The motorcycle licence route

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the motorcycle licence class used in your province.
• You can describe the learner, novice and full stages in general terms.
• You can explain why learner riders face limits such as daylight-only riding and no passengers.
• You can find out how long you must wait before each riding test in your province.
• You can explain how a recognized rider course can change your route.

What you need to know and understand

• Motorcycle licensing is set by each province and territory, so names, ages and waiting times differ.
• Ontario uses M1, M2 and full M. The minimum age is 16.
• Ontario M1 riders must wait at least 60 days before the first road test, and the M1 licence is valid for 90 days.
• Ontario M2 riders wait 22 months for the second road test, or 18 months after a recognized safety course.
• In Ontario you must finish the whole process within five years of getting your M2, or start again.
• Alberta's motorcycle licence is Class 6, and new riders without a full licence go through graduated licensing.

How the stages fit together

Almost every province follows the same broad pattern, even if the names differ.

1. Pass the vision screening and the motorcycle knowledge test to get a learner licence.
2. Practise under the learner rules for at least the minimum waiting time.
3. Pass the first riding test (in some provinces this is an off-road skills test).
4. Ride as a novice, usually with zero blood alcohol, for the required period.
5. Pass the final road test or complete the novice period to get a full licence.

Province examples side by side

These examples show how much the details vary. Always check your own provincial licensing body before you plan your timeline.

• Ontario: M1 learners must have zero blood alcohol, ride only from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, carry no passengers and stay off roads over 80 km/h (a short list of northern highways is excepted). M2 riders can ride at night and on all roads but must keep zero blood alcohol.
• Ontario limited-speed route: an M licence with an L condition covers mopeds and limited-speed motorcycles only. M2-L riders may use vehicles that top out at 70 km/h, on roads posted 80 km/h or lower.
• British Columbia: learners hold a Class 6L or 8L, pass a motorcycle skills test, then a road test. New riders in graduated licensing get a novice Class 8 before the full Class 6.
• Alberta: Class 6 is the minimum age 16 motorcycle class. To leave graduated licensing you must be at least 18, finish 24 months of probation and have no suspensions in the last 12 months. The advanced road test is no longer needed (since 1 April 2023).
• Quebec: a knowledge test gives a Class 6R learner licence, a recognized course and closed-track test lead to a Class 6A learner licence (ride with an experienced motorcyclist), then a road test.

If you already drive a car

A full car licence often helps. In Alberta, holders of a full Class 5 only need to pass the Class 6 knowledge and road tests. In other provinces your driving record may shorten waiting times, but you still sit the motorcycle tests. If you take your road test on a three-wheeled motorcycle, some provinces, such as Alberta and Ontario, restrict your licence to three-wheelers.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a car licence covers a motorcycle. It does not; you need the motorcycle class.
• Letting a learner licence expire. Ontario's M1 lasts only 90 days, so book your test early.
• Using one province's rules in another. Check the local rules before riding on a learner licence elsewhere.
• Taking the road test on a three-wheeler without realizing the licence may then be limited to three-wheelers.
• Forgetting the zero blood alcohol rule still applies at the novice stage in many provinces.

Test yourself: The motorcycle licence route

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

Go deeper

• Driving in another province on a learner or novice licence
• Graduated Licence Rules by Province
• How much does a driver’s licence cost in Canada? Fees by province