Driver's licences for work in BC and Ontario

Some entry-level jobs need you to drive, such as delivering food or parcels, or travelling between cleaning sites. In both BC and Ontario, new drivers get their licence in stages. Each stage has rules that affect whether you can drive for work.

We checked these facts on October 12, 2026. BC's licensing rules change on October 19, 2026, so check ICBC's pages for the latest details.

BC: L, N, and full licence

You can get your learner's licence on or after your 16th birthday (ICBC).

Learner (L, Class 7L). First you pass a knowledge test. You need 40 out of 50 questions right (ICBC). Then these rules apply (ICBC):

A qualified supervisor must sit beside you. Before October 19, 2026, they must be 25 or older with a valid Class 1 to 5 licence. From October 19, 2026, the minimum age drops to 22.
You can carry only one passenger besides your supervisor. From October 19, 2026, you can carry more if all the other passengers are immediate family.
You can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
You must show the red L sign, have zero alcohol or drugs in your blood, and use no phones or other electronic devices, even hands-free.

Novice (N, Class 7). After at least a year as a learner, you can take your first road test (ICBC). With an N, you can drive alone. You still show the N sign, have zero alcohol and drugs, and use no electronic devices. You can carry only one passenger unless all passengers are immediate family, or a qualified supervisor sits beside you (ICBC).

Full licence (Class 5). Before October 19, 2026, you take a second road test after at least 24 months of safe driving with your N. It can be 18 months if you took an ICBC-approved course as a learner.

What changes in BC on October 19, 2026

From ICBC and the Government of BC:

No second road test. Novice drivers with a clean record will get a Class 5 licence through a Driving Record Assessment instead. The province says some eligible drivers will get a one-time automatic upgrade, without an office visit.
How long you need: under 25, at least 24 months of safe driving as a novice (18 months if you completed an approved course as a learner). Age 25 or older, at least 12 months.
Clean record means: no convictions for excessive speeding or using electronic devices, and no prohibitions or suspensions, during that time.
After you upgrade, your Class 5 has a zero alcohol and zero drug restriction for 12 months.
Shorter learner stage for people 25 or older: the province is shortening it from 12 to 9 months.

If you had a second road test booked on or after October 19, 2026, ICBC will cancel it and email you about next steps.

Ontario: G1, G2, and G

You can apply at 16 (Ontario).

G1. You pass a vision test and a knowledge test. With a G1:

A fully licensed driver with at least 4 years of experience must sit beside you.
Your blood alcohol must be zero.
You can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m., or on 400-series highways or high-speed expressways.

You usually wait 12 months before the G2 road test, or 8 months if you finish a government-approved driver education course.

G2. You can drive alone. Your blood alcohol must stay zero, and you can carry only as many passengers as there are working seatbelts. If you are 19 or under, there are limits on young passengers between midnight and 5 a.m.

G. After 12 months with a G2, you can take the full G road test. You have 5 years to finish the whole process, or you start over.

A Class G licence lets you drive a car, van, or small truck up to 11,000 kg, including what you tow (MTO Driver's Handbook). Bigger trucks need other licence classes.

Which jobs need which licence

A learner licence (L or G1) won't work for driving jobs. You can't drive alone.
An N or G2 lets you drive alone. The rules above, such as zero alcohol and passenger limits, still apply when you drive for work.
Read the posting. It should say which licence and how much driving experience the job needs. If it doesn't, ask.
Driving record. An employer may ask to see your driving record. In BC, you can request it from ICBC. In Ontario, see Get a driving record.
Larger vehicles need a commercial licence class in both provinces.

New to Canada? In BC, you have 90 days after moving to switch your valid licence to a BC licence. Depending on where your licence is from, you may need a knowledge test and road test (ICBC). In Ontario, you can use a valid licence from another country for 60 days. Ontario exchanges licences with some countries. Drivers from other places start with the G1 tests, and since July 1, 2026, they can claim up to 12 months of driving experience with their foreign licence (MTO Driver's Handbook).

Using your own car for work

Before you drive your own car for a job, check that your insurance matches how you use it.

BC. ICBC sets insurance by how you use your vehicle (ICBC):

With pleasure use, you can also use the vehicle for commuting, business, or delivery for up to 6 days in a calendar month.
Delivery (for example, food delivery apps) has its own rate classes.
Tell your Autoplan broker about every way you use the vehicle. If you are in the wrong rate class, it could affect your coverage, and you could have to pay for claims yourself.

Ontario. By law, you need insurance before you drive on Ontario roads, bought from a private insurance company (Ontario). Before you use your car for delivery or other work, call your insurance company or broker. Ask whether your policy covers it, and get the answer in writing. If you drive for a delivery app, ask the company what insurance it provides and when it applies.

If the car belongs to a parent or someone else, they need to talk to their insurer too.

Who pays for driving lessons?

BC's Employment Standards policy gives a driver's licence as an example of training that is not "work", because you can use the licence with any employer (BC Employment Standards definitions). So you usually pay for your own lessons and tests.

Next steps

Delivery jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
Learn about the work: Delivery driver jobs: employee or app-based gig work
New to Canada? Read Your first job in Canada as a newcomer
Know your rights in BC and Ontario