New Brunswick graduated licensing stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the three stages: Class 7 Level 1, Class 7 Level 2 and Class 5.
• You can work out the earliest date you could reach each stage.
• You can explain how a driver training course changes your timeline.
• You can list the main limits at each level.
• You can explain what sends a new driver back to the start.

What you need to know and understand

• The minimum age to start is 16, and applicants under 18 need a parental consent form witnessed by a non-relative.
• Level 1 lasts at least 12 months, or 8 months if you pass a recognized driver training course.
• You move from Level 1 to Level 2 by passing the road test.
• You spend at least 12 months in Level 2, and at least 24 months in total across both levels.
• No second road test is needed for Class 5, but you must apply for it yourself.
• Zero alcohol and no drug use while driving applies at both levels.
• A graduated licence is marked with an L on the front.

The road from learner to full licence

1. Pass a vision screening (20/40 in your better eye) and the knowledge tests to get a Class 7 Level 1 licence.
2. Drive only with a qualified accompanying driver for at least 12 months (8 with driver training).
3. Pass the road test at a Service New Brunswick office to move to Level 2.
4. Drive on Level 2 for at least 12 months, until you have 24 months in the program altogether.
5. Apply for your Class 5 licence. If you forget to apply, you can still face graduated licence penalties.

Level 1 and Level 2 side by side

• Level 1 supervisor: one person with a Class 5 or higher licence and at least three years of driving experience, sitting in the front passenger seat.
• Level 1 passengers: none other than the accompanying driver.
• Level 1 hours: no driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
• Level 2 passengers: up to three, with only one in the front seat.
• Level 2 hours: if you are under 21, no driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless a qualified driver is with you (and no other passengers), you are travelling for work or school, there is a genuine emergency, or the Registrar of Motor Vehicles has given you an exemption.

Two timelines compared

Without driver training: 12 months on Level 1, road test, then 12 months on Level 2, giving 24 months in total.

With a recognized driver training course: 8 months on Level 1, road test, then 16 months on Level 2. Training lets you drive alone sooner, but the total time stays at 24 months.

If you break the zero alcohol and drug rule, you face a one-year suspension and then return to the start of the program, losing credit for your road test and any training course. Losing all your demerit points brings a three-month suspension and the same restart. Our guide to New Brunswick demerits and zero tolerance explains the penalties in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Thinking driver training shortens the whole program. It only moves time from Level 1 into Level 2; the 24-month total stays the same.
• Assuming Class 5 arrives automatically. You must apply for it once you qualify.
• Believing the night limit applies to every Level 2 driver. It applies only if you are under 21, but the passenger limit and zero tolerance apply to everyone on Level 2.
• Giving a friend a lift on Level 1. The only person allowed in the car is your accompanying driver.

Test yourself: New Brunswick graduated licensing stages

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

Go deeper

• Getting a Driver’s Licence in New Brunswick
• New Brunswick Demerit Points and Zero Tolerance for New Drivers
• New Brunswick Driver’s Handbook Study Guide