca\/en\/services\/drivers-licences\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Northwest Territories: driver&#x27;s licences<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author\"><strong>About the author<\/strong><br \/>Written by <a href=\"\/ca\/author\/\">Mark Dent<\/a> from the Criminal Code of Canada, provincial and federal government pages, regulator notices and court reporting. We do not sell, issue or arrange any licence, certificate or other document, and we are not a government body. Read the <a href=\"\/ca\/editorial-policy\/\">editorial policy<\/a>, or <a href=\"\/ca\/contact\/\">report a mistake<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home \u203a All Canadian guides \u203a Licence by province Directory Driver&#x27;s licence by province and territory: the official agency for each Short answer: Canada has no federal driver&#8217;s licence. Each of the ten provinces and three territories licenses its own drivers: ServiceOntario and DriveTest in Ontario, ICBC in British Columbia, registry agents in Alberta, SGI [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"truthdocuments-guide","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7797","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7797\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}