For This Type of Driver
Ontario Information for G1 Drivers
A G1 licence is the first stage of Ontario’s graduated licensing system, and it comes with its own restrictions and its own rules for how a conviction can affect you. Here’s what’s specific to driving on a G1.
Where you stand as a G1 driver
To hold a G1, you must be at least 16 and have passed a vision test and a written knowledge test on the rules of the road and traffic signs. From there, the core condition is that you can never drive alone: a fully licensed driver with at least 4 years of driving experience must sit in the front passenger seat any time you’re behind the wheel. G1 drivers must also maintain zero blood alcohol, regardless of age. You need to hold your G1 for at least 12 months — or 8 months if you complete an approved driver-education course — before you’re eligible to take the road test that moves you to G2.
Demerit points work differently for novice drivers
If you’re convicted of an offence that carries demerit points, you’re evaluated against Ontario’s novice thresholds rather than the fully licensed ones, and they’re considerably lower. A novice driver gets a warning letter at 2 points, a second warning at 6 points, and a licence suspension of about 60 days at 9 points. Points stay on your record for 2 years from the date of the offence, not the date of conviction, so it’s possible to be carrying points from something that happened well before you were charged. Because you’re also relying on an accompanying driver to be with you at all times, a suspension at this stage doesn’t just cost time — it resets the clock on progressing toward G2.
Distracted driving: the fine still applies, the points don’t
One rule specific to novice licence holders: if you’re convicted of distracted driving as a G1 driver, you face the same fine as a fully licensed driver would, but that particular conviction does not add demerit points to your record. That doesn’t make it a minor matter — it’s still a conviction on your record, and if the same stop results in another charge (careless driving, for example), that other charge can carry its own points on top of the fine.
For the full licensing timeline from G1 through to a full G licence, and for how the demerit-point system escalates from warnings to interviews to suspension, see the two hub pages below.