After you pass in Alberta: novice restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can follow every Class 5-GDL condition.
• You can work out the earliest date you could exit GDL.
• You can explain what changes when you get a full Class 5.
• You can plan to keep a clean driving record.

What you need to know and understand

• You may drive without a supervisor and at any time of day.
• You still need zero alcohol and drugs, and no more passengers than seat belts.
• Your licence is suspended at 8 demerit points.
• You cannot supervise a learner or upgrade to Class 1, 2, 3 or 4.
• To exit you must be 18 or older, have at least 24 months as a probationary driver, and have no suspensions or demerits in the last 12 months.
• Approved driver training can reduce the 24 months by up to six months.
• There has been no advanced road test since April 1, 2023.

What changes at each step

Compared with a learner licence, the probationary licence removes the supervisor and the midnight to 5 a.m. curfew. The zero alcohol and drug rule, the passenger limit and the 8-point threshold stay in place.

Breaking the zero alcohol and drug rule brings an immediate 30-day suspension and a 7-day vehicle seizure under IRS ZERO: Novice. A suspension also resets the clean-record clock, because you need 12 months free of suspensions and demerits before you can exit. Our deeper guide on Class 5 GDL probationary rules covers this stage in more detail.

Reaching a full licence

1. Count 24 months from the date you got your Class 5-GDL (or 18 months with approved training).
2. Make sure you are at least 18.
3. Check your record: no suspensions and no demerits in the last 12 months.
4. Ask a registry agent to confirm you meet the requirements and how your licence is updated.

Benefits of a full Class 5

• Your demerit suspension threshold rises to 15 points.
• The zero alcohol and drug condition is removed, though the province's WARN and FAIL levels and the Criminal Code still apply.
• You can supervise a learner if you are 18 or older.
• You can apply to upgrade to a commercial licence class.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the passenger rule ends when the supervisor does. It continues on the probationary licence.
• Picking up a small ticket in your final year, which pushes back your exit.
• Thinking a full licence means you can drink and drive. Legal limits still apply.
• Offering to supervise a younger sibling before you have a full licence.

Test yourself: After you pass in Alberta: novice restrictions and your licence

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Class 5 GDL Alberta
• Alberta Learner’s Test
• Alberta Class 7 Restrictions