Nova Scotia Driver's Licence: Learner to Full Licence

Photo: Gaurav Singh, Pexels

To get a driver’s licence in Nova Scotia you pass a vision test and a two-part knowledge test for a Class 7 learner’s licence, hold it for at least 12 months (9 with an approved driver education course), pass a road test for a Class 5N newly licensed licence, hold that for at least 2 years and complete an approved course, then spend 2 more years as a restricted individual (Class 5R with condition 47). This guide is for new drivers aged 16 and up, and their parents, who want the whole Nova Scotia route on one page.

Key facts

Minimum age: 16. Under 18 needs written consent from one parent or legal guardian.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) applies to every new driver in Nova Scotia, whatever their age.
Three stages: learner (Class 7), newly licensed (Class 5N), restricted individual (Class 5R, condition 47).
Zero alcohol at every stage.
The Traffic Safety Act replaced the Motor Vehicle Act on 19 October 2026. See what the Traffic Safety Act changed.

The three GDL stages in Nova Scotia

Stage	How you get in	Minimum time	Main rules
Learner (Class 7)	Vision test and two knowledge tests	12 months, or 9 with an approved driver education course	Supervising driver in front seat, no other passengers, zero alcohol
Newly licensed (Class 5N)	Pass the road test	2 years	One front-seat passenger, everyone belted, no driving midnight to 5 a.m., zero alcohol
Restricted individual (Class 5R, condition 47)	2 years on 5N plus an approved course certificate	2 years	Zero alcohol and no drugs other than legally permitted medical use; cannot act as a supervising driver

After the restricted individual stage ends, all GDL restrictions are removed and you are a fully licensed driver. Taken at the fastest pace (9 + 24 + 24 months), that is just under five years from learner to full licence.

Step 1: Get your Class 7 learner’s licence

Study the Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook. It is free online, sold for $9.75 at RMV offices, and available at regional libraries.
Pay the knowledge test fee of $15.03 (tax included) and keep the receipt. You cannot sit the test without it.
Choose online or in-person knowledge testing. Online testing needs a computer with a webcam; after passing, visit the Registry of Motor Vehicles or Access Nova Scotia for the remaining licence requirements. For in-person testing, complete the required vision, identity and consent checks first.
Bring identification and, if you are 16 or 17, a signed consent form (or bring your parent to sign).
Complete the vision test and pass both knowledge tests: 20 questions on rules and safe driving and 20 on Nova Scotia highway signs, with at least 16 right on each.
Pay the $25.10 learner’s licence fee. You get a 30-day temporary document and the card arrives by mail within 14 days.

Full detail: the Nova Scotia learner’s test.

Step 2: Practise under the learner rules

You may drive only with a supervising driver in the front seat who holds a regular licence and is not in the GDL program. The ordinary rule allows no other passengers. There are limited examiner and instructor or fleet-trainer exceptions, described in the learner guide. The regulations set a minimum time on the licence rather than a number of supervised hours (N.S. Reg. 236/2026, section 9), so plan your own practice log. There is no night curfew for Class 7 drivers. Four or more demerit points means a 6-month suspension, and the waiting period starts again afterwards. See Nova Scotia learner’s licence rules.

Your learner’s licence is valid for 2 years. Arrange renewal before expiry if you still need it. There is no Class 7 renewal fee when the Registrar cannot accommodate your reasonable request for a Class 5 road test before expiry, under section 19 of the Traffic Safety Act Fees Regulations. Do not drive on an expired licence.

Step 3: Pass the road test

After 12 full months (or 9 months with an approved driver education course of at least 25 hours in class and 10 hours in the car with an instructor), you can book the road test. The Class 5 road test costs $52.54 including HST. You can book and pay online, or obtain a receipt first and enter its number during online booking. Telephone help is also available. See the Nova Scotia road test guide.

Step 4: Drive as a newly licensed (Class 5N) driver

The initial 5N licence costs $66.95 (not taxed). For at least 2 years you have a midnight to 5 a.m. curfew, a limit of one front-seat passenger and zero alcohol. Six or more demerit points means a 6-month suspension and the 2-year clock restarts. See newly licensed driver rules.

Step 5: Complete a course and move to the restricted individual stage

To leave the 5N stage you need at least 24 months on the 5N and a completed course, with the certificate given to an RMV office in person or by mail. The Driver Licensing Requirements Regulations under the Traffic Safety Act (N.S. Reg. 236/2026, section 8) accept any one of: the Class 5 driver education course (25 hours theory, 10 hours practical), the Class 6 driver education course, the 6-hour new driver theory education course, the driver improvement program, or a course the Registrar treats as equivalent. If you never hand in a certificate, you stay a newly licensed driver indefinitely.

You then hold Class 5R with condition 47 for 2 years: zero alcohol and no drugs other than legally permitted medical use, and you cannot supervise a learner or a 5N driver during curfew hours. Do not drive if medication makes you unsafe to drive. The new regulations call this the novice driver period: the first 2 years on a full licence after leaving the 5N (N.S. Reg. 221/2026, section 16). You do not have to swap your card at each stage. There is no fee to exchange it if you use the same photo.

Already licensed elsewhere?

Visitors aged 16 or older with a valid licence from elsewhere can drive in Nova Scotia within that licence’s classes and conditions. If it is not in English or French, also carry a certified translation or an international driving permit (N.S. Reg. 226/2026, section 35). After you move here, you have up to 180 days from becoming a resident (section 36; the handbook still says 90). If you held a Nova Scotia Class 5 or an equivalent within the last 5 years, you can get a licence back without retaking the GDL (N.S. Reg. 236/2026, section 8; the handbook says expired under 3 years). Licences from other provinces and US states can usually be exchanged without tests. Most other countries’ licences cannot, so you take the vision, rules, signs and road tests. See exchanging a foreign or out-of-province licence.

Keeping your licence

Renew every 5 years. Your licence expires 5 years from the birthday closest to when it was issued, and a Class 7 lasts 2 years (N.S. Reg. 236/2026, section 21).
On a renewal or application you must declare any medical condition that may affect safe driving, and any suspension. The Registrar can ask for a medical report or a retest at any time.
Tell the Registry when your name or address changes (section 20).
Unpaid fines can block Registry services until they are paid.
A Class 5 or 5N covers one vehicle up to 14,000 kg, or one towing a light trailer of 4,500 kg or less, with a combined weight up to 14,000 kg. A 5N does not cover 3-wheeled motor vehicles (N.S. Reg. 226/2026, sections 2 and 3; N.S. Reg. 221/2026, section 3).

Before you drive your own car

Registration, permit and plate: register a car you buy, and keep a valid permit, plate and validation sticker. Carry the permit when driving. Take your plates off when you sell, then complete the Notice of Sale and Transfer of Title on the certificate.
Inspection: a private car needs a safety inspection every 2 years, and a new car first needs one after 3 years (N.S. Reg. 245/2026). The handbook still says yearly. A car that fails gets a rejection sticker, and the handbook gives 10 days for a free reinspection. It also says a seller must have a valid inspection before selling.
Insurance: you must have liability insurance and carry the card. The handbook gives $500,000 as the minimum, so ask your insurer for the current figure. A conviction for driving uninsured means a 2-year suspension (N.S. Reg. 223/2026, Schedule C).
Upkeep: check tires, including the spare, when cold, and look for wear, bulges and tread under 1.5 mm. Also check wipers, fluids, lights, mirrors, seat belts, brakes, steering and the exhaust. Sit upright, adjust your head restraint, and hold the wheel at ten and two or nine and three. Do not keep driving a car with a defect. Police can order it off the road.
Moving here: a car registered elsewhere is exempt from Nova Scotia registration for up to 180 days after you become a resident (N.S. Reg. 244/2026, section 13).

Fees at a glance (as of November 2026)

Item	Fee
Driver’s Handbook (print)	$9.75, tax included
Knowledge test receipt	$15.03, tax included
Learner’s licence	$25.10, no tax
Road test receipt	$52.54, tax included
Newly licensed licence, initial	$66.95, no tax
Newly licensed licence, renewal	$80.15, no tax
Curfew exemption for work, education or volunteer emergency driving (Form APP33)	$33.10

Check the current figure with Service Nova Scotia before you pay, because fees can change after the Traffic Safety Act.

More Nova Scotia guides

Common questions

Do I have to go to a driving school in Nova Scotia?

Not to get your 5N. The handbook answers this directly: no. You do need an approved course before you can leave the newly licensed stage, and a full driver education course cuts the learner wait from 12 to 9 months.

How old do I have to be to drive in Nova Scotia?

16 for a learner’s licence, with written parental or guardian consent until you turn 18. A parent can withdraw consent in writing before you turn 18, and you could lose your licence.

Does GDL apply if I start driving as an adult?

Yes. Every new passenger-vehicle driver in Nova Scotia goes through all three stages, whatever their age.

Can I drive on 100-series highways as a new driver?

Yes. The handbook says there is no restriction on which highways a newly licensed driver may use.

Can I upgrade to a truck or bus licence while in GDL?

Not as a learner or 5N driver. You can upgrade to Classes 1 to 4 during the restricted individual stage.

Is the handbook up to date?

Partly. The handbook was last reprinted with revisions in 2017 and its own update pages flag later changes. Some body text still shows older waiting periods (6 and 3 months). The current figures are on Service Nova Scotia’s licence pages: 12 months, or 9 with driver education.

Sources

Government of Nova Scotia, “Take a driver knowledge test: Learner’s Licence (class 7)” and “Book a Road Test”; Traffic Safety Act Fees Regulations, section 19 (novascotia.ca)

Service Nova Scotia, “Learner’s (Beginner’s) Licence” (novascotia.ca)
Service Nova Scotia, “Newly Licensed Driver’s Licence” (novascotia.ca)
Service Nova Scotia, “Restricted Individuals with Condition 47” (novascotia.ca)
Service Nova Scotia, “Registry of Motor Vehicles: Graduated Drivers Licence System” (novascotia.ca)
Service Nova Scotia, “Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook” (novascotia.ca)
Government of Nova Scotia, “Changes to traffic safety legislation” (novascotia.ca)
Province of Nova Scotia, N.S. Reg. 236/2026, Driver Licensing Requirements Regulations, sections 8, 9, 20, 21, 36 and 38 (novascotia.ca)
Province of Nova Scotia, N.S. Reg. 221/2026, Traffic Safety Act Interpretation Regulations, sections 3, 14 and 16 (novascotia.ca)
Province of Nova Scotia, N.S. Reg. 226/2026, Driver’s Licence Regulations, sections 2, 3, 5 to 8, 35 and 36 (novascotia.ca)
Province of Nova Scotia, N.S. Reg. 223/2026, N.S. Reg. 244/2026 (Vehicle Documents, section 13) and N.S. Reg. 245/2026 (Vehicle Equipment, Safety and Inspection) (novascotia.ca)

How to Get a Driver’s Licence in Nova Scotia: GDL Guide