Photo: Bull-Doser, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This guide is for parents and other adults who sit beside a learner driver in Canada. It covers who is allowed to supervise in each province and territory, how much practice to log, and a staged plan from an empty parking lot to night and highway driving. The rules on the supervisor bind you as well as the learner, so check your own licence and alcohol limit first.
Key facts
- Every jurisdiction requires a fully licensed supervisor beside the learner. Most require 2 to 4 years’ driving experience.
- Some provinces set an alcohol limit for the supervisor too: under .05 in Ontario, Manitoba and PEI, and zero in Yukon, the NWT and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Yukon requires 50 logged practice hours. ICBC suggests at least 60 hours in BC, and SGI recommends at least 36 in Saskatchewan.
- People still in graduated licensing cannot supervise in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan or the NWT.
Who can supervise a learner? Requirements by province
| Jurisdiction | Supervisor must have | Supervisor alcohol limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario (G1) | Full G or higher, at least 4 years’ experience, the only other person in the front seat | Under .05 |
| Quebec | A licence held for at least 2 years | Check with SAAQ |
| British Columbia (L) | Age 22 or older, a Class 1 to 5 licence, no zero-alcohol restriction | No separate limit is set in the GLP rules; the supervisor’s own licence must not carry a 0 BAC/BDC restriction (Learn to Drive Smart 2026, ch. 9) |
| Alberta (Class 7) | 18 or older, full Class 5 (not GDL), in the front passenger seat | Check with a registry agent; the supervisor must be fully licensed (non-GDL) |
| Saskatchewan | Valid Class 5 from a Canadian or US jurisdiction held at least 12 months in the last three years, not in GDL, in the front seat and able to take over | Check with SGI |
| Manitoba (5L) | Class 5F held at least 3 years, in the front seat | Under .05 and must pass a drug screen |
| Nova Scotia | A regular licence (not graduated), in the front seat | Check with Service Nova Scotia |
| New Brunswick (Level 1) | Class 5 or higher with 3 years’ experience, in the front seat | Check with Service New Brunswick |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | At least 4 years’ Class 5 experience, in the front seat | 0% BAC |
| Prince Edward Island (Stage 1) | A valid licence held at least 4 years, in the front seat | Under .05 |
| Yukon | A full-privilege licence for the 2 years immediately before. Practice hours with an unqualified co-driver do not count | Zero alcohol and drugs |
| Northwest Territories | At least 24 months on a full Class 5 | Zero |
| Nunavut | Check with a Motor Vehicles office | Check with Motor Vehicles |
As of November 2026. Where a cell says “check”, confirm the supervisor’s limit with the licensing office. Criminal Code limits apply to anyone in control of a vehicle, so the safest rule is to have no alcohol at all before you supervise. See Canadian graduated licensing compared for the learner’s own curfew and passenger rules.
How many practice hours should a learner log?
| Jurisdiction | Hours | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Yukon | At least 50 | Required before the road test |
| British Columbia | At least 60 | Recommended by ICBC |
| Saskatchewan | At least 36 (one hour a week over the 9-month learner stage) | Recommended by SGI. Hand the log to the examiner at the road test |
| Everywhere else | Check with your licensing office | Log anyway: it shows you what is missing |
For each session, log the date, the time of day, the road type, the weather and the skills practised. SGI suggests reviewing the log to spot gaps such as night, rain or ice.
A staged practice plan, from parking lot to highway
- Stage 1: empty parking lot, daylight. Seat, mirrors and belt, starting and smooth stopping, steering, backing up, and signals. SGI’s co-pilot manual says to start here. It also says an automatic car is easier until the rules and basic control are learned.
- Stage 2: quiet residential streets. Right and left turns, stop signs, scanning intersections, speed control, and parking at the curb.
- Stage 3: busier town roads. Traffic lights, lane changes with shoulder checks, one-way streets, pedestrians and cyclists, and parallel parking.
- Stage 4: rural roads and higher speeds. Following distance, passing judgment, gravel shoulders and wildlife. In Ontario, G1 drivers cannot use 400-series highways or high-speed expressways unless the supervisor is a driving instructor.
- Stage 5: harder conditions. Rain, dusk and night (within your learner curfew), then the first snow on a quiet road. SGI says to add bad weather gradually as skills improve.
- Stage 6: test-style drives. Plan a route like the road test and stay silent apart from giving directions. Afterwards, go over the faults together.
If the learner is in driver education, ask the instructor what has been taught so far. Teach the same methods. PEI and SGI both warn that teaching differently confuses the learner.
Giving instructions without the stress
- Agree the plan before you start: where you will go, for how long, and the word you will use for “pull over now”.
- Keep it to the two of you, with phones and radio off.
- Give directions early and briefly: “At the next lights, turn left.” New drivers need more time than you to prepare.
- Sit ready to act. SGI suggests sitting where you could grab the wheel, pull the parking brake gradually, shift to neutral or brake.
- Praise more than you criticize, and end each session on something that went well.
- Model what you teach. Wear your belt, keep to the limit and never drive impaired. PEI notes that GDL drivers can be suspended for seatbelt tickets, and can be charged for an unbelted passenger.
When to stop a session
- Either of you is stressed, angry or tired. SGI says learning stops under high stress and carrying on is dangerous.
- Traffic ahead is beyond the learner’s skill. Pull over and swap or wait.
- Weather worsens beyond what you planned for.
- The learner would break a GDL condition, such as the curfew.
Common questions
Can a G2 or N driver supervise a learner?
No. Ontario needs a full G, BC needs age 22 and no zero-alcohol restriction, and Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and the NWT exclude anyone in GDL.
Can I supervise with a licence from another country?
Saskatchewan accepts a Canadian or US Class 5. Other provinces generally expect a valid licence recognized there. Check with the licensing office if your licence is foreign.
Do I have to stay sober as a supervisor?
In Ontario, Manitoba and PEI your BAC must be under .05. In Yukon, the NWT and Newfoundland and Labrador it must be zero. Zero is the safe choice everywhere.
Is a driving school better than practising with a parent?
They do different jobs. Lessons teach correct technique, while supervised practice builds hours. PEI’s guide says formal lessons do not replace behind-the-wheel practice.
Can the supervisor sit in the back?
No. Every province that sets the rule requires the supervisor in the front passenger seat.
Can a parent refuse consent for a learner’s licence?
Yes. Applicants under 18 need parental consent. PEI’s guide says parents can withhold it, or withdraw it at any time until 18.
Related: learning to drive in Canada, Ontario G1 rules, BC learner licence rules, Yukon novice drivers and the 50-hour log, winter driving in Canada.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, “Get a G driver’s licence: new drivers” (ontario.ca)
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, Chapter 9: your licence” (icbc.com)
- Government of Alberta, “Class 7 learner’s licence” (alberta.ca)
- SGI, “A guide to supervising new drivers: The co-pilot’s manual 2026-27” (sgi.sk.ca)
- Manitoba Public Insurance, “Driver’s Handbook: Graduated Driver Licensing” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
- Service Nova Scotia, “Learner’s (Beginner’s) Licence” (novascotia.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Graduated licences” (gnb.ca)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, “Graduated Driver Licensing Program” (gov.nl.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, Highway Safety Division, “Co-pilot: A Guide for Parents and Guardians of New Drivers”, January 2023 (princeedwardisland.ca)
- Government of Yukon, “Get a driver’s licence” (yukon.ca)
- Government of the Northwest Territories, “NWT Driver’s Manual” (inf.gov.nt.ca)
- Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, “Accompanying rider guide” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Government of Nunavut, “Apply for a driver’s licence” (gov.nu.ca)