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G1 vs G2 vs G: Ontario’s three licence levels

Ontario licenses new drivers in three steps. The G1 is a learner’s licence, the G2 lets you drive alone with a few conditions, and the G is a full licence. Most people take 20 to 24 months to go from G1 to G, and you have 5 years to finish.

Updated October 29, 2026 · By the G2 Test team

The three levels side by side

	G1	G2	G
How you get it	Pass a vision test and the G1 knowledge test	Pass the G2 road test	Pass the G road test
Earliest	Age 16	12 months after your G1 (8 with an approved BDE course)	12 months after your G2
Drive alone	No: a fully licensed driver with 4+ years’ experience beside you	Yes	Yes
Blood alcohol	Zero	Zero	Zero if you’re 21 or under
Midnight to 5 a.m.	No driving	Allowed; drivers 19 or under have passenger limits	No graduated limits
400-series highways	No, unless the person beside you is a driving instructor	Yes	Yes
Test fee	$159.75 package: knowledge test, first G2 road test and a five-year licence	$53.75 for each retest	$91.25
Time limit	Finish G1 to G within 5 years	Finish G1 to G within 5 years	Full licence

From ontario.ca’s new drivers page (checked October 29, 2026) and DriveTest’s car licences and fees pages.

G1: the learner’s licence

Your blood-alcohol level must be zero.
A fully licensed driver with at least four years of experience sits in the front passenger seat. Their blood-alcohol level must be under 0.05 (zero if they’re 21 or under).
Every passenger wears a seat belt.
No driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
No 400-series highways or high-speed expressways (401, 403, QEW, Gardiner, Conestoga Parkway…), unless the accompanying driver is a licensed driving instructor.

Practise for the knowledge test with our free G1 practice test.

G2: driving alone

Your blood-alcohol level must be zero (and every driver 21 or under must be at zero, whatever their licence).
Every passenger wears a seat belt.
You can drive alone, at any time, on every road, including 400-series highways.
If you’re 19 or under, between midnight and 5 a.m.: one passenger aged 19 or under in your first six months, then up to three. This doesn’t apply with a fully licensed driver (four or more years) beside you, or when the passengers are immediate family.

G: the full licence

Pass the G road test, which adds expressway driving, and the graduated conditions end. The zero blood-alcohol rule still applies to every driver 21 or under. The quickest path is 20 months: 8 on a G1 with BDE, then 12 on a G2.

New to Ontario with a licence from elsewhere? You may not need to start at G1: licences for newcomers.

Sources, checked October 29, 2026: ontario.ca new drivers, DriveTest car licences, DriveTest fees.

More comparisons

G2 vs G road test: What each road test covers, how long it is, the highway declaration and the fees.
Ontario driver’s licence for newcomers: Exchange your licence or start at G1: the 60-day rule, the exchange countries and the July 2026 change.
Best G1 practice test: The free G1 practice tests worth your time, what each is good at, and the catch.
All comparisons: Every comparison and alternative on one page.
G2 Test home: every DriveTest centre, the road test guides and the practice tests.

Driving lessons

Want a lesson or two before your road test?

Tell us where you are and what you need: a road test refresher, practice on the test routes, or a beginner driver education (BDE) course that lets you take your G2 road test after 8 months instead of 12.

Find a driving school

Questions people ask

+What’s the difference between a G2 and a G licence?

A G2 driver can drive alone on any road, but must keep a zero blood-alcohol level, and drivers 19 or under have passenger limits from midnight to 5 a.m. A G licence has no graduated conditions, apart from zero alcohol for drivers 21 or under.

+How long does it take to go from G1 to G?

At least 20 months with a BDE course (8 + 12), or 24 without. Most people take 20 to 24 months. You have 5 years in all.

+How much does it cost to go from G1 to G?

$251.00 if you pass every test first time: the $159.75 G1 package plus $91.25 for the G road test.