Ontario Road Test Guide: Booking, Fees and What to Expect

As of Nov. 2, 2026, your $159.75 G1 package covers the G2 test and the G test costs $91.25. You book both with DriveTest and bring your own car.

Key Takeaways

• Ontario's graduated licensing system takes at least 20 months. Ontario gives you up to five years to finish it.
• The G2 road test usually takes about 20 minutes; the highway-based G test takes about 30.
• Cancel or reschedule with less than 48 hours' notice in Ontario and you lose the road test fee, except in certain circumstances.
• If your car fails the examiner's inspection, DriveTest declares the test out of order and you lose half the fee.
• After a failed attempt, you wait at least 10 days to retest.

Eligibility: Who Can Take the G2 and G Road Tests

You can apply for a G1 once you're at least 16, live in Ontario and pass a vision test and a knowledge test. Since May 11, 2026, Ontario also asks Class G applicants to declare that Ontario is their primary residence and that they're legally in Canada.

The G2 Road Test: 12 Months on a G1

Ontario calls the G2 road test the G1 exit test. You can take it after 12 months with a G1 licence, or after eight months if you complete a government-approved driver education course at a government-certified driving school. It covers the basics: turns, stops, lane changes, parallel parking, three-point turns and traffic signs and signals. Pass, and you get a G2 licence.

The G Test and Your Highway Driving Experience

The G road test, the G2 exit test, opens up after 12 months on a G2. It's the advanced exam, with highway merging, curves, lane changes and business-area driving, and passing it earns a full G licence.

Before you book it, DriveTest asks you to declare that you've driven at least five times in the last three months on 400-series highways or roads with a speed limit of at least 80 km/h, such as the Queen Elizabeth Way, the Don Valley Parkway or the Gardiner Expressway. The handbook calls this the Declaration of Highway Driving Experience.

Read the debate over Ontario's shorter, pandemic-era G test.

Required Documents: What to Bring to the DriveTest Centre

DriveTest asks you to bring your current driver's licence, a printout of your road test confirmation email, glasses or contact lenses if you need them to drive and money for the fee if you're hoping for a standby slot.

G1 drivers can't drive themselves to the test centre alone, so the Ontario handbook says to bring an accompanying driver. If you're going for your G, arrange a ride home in case you don't pass.

Your Car Is Part of the Test: Bring a Class G Vehicle

Ontario's handbook says the vehicle needs to be fit, in proper working condition, plated and insured. DriveTest doesn't supply cars, so use your own, a borrowed one or a rental, as long as it's a Class G vehicle. The examiner starts with a vehicle inspection and may ask you to work the signals and brake lights.

DriveTest's vehicle list includes working brake lights, turn signals, headlights, horn, windshield wipers, speedometer and a seatbelt for each of you. A badly cracked windshield will stop the test before it starts. So will a flat tire, a temporary spare or a convertible with the roof down.

Here are five car features to look for if you have new drivers at home.

Fees: What an Ontario Driving Test Costs

DriveTest lists these Class G fees, set by the Government of Ontario and in effect since July 12, 2019. The amounts include all applicable taxes (read Nov. 2, 2026):

Ontario's handbook says the Ministry of Transportation and DriveTest don't charge anything for booking a road test, so skip any service that charges one.

Paying the Test Fee

DriveTest takes cash, Visa, Mastercard and debit, among other payment types. Online, you prepay by credit card (Visa or Mastercard), and a prepaid road test fee stays valid for six years.

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Step-by-Step Process: How to Book a Road Test With DriveTest

Plenty of people call it the MTO drive test, but you book it with DriveTest.

1. Check your dates. Your licence has to be past its waiting period and can't be expired.
2. Book online, in person at any DriveTest centre or by phone at 1-888-570-6110 or 647-776-0331. Have your licence number and expiry date, plus three locations in order of preference.
3. Prepay the fee and print the confirmation email.
4. Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Check in at the kiosk or counter, then wait by your car for the examiner.
5. Drive the test route. The examiner can't coach you, so ask your questions before you start.
6. Get your result. You'll get a brief verbal summary. Pass, and you apply the result at a DriveTest centre for a 90-day temporary licence.

Here's the ontario.ca guide to getting a G licence.

What the Examiner Watches For

Ontario's handbook chapter on the Level Two road test lists the tasks: turns, stop and through intersections, freeway entry and exit, lane changes, curves and business sections. Examiners look for habits. The Official MTO Driver's Handbook asks you to check your mirrors every five to 10 seconds, signal early, stop fully and keep a two- to three-second following distance.

Brush up on how to drive through a roundabout.

Timelines: How Long Graduated Licensing Takes

Graduated licensing is a slow climb. Eight months on a G1 with an approved course (12 without) plus at least 12 on a G2 makes 20 months at minimum, or 24 without the course. Ontario gives you five years to finish or you start over. Don't let it lapse. If your G1 expires after a failed test, you pay the test fees again.

Is that the right system? Here's the case for better driver licence standards in Canada.

Common Mistakes That Cost You a Pass or a Fee

Some mistakes fail the test. Others cost money before you turn the key.

• Rolling stops. The handbook says to come to a complete stop without rolling forward or backward.
• Not checking blind spots before a lane change or pulling away from the curb.
• A late or forgotten signal, or leaving it on after the turn.
• Booking the G without highway time. DriveTest cancels the road test appointment and keeps 50 per cent of the fee.
• Cancelling or arriving late. Under 48 hours' notice, a late arrival or a no-show in Ontario means the prepaid fee is gone.
• Bringing passengers or a pet, or leaving a dash cam or phone recording. Only the examiner can ride with you, and recording devices need to be switched off. If a built-in camera can't be, you'll need to confirm it isn't recording the cabin.
• Relying on driving aids. Ontario's handbook says automatic parallel-parking systems, lane monitoring, cruise control and backup cameras can't be used during the road test.

When the Weather or Your Car Cancels the Test

If bad weather keeps you from reaching the centre, ask for a new date within three days to keep your fee. After that, DriveTest asks for proof of the weather. A car that fails the pre-test check is different: the examiner declares the test out of order. For winter test dates, winter driving schools in Canada can help.

Compare Cars Before Your Road Test Appointment

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A test declared out of order still costs you half the fee.

Provincial Considerations: Moving to Ontario With an Out-of-Province Licence

Ontario lets you drive on an out-of-province licence for 60 days after you move. After that, you need an Ontario licence. The ontario.ca licence exchange page says whether you need a road test depends on where you're coming from, your licence class and your driving experience.

Drivers from countries without an exchange agreement with Ontario pass the vision, knowledge and G2 road tests, then wait at least 12 months for the G test. Since July 1, 2026, Ontario can credit up to one year of foreign driving experience if you bring an official authentication letter from the issuing government.

Here's how car insurance differs from province to province and which cars are cheaper to insure.

Passed? Our 12 tips for the first-time car buyer can help with your first car.

Sources

Accessed Nov. 2, 2026

• Government of Ontario: Get a G Driver's Licence: New Drivers (updated Sept. 11, 2026)
• Government of Ontario: Official MTO Driver's Handbook, Getting Your Driver's Licence (updated Sept. 14, 2026)
• Government of Ontario: Official MTO Driver's Handbook, The Level Two Road Test (updated Sept. 8, 2025)
• Government of Ontario: Exchange an Out-of-Province Driver's Licence (updated Sept. 23, 2026)
• DriveTest: Fees (effective July 12, 2019)
• DriveTest: Road Tests
• DriveTest: Road Test Vehicle Requirements
• DriveTest: Payments, Cancellations and Refunds
• AutoTrader editorial:
  • Ontario's Pandemic-Era G Driver's Licence Test Changes Are Here to Stay: Is That a Good Thing?
  • 5 Car Features to Look for if You Have New Drivers at Home
  • How to Drive Through a Roundabout
  • Do We Need Better Driver Licence Standards in Canada?
  • Winter Driving Schools in Canada
  • Car Insurance Differences From Province to Province
  • Which Cars Are Cheaper to Insure?
  • 12 Tips for the First-Time Car Buyer