Prince Edward Island graduated licensing stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the three PEI GDL stages and the licence that goes with each.
• You can state the minimum age and the waiting time before the road test.
• You can list the passenger, curfew and supervisor conditions for Stages 1 and 2.
• You can explain how you move from Stage 2 to Stage 3.

What you need to know and understand

• Stage 1 is the Instruction Permit (Class 7), available from age 16. It is valid for two years.
• You must hold the permit for 365 days before the road test, or 275 days if you complete a driver education program in PEI.
• Passing the road test gives you a Stage 2 Class 5 licence. After one year in Stage 2 you automatically become a Stage 3 driver.
• Every GDL driver must have zero alcohol and zero drugs in their blood when driving.
• GDL drivers may not use a hand-held phone, headphones or other hand-held electronic device while driving.
• Stage 1 drivers show a yellow decal with a black L. Stage 2 and Stage 3 drivers show a yellow decal with a black G.

The three stages side by side

The program takes at least three years, or two years plus 275 days with driver education.

• Stage 1 (Instruction Permit, Class 7): age 16 or older, pass a vision test and a written test, and a parent's signed consent if you are under 18. You drive only with a qualified accompanying driver beside you.
• Stage 2 (Class 5 with conditions): pass the road test after the waiting period. You may drive alone, with passenger and night limits.
• Stage 3 (Class 5 with fewer conditions): starts automatically one year after you enter Stage 2, unless suspensions push it back. Passengers are limited to the number of seatbelts, and every passenger must be buckled.

Stage 1 limits in plain terms

• Your accompanying driver must be fully licensed, have held a licence for at least four years, hold the right class for the vehicle and sit beside you.
• Their blood alcohol must be under 50 mg in 100 mL of blood.
• Only you and your accompanying driver may sit in the front. Other passengers must be the accompanying driver's immediate family.
• No driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless you are 21 or older.
• Any conviction that carries demerit points suspends your permit for one month and adds 30 days to your waiting period.

Stage 2 and Stage 3 limits

In Stage 2 you may carry only one passenger who is not your immediate family, and never more passengers than seatbelts. If you are under 21, you may drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. only with a qualified fully licensed driver beside you or with a written exemption from the Registrar, for example for work. Six or more demerit points in your first year bring a one-month suspension and probation.

In Stage 3 the night limit and one-passenger rule end, but zero alcohol and drugs, the device ban, seatbelt rules and the G decal continue. Nine or more points in your second year bring a one-month suspension.

Common mistakes

• Thinking adults skip GDL. In PEI the program applies to all new drivers; only the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. limit stops at age 21.
• Asking a friend who has just passed to supervise. A Stage 1 accompanying driver must be fully licensed and have held a licence for at least four years.
• Filling the car with friends in Stage 2. Only one passenger may be from outside your immediate family.
• Forgetting that a seatbelt or passenger offence leads to a suspension that also makes your GDL longer.

Test yourself: Prince Edward Island graduated licensing stages

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

Go deeper

• How to Get a Driver’s Licence in PEI