After you pass in Ontario: novice restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the conditions that apply to every G2 driver.
• You can apply the night-time passenger limits for G2 drivers aged 19 and under.
• You can explain the exemptions to those passenger limits.
• You can describe the rules that still apply after you get a full G.

What you need to know and understand

• G2 drivers must have zero blood alcohol and a working seatbelt for every passenger.
• For G2 drivers aged 19 and under, passenger limits apply between midnight and 5 a.m.
• In the first six months of G2, only one passenger aged 19 or under is allowed during those hours.
• After six months, up to three passengers aged 19 or under are allowed during those hours, until you get your full G or turn 20.
• The limits do not apply with a fully licensed driver in the front seat or when the passengers are immediate family.
• You can take the G road test after at least 12 months at G2.

New freedoms at G2

At G2 you no longer need an accompanying driver. You may drive on all Ontario roads, including 400-series highways, and at any hour in most cases. Use this time to build expressway experience, because you will need to describe it before your G road test.

The 19-and-under night rules

Our guide on Ontario G2 rules for under-19s gives more examples.

• Midnight to 5 a.m., first six months: one passenger aged 19 or under.
• Midnight to 5 a.m., after six months: up to three passengers aged 19 or under.
• Exemption: a fully licensed driver with at least four years' experience sits in the front passenger seat.
• Exemption: the passengers are immediate family, related by blood, marriage, common-law relationship or adoption, or a guardian.

Staying on track

Breaking a novice condition brings a 30-day suspension, and novice drivers are suspended at nine demerit points rather than fifteen. Your G2 licence also sits inside the five-year window for finishing graduated licensing; if it is about to expire before you pass the G road test, you can requalify by passing the G2 road test again, which gives you another five years at G2.

Even after you hold a full G, the zero alcohol rule continues until you are 22, because it covers every driver aged 21 and under. A full licence must be renewed every five years.

Common mistakes

• Giving three school friends a lift home at 1 a.m. in your first G2 month. Only one passenger aged 19 or under is allowed then.
• Thinking G2 rules only matter at night. The passenger limits apply from midnight to 5 a.m., but zero alcohol and the seatbelt rule apply on every drive.
• Carrying more people than there are seatbelts. Every passenger needs a working belt.
• Never driving on the expressway at G2. You will need that experience for the G test.

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

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

Go deeper

• How to Get a G Licence in Ontario
• New to Ontario
• Ontario Demerit Points for New Drivers and Escalating Sanctions