Moving to Prince Edward Island, out-of-province licences and renewals

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain how long a newcomer can drive on a licence from elsewhere.
• You can describe the exchange rules for Canadian and foreign licences.
• You can explain how a permit from another province transfers.
• You can keep your PEI licence valid and your details up to date.

What you need to know and understand

• A newcomer 16 or older with a valid licence from elsewhere may drive in PEI for up to four months after arriving, within the limits of that licence.
• Visitors on a six-month visitor visa may drive for the length of the visa, and full-time PEI students may drive on a valid home licence.
• Licences from other Canadian provinces and territories, the US and reciprocal countries such as the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea can be exchanged without a written or road test. You still pass a vision test and pay fees.
• Some countries, including Ireland, New Zealand and Spain, have a one-way exchange: you show your licence plus one supporting document, such as an International Driving Permit or a recent driver abstract.
• Licences from other countries need a written knowledge test, the Novice Driver Course for Newcomers and a road test.
• PEI driver's licences expire at midnight on your birthday.

Bringing a learner's permit

• Your permit must be valid and you must live in PEI.
• Permits from Atlantic Canada can be exchanged directly.
• Permits from elsewhere in Canada need a written test and a vision test, and fees apply.
• You need proof of a driver education program, or you must take the Novice Driver Course. Waiting periods may apply before a road test.

Documents for newcomers to Canada

Bring your valid licence, two documents showing your current PEI address and immigration documents showing your legal status and length of stay in Canada. You may also need a certified translation of your licence, or a driver abstract if you come from the United States. The lists of exchange countries change from time to time, so call Access PEI before you visit.

Keeping your licence current

• Report a change of address to the Registrar within 30 days.
• Report a change of name to the Registrar within 30 days.
• Replace a lost or illegible licence at any Access PEI office; there is a fee.
• Highway Safety may retest any driver after several collisions or convictions, a suspension or a medical condition that may affect driving.

Bringing a vehicle

A non-resident may drive a private vehicle registered elsewhere without PEI registration, but it must be registered here once the owner stays more than 120 consecutive days in a year, or within 10 days of starting work in PEI. When you become a resident, a private vehicle inspected in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick can be registered without a local inspection, but it needs a PEI inspection within a year of the original inspection. Vehicles from anywhere else must be inspected in PEI before registration.

Common mistakes

• Driving on an out-of-province licence long after moving. The allowance is four months from when you arrive.
• Turning up to exchange a licence without immigration documents and two proofs of your PEI address.
• Forgetting that your licence expires on your birthday.
• Leaving your address unchanged after moving within the Island.

Test yourself: Moving to Prince Edward Island, out-of-province licences and renewals

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