Photo: Bull-Doser, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In most of Canada you bring the car for your road test, and the examiner inspects it before you drive. If a brake light is out, the windshield is cracked or the insurance slip is missing, the test is cancelled and in several provinces you lose some or all of the fee. This checklist covers what examiners check in every province and territory, the documents to carry and what to do if you use a borrowed, rental or driving-school car.
Key facts
- Every jurisdiction needs a safe, registered and insured vehicle with plates.
- Ontario: if your car doesn’t meet ministry standards, the examiner can declare the test out of order and you lose 50% of the road test fee.
- Manitoba: if the car doesn’t qualify, the test is cancelled and the fee is not refunded.
- Nova Scotia and PEI require a valid motor vehicle inspection sticker.
- ICBC’s top reasons for turning a car away include cracked or illegally tinted glass, dash warning lights such as the airbag light, and a low fuel tank or battery charge.
What gets a car refused: the 12-point check
These items appear on one or more official lists (ICBC, SGI, MPI, PEI and Yukon). Check every one the day before.
- Lights: headlights, brake lights (including the centre high-mounted light), turn signals, rear lights and hazards. No badly cracked or missing lenses.
- Horn works.
- Windshield and windows: no cracks that block your view, no illegal tint, no stickers in the way. SGI bans aftermarket tint on the windshield and front side windows.
- Wipers, washer fluid and defrost work.
- Seatbelts work in every seat and are not frayed.
- Dash warning lights: nothing lit that affects safe operation, such as the airbag light.
- Tires: safe tread and no damage. Manitoba’s handbook says to replace tires with less than 1.6 mm of tread.
- Brakes and speedometer work.
- Doors and seats: driver and front passenger doors open from inside and out, and the examiner has a proper seat. Manitoba requires a working passenger headrest.
- Mirrors in place, and a rear-view mirror.
- Plates attached and valid.
- Inside: clean, no strong scent, nothing loose that could be a hazard, and enough fuel or charge for the test.
Province by province: vehicle and paperwork rules
| Jurisdiction | Vehicle rule | Bring | If the car fails the check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario (DriveTest) | Fit, in proper working condition, plated and insured | Your licence and the car’s permit and insurance | Test declared out of order; you lose 50% of the fee |
| British Columbia (ICBC) | Safe, reliable, insured, with a Canadian plate. Clean, scent-free interior. No outstanding serious safety recall | One primary and one secondary ID, plus the plate number for the counter | Test may be cancelled; you rebook. Cancel at least 48 hours ahead to avoid a $25 fee |
| Alberta (registry agents) | Must comply with all legal and safety requirements | Ask your registry for its road test information sheet | Check the registry’s cancellation policy |
| Saskatchewan (SGI) | Horn, signals, brake lights, speedometer, headlights, wipers, defrost, seatbelts and airbags; one rear plate; clear windshield; working front doors; clean interior; correct class | Proof of age and original ID; driver education certificate if not on file | Test rescheduled |
| Manitoba (MPI) | Good working order, registered and insured, seating for the examiner with a working headrest. Lights, plates, windshield, wipers, washer fluid and clean interior checked | Valid 5L licence and the registration certificate | Test cancelled, fee not refunded |
| Quebec (SAAQ) | Registered, insured and roadworthy. Winter tires on Quebec-registered cars from 1 December to 15 March | Your learner’s licence and what your appointment confirmation lists | Check with SAAQ |
| Nova Scotia | Good mechanical condition and a valid inspection (“safety”) sticker | Learner’s licence, vehicle permit, insurance card, Driver Examination Receipt, plus a supervising driver to get there | Missing documents mean the appointment is cancelled |
| New Brunswick | Road-worthy, with valid registration and insurance | The vehicle’s valid, signed registration | Check with Service New Brunswick |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | The test includes a vehicle check | Pay at least 24 hours before your appointment | Check with Motor Registration |
| Prince Edward Island | Checked for valid plates, lights, horn, rear-view mirror, seatbelts, wipers, muffler, brakes, tires, windshield, window glass, valid inspection sticker and speedometer | Pink insurance card and a valid copy of the registration. A licensed driver must come with you | No test is given in an unsafe vehicle |
| Yukon | Safe, with valid insurance and registration. The Yukon Driver’s Basic Handbook (p. 137) lists the typical defects that cancel a test | Registration and insurance documents | Test cancelled |
| Northwest Territories | Must qualify for the licence class; no vehicles that must display dangerous goods placards. Air brakes need a “Q” endorsement or the air brake practical | Receipt and your valid Class 7 licence | Examiner refuses the test if the car is not mechanically safe |
| Nunavut | A Class 5 vehicle, safe, with valid registration and insurance, a rear licence plate and a clean interior | Your licence, the registration and a liability insurance card | The test may be refused (Nunavut Driver’s Manual, p. 9) |
As of November 2026. Rules and fees change, so read your booking confirmation.
Borrowed, rental and driving-school cars
A parent’s or friend’s car
- Bring the owner’s registration and proof of insurance, current on the day. An expired pink slip is a common, avoidable cancellation.
- Make sure you are allowed to drive it under the owner’s policy. In BC, ICBC asks owners to list learners on their policy.
- Practise in that car. Mirror and seat positions, the parking brake and the signal stalk all differ between cars.
A rental car
- Check that the rental agreement lets a learner drive it with a supervisor and that its insurance covers a road test.
- Ask the counter for the registration and insurance documents to be in the car.
- Many rentals have driver aids that must be switched off for the test in Ontario and BC: see automatic or manual, and which driving aids are allowed.
A driving-school car
- The easiest option: the school keeps the car test-ready and has the documents. Nova Scotia notes driving schools usually supply a car for their students.
- Agree the price for the car on test day in advance.
The night-before check (print this)
- Walk round with someone: headlights low and high, brake lights, all four signals, hazards
- Horn, wipers, washer fluid topped up
- Windshield clean inside and out, no new cracks
- Tires look evenly inflated, no bulges
- No warning lights on the dash with the engine running
- Every seatbelt clicks in and releases
- Both front doors open from inside
- At least half a tank, or a good charge
- Interior cleared: no rubbish, no loose bottles, no strong air freshener
- Registration and insurance in the glovebox, current dates
- Your licence, ID, booking receipt and glasses if your licence needs them
- In Quebec in winter: winter tires fitted
Common questions
Can I use a car with a check engine light on for my road test?
ICBC refuses cars with dash warning lights that affect safe operation, giving the airbag light as an example. Get any warning light checked before test day so it doesn’t become the examiner’s decision.
Can I use a car with a cracked windshield?
A crack that blocks your view is a refusal reason in BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. A small chip outside your line of sight may pass, but fix it if you can.
Do I need a supervisor to drive me to the test?
Yes, if you hold a learner licence. Nova Scotia and PEI say so specifically. You cannot drive to the centre alone on a learner’s licence.
Can I test on a temporary spare tire?
Don’t. ICBC’s vehicle checklist says temporary spare tires may not be used on a road test, and “unsafe tires” is a refusal reason in BC.
Can I use a car with tinted windows?
Not if the tint is illegal. SGI bans aftermarket tint on the windshield and front side windows for the test, and ICBC lists illegally tinted glass as its top refusal reason.
Will I get my fee back if my car is refused?
Usually not all of it. Ontario keeps 50%, and Manitoba refunds nothing. Elsewhere, check the cancellation rules on your booking.
Can my car have dashcam or phone mounts?
Mounts that block your view can be a problem. Take them off for the day, and ask the examiner before the test if you want a dashcam left running.
Related: road test day checklist for Canada, first car: safety inspection and registration, ICBC Class 7 road test, Manitoba road test, SGI road test, PEI road test. Back to learning to drive in Canada.
Sources
- ICBC, “Prepare for your road test appointment” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “MV2075 Vehicle Checklist” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Listing a Learner on your policy” (icbc.com)
- Government of Ontario, “The Official MTO Driver’s Handbook: Getting your driver’s licence” (ontario.ca)
- Government of Alberta, “Driver’s road test” (alberta.ca)
- SGI, “Your test” and “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook: A guide to safe driving 2026-27” (sgi.sk.ca)
- Manitoba Public Insurance, “Testing for your Class 5 licence” (mpi.mb.ca)
- Manitoba Public Insurance, “Driver’s Handbook: Required Equipment” and “Key Points About Your Tests” (apps.mpi.mb.ca)
- Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, “Obtaining a Passenger Vehicle Driver’s Licence (Class 5)” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Service Nova Scotia, “Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook” and “Learner’s Licence” (novascotia.ca)
- Government of New Brunswick, “Graduated licences” (gnb.ca)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Motor Registration Division, “Licence Application Process” (gov.nl.ca)
- Government of Prince Edward Island, “Driver’s Handbook”, February 2022 (princeedwardisland.ca)
- Government of Yukon, “Book a road test” (yukon.ca)
- Government of the Northwest Territories, “NWT Driver’s Manual” (inf.gov.nt.ca)
- Government of Nunavut, “Apply for a driver’s licence” (gov.nu.ca)