- in-class and in-vehicle training (must include 40 hours of instruction)
- general administration
- advertising
Beginner Driver Education ( BDE ) programs include:
- digital or in-person classroom instruction
- hands-on, in-vehicle training
- flexible instruction time
Digital or in-person classroom instruction
In a government-approved driver education course, you will:
- receive at least 20 hours of classroom instruction digitally or in-person
- be in a class with up to 40 students for in-person classes or up to 15 students for virtual classes
- get a copy of the course textbook and the official MTO Driver’s Handbook — the only official handbook for drivers
In-vehicle instruction
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receive a minimum of 10 hours of in-vehicle training delivered by a licensed instructor
Flexible training
A government-approved beginner driver education course must offer 10 hours of flexible instruction time, in addition to the 20 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of in-vehicle lessons. This can be used for:
- Classroom Driving Instruction
- Digital Instruction
- In-Vehicle Instruction
- Driving Simulator Instruction
- Homelinks
After completing the course
When you successfully complete a government-approved beginner driver education course:
- the driving school will certify you online
- your student driver record will be updated through the Ministry of Transportation
If you need proof to show that you've completed the course, you can get your driver's licence history for a fee.
Find a government-approved driving school
Not all driving schools offer government-approved courses. When deciding on which driving school to attend, you can:
- check that the school is approved and does not appear on the revoked schools list
- review the course requirements, including classroom and in-vehicle course components
- speak with the instructor to learn more about what is offered
- ask friends or family if they recommend the school
These driving schools offer government-approved courses.
Driver improvement and defensive driving courses
In some cases, you may be required to take a driver improvement course ( DIC ) or defensive driving course ( DDC ) to avoid losing your driver’s licence. Many driving schools offer driver improvement courses and defensive driving courses in addition to government-approved beginner driver education programs. You can find out where these courses are available in the list of approved schools.
Revoked driving schools
These schools no longer provide approved driver education courses that meet government standards.
