Getting your Yukon learner licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the minimum age for a Yukon learner's licence.
• You can list what to bring when you apply.
• You can explain the extra step for applicants under 18.
• You can describe the tests you take before the licence is issued.
• You can explain your duty to report medical conditions.

What you need to know and understand

• You must be at least 15 years old to apply for a Class 7 learner's licence.
• You apply at a Motor Vehicles office; there is one in most Yukon communities, including Whitehorse.
• First-time applicants need original identity documents that together confirm full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in Canada, photo and signature.
• You must show two documents proving you currently live in Yukon.
• If you are under 18, a legal guardian must come with you, sign the application and prove their own identity and residency.
• You must pass a vision screening and a multiple-choice knowledge test with a pass mark of 80 per cent.
• The written knowledge test costs $20. If you fail, you can retake it as early as the next day by paying the $20 fee again.

Your application day checklist

Gather everything before you go. The handbook points applicants to the Government of Yukon website or a local office for the full list of accepted documents and current fees.

• Original identity documents that together show your full legal name, date of birth, legal presence in Canada, photo and signature.
• Two pieces of proof that you live in Yukon now, such as a utility bill, a recent tax notice of assessment or a bank statement. Cell phone bills and Yukon health care cards are not accepted.
• Your legal guardian, with their own ID and proof of residency, if you are under 18.
• Proof of citizenship or status if you are new to Canada, such as a record of landing or a passport with a work, study or visitor permit.
• Glasses or contact lenses if you have been prescribed them.
• Payment for the $20 knowledge test fee and any licence fee.

What happens at the counter

1. Staff check your documents and your guardian's documents if you are under 18.
2. You take the vision screening. If you need corrective lenses, a restriction is added and you must wear them whenever you drive. If you do not pass, you will need further testing by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
3. You write the knowledge test on road signs, rules of the road and safe driving practices.
4. If you pass, you receive a Class 7 learner's licence and a GDL information package.

Health and your licence

Yukon law requires you to report any medical condition, change in health or physical disability that could affect your driving. Doctors, nurse practitioners and optometrists must also report concerns to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. A parent or guardian can also ask the Registrar to place restrictions on the licence of a driver under 18. Our learning-to-drive guide and learner licence rules guide go into more detail.

Common mistakes

• Bringing only one piece of residency proof. You need two.
• Arriving without a guardian when you are under 18. The application cannot be signed without them.
• Leaving your glasses at home and then struggling with the vision screening.
• Relying on old fee amounts found online. Confirm current fees with a Motor Vehicles office.

Test yourself: Getting your Yukon learner licence

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 Yukon
• Yukon Learner’s Test and Learner Licence Rules
• Driving the Alaska Highway and Yukon Winter Roads as a New Driver