Moving to Yukon, out-of-province licences and renewals

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state how long a new resident may drive on an outside licence.
• You can describe how a Canadian licence is exchanged.
• You can explain how GDL experience from elsewhere may be credited.
• You can describe renewal and when re-testing is required.
• You can explain medical report ages for Class 5 drivers.

What you need to know and understand

• New residents may drive on a valid outside licence for their first 120 days in Yukon.
• Within those 120 days you must apply for a Yukon licence and surrender your old one; you may not hold two valid licences.
• While on your old licence, you must follow any restrictions set by the jurisdiction that issued it.
• Yukon recognizes valid licences from elsewhere in Canada, the United States, Taiwan, Germany (a sign test is required) and the Isle of Man; a Canadian licence is exchanged at the same class without a road or knowledge test, after a vision screening.
• If you have held a licence from outside Canada for less than two years, you must enrol in Yukon's GDL program; drivers from other jurisdictions may get credit for experience if they provide proof.
• A Yukon licence is renewed for five years at a cost of $100. You can renew up to six months before it expires, and renewing on time is your responsibility.
• Class 5, 6 and 7 holders need a medical report at 70, 75 and 80, then every two years.

Switching your licence

If your licence is from a country not on Yukon's recognized list, contact a Motor Vehicles office to find out what testing applies before your 120 days run out. Drivers with an air-brake endorsement have only 30 days to switch. Your vehicle must also be registered in Yukon: within 7 days of it entering Yukon if you are working here, or 60 days if you are not.

1. Note the date you became a Yukon resident; your 120 days start then.
2. Gather one acceptable identity document, two proofs of Yukon residency and the licence fee.
3. Bring proof of your driving experience if you are still in a graduated program elsewhere.
4. Visit a Motor Vehicles office, take the vision screening and surrender your old licence.
5. Commercial classes 1 to 4 also need a medical report; one from another jurisdiction may be accepted if completed in the last six months.

Renewing and keeping it valid

To renew, visit a Motor Vehicles office with your old Yukon licence and one proof of Yukon residency, plus your glasses or contacts if you wear them, because you will take a vision test. You pay the $100 fee and get a temporary licence valid for 90 days while the new card is mailed. Keep your address up to date so mail reaches you, and remember that outstanding fines for moving violations can stop you renewing. Driving with an expired licence is illegal.

• You can renew within two years after expiry, but if your licence has been expired for more than two years you must retake the written and road tests.
• You will also re-test after a suspension, disqualification or cancellation lasting more than two years.
• You may be asked to re-test if a medical report or the police raise concerns about your driving.

Driving outside Yukon

Signs, rules and road layouts change across borders, even within Canada, so check local rules before a trip, especially if you will drive on the left or meet complex roundabouts overseas. Our guide to getting a licence in Yukon on this site covers the first-time process if you have never held a licence.

Common mistakes

• Waiting past 120 days to switch. After that your outside licence no longer lets you drive in Yukon.
• Trying to keep your old licence as a spare. You may only hold one valid licence.
• Forgetting to bring proof of experience, which can cost you GDL credit.
• Letting a licence lapse for more than two years and then facing full re-testing.

Test yourself: Moving to Yukon, 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 Yukon
• Yukon Learner’s Test and Learner Licence Rules
• Driving the Alaska Highway and Yukon Winter Roads as a New Driver