After you pass in New Brunswick: novice restrictions and your licence
Passing the road test moves you to Class 7 Level 2. For the first time you can drive without a supervisor, but some limits stay in place until you finish the graduated program.
Knowing these limits matters, because a single breach can cost you demerit points or send you back to the start.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can follow the Level 2 passenger limit.
- You can decide whether you may drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
- You can apply for a night driving exemption if you need one.
- You can work out when you are eligible for Class 5.
- You can explain which rules continue after you reach Class 5.
What you need to know and understand
- Level 2 drivers may carry no more than three passengers, with only one in the front seat.
- If you are under 21, you may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless an exception applies.
- Exceptions: a licensed driver (Class 5 or better, with at least three years of experience) is with you and no other passengers are carried, you are driving for work or education, there is a genuine emergency, or the Registrar of Motor Vehicles has granted an exemption.
- Drivers 21 and over on Level 2 have no night restriction, but the passenger limit and zero tolerance still apply.
- Level 2 lasts at least 12 months, and the total graduated period is at least 24 months.
- You must apply for Class 5 yourself; failing to apply can bring graduated licence sanctions.
- Breaking certain Level 2 conditions, such as the night rules, can cost 3 demerit points.
Night driving on Level 2
The work and education exemption is automatic, so you do not need a form to drive home from a late shift or a class. For any other purpose, such as regular volunteering or sport, you must apply in writing to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles using the province's night time exemption form.
The supervised route has a catch: when a qualified driver is with you for night driving, no other passengers are allowed. A supervisor in the car does not make it legal to drive a group of friends home at 1 a.m.
Moving up to Class 5
- Hold your graduated licence without interruption for at least 24 months in total.
- Make sure at least 12 of those months were on Level 2.
- Apply for your Class 5 licence through Service New Brunswick. No second road test is needed.
- Keep driving by the Level 2 rules until the Class 5 licence is issued.
What does not change at Class 5
If you are still under 21 when you reach Class 5, your licence carries a zero alcohol restriction. You also remain a newly licensed driver for demerit purposes until you have been licensed for four years, which means fewer points to lose than an experienced driver. Our guide to New Brunswick Level 1 and Level 2 rules compares both levels in more detail.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing a fourth friend into the car, or putting two passengers in the front.
- Thinking a supervisor lets you carry friends after midnight. On the supervised night route, no other passengers are allowed.
- Assuming an exemption for a hobby is automatic. Only work and education are automatic.
- Waiting for Class 5 to arrive in the mail instead of applying.
- Having a drink because you are now driving alone. Level 2 is still zero tolerance.
Test yourself: After you pass in New Brunswick: novice restrictions and your licence
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Sources: Graduated drivers' licences page, Government of New Brunswick, Motor Vehicle Branch; Motor Vehicle Act, RSNB 1973, c M-17, sections 84, 91, 297 and 298, Government of New Brunswick; New Brunswick Driver's Handbook, Part 1.1, Government of New Brunswick. Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with your province or territory.