A Parent's Guide to Ontario's Graduated Licensing

Ontario new drivers earn a full licence in two steps, and this is called graduated licensing. If your teen just passed their G1, here's the plain-English map of what's ahead, and what your job as a parent looks like.

The path in one glance

Graduated licensing has three stages and two road tests:

1. G1 (Level One): the learning stage, always with an experienced driver beside them.
2. G2 (Level Two): earned by passing a road test; your teen can now drive alone, with some limits.
3. Full G: earned by passing a second road test.

Novice drivers have five years to finish the whole process. That's plenty of time, so there's no need to rush the learning.

How long each stage lasts

The G1 stage lasts 12 months. If your teen completes an approved Beginner Driver Education (BDE) course, that shortens to 8 months, four months faster, and it may lower their insurance too. Many families find the course pays for itself.

After the G1 stage, your teen takes a road test to reach G2. Later, another road test moves them to a full G. If you'd like the differences spelled out, our guide to G1 vs G2 vs G lays out each stage side by side.

Your role: the accompanying driver

During the G1 stage, your teen can't drive alone. Someone has to sit in the front passenger seat as the accompanying driver, and that's often a parent. To qualify, you must:

• Hold a full Class G licence.
• Have at least four years of driving experience. (Time you spent validly at G2 counts toward those four years.)
• Keep your blood-alcohol under .05 whenever you're supervising.

One more detail parents ask about: your licence can carry demerit points, but it must not be suspended. If your licence is suspended, you can't be the supervising driver.

The G1 rules you'll be enforcing

While you're in the passenger seat, you're helping your teen follow their G1 rules. The main ones:

• Zero alcohol for the driver, every single time.
• No driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
• No 400-series highways with a posted limit over 80 km/h, and no named expressways like the QEW, Don Valley Parkway, or Gardiner, unless the supervising driver is a licensed driving instructor.

We cover these in full in driving with a G1: what you can and can't do. Knowing them helps you coach with confidence.

How you can actually help

Two things make the biggest difference:

• Log real practice hours. Calm daytime drives on quiet streets build skill fast. The more varied the practice, the readier they'll be for the G2 road test.
• Support the studying. The G1 knowledge test is all signs and rules, and it rewards practice. Sit with your teen and run through free practice questions together. It's a low-pressure way to learn the rules you'll both rely on.

You're a big part of this

Graduated licensing is designed so new drivers gain experience gradually, with someone steady beside them. That someone is you. Follow the timeline, keep the practice regular, and cheer the small wins. Before long, your new driver will be passing that road test and moving up to G2.