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UPDATED
January 28, 2026
You passed your G1 test, got your license, and now you want to know when you can actually drive without someone supervising your every move. The wait between G1 and G2 feels long when you are eager to gain independence on the road.
Ontario's graduated licensing system includes a mandatory waiting period between your G1 knowledge test and your G2 road test. This wait is not arbitrary. It exists to give you time to practice driving under supervision before you take on the responsibility of driving alone.
This guide explains exactly how long you must wait, how to potentially shorten that time, and what you should be doing during the waiting period to prepare for success on your G2 road test.
After receiving your G1 license, you must wait a minimum of 12 months before you can take the G2 road test. This is the standard timeline for anyone who does not complete an approved driver education course.
The 12-month clock starts on the day you pass your G1 knowledge test and receive your G1 license. If you got your G1 on March 15, you become eligible for the G2 road test on March 15 of the following year at the earliest.
This waiting period is a legal requirement, not a suggestion. You cannot book a G2 road test before your eligibility date regardless of how confident you feel or how much you have practiced. The DriveTest booking system will not allow appointments before you have held your G1 for the required duration.
Twelve months feels like a long time when you are counting down the days. But the province designed this timeline based on research showing that new drivers need substantial supervised practice before they are ready to drive independently. Crash rates for new drivers drop significantly when they accumulate more supervised driving hours before testing.
Ontario offers one way to reduce the waiting period: completing an approved driver education course. If you finish an approved course, your waiting period drops from 12 months to 8 months.
That four-month reduction is significant. Someone who gets their G1 in March and completes driver education becomes eligible for the G2 test in November rather than waiting until the following March.
To qualify for the reduced waiting period, your driver education course must be approved by the Ministry of Transportation. Not every driving school offers MTO-approved courses, so verify approval before enrolling if the reduced wait time matters to you.
Approved courses include both classroom instruction and in-car training. The classroom portion covers traffic laws, safe driving practices, and hazard awareness. The in-car portion provides professional instruction behind the wheel with a licensed instructor.
After completing an approved course, you receive a certificate that documents your completion. This certificate is what proves your eligibility for the shortened waiting period when you book your G2 road test.
The driver education route costs money, typically several hundred dollars for a full course. Whether the investment makes sense depends on your situation. If getting your G2 four months earlier has significant value to you, the cost may be worthwhile. If time pressure is not a factor, you might prefer saving the money and waiting the full 12 months.
Beyond the time reduction, driver education provides genuine value through professional instruction. Instructors identify bad habits, teach proper techniques, and expose you to situations your regular supervising driver might not cover. Many people find the instruction itself worth the cost regardless of the time benefit.
Reaching your eligibility date does not mean you must immediately take the G2 test. The date represents when you become eligible, not a deadline you must meet.
Some people book their G2 road test for the first available appointment after their eligibility date. Others wait weeks or months longer to accumulate more practice time. Both approaches are valid depending on your readiness.
Booking availability affects when you can actually test. Popular DriveTest centres in urban areas often have wait times of several weeks for G2 road test appointments. If you want to test close to your eligibility date, book your appointment in advance. The system allows booking before your eligibility date as long as the actual test date falls after you become eligible.
Do not rush to test before you are ready. Failing the G2 road test means paying to retest, waiting for another appointment, and experiencing the frustration of an unsuccessful attempt. Taking extra time to prepare properly often results in passing on the first try, which is faster overall than failing and retesting.
Your G1 license has an expiration date, and this creates an outer boundary for completing your G2 test. G1 licenses are valid for five years from the date of issue.
If your G1 expires before you pass your G2 road test, you lose your G1 status entirely. You would need to restart the licensing process from the beginning, including retaking the G1 knowledge test and paying all fees again.
Five years sounds like plenty of time, and for most people it is. But life circumstances sometimes delay driving progress. Someone who gets a G1 at 16 and then leaves for university might not prioritize driving practice for several years. Before they know it, expiration approaches.
Keep your G1 expiration date in mind as a deadline you cannot miss. If circumstances have delayed your progress, create a plan to complete your G2 before time runs out. Restarting from zero is frustrating and expensive.
The waiting period between G1 and G2 is not empty time to kill. It is your opportunity to build the skills you need to pass the road test and become a safe independent driver.
Practice driving regularly. The single most important thing you can do during the waiting period is accumulate hours behind the wheel. Aim for at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, with some of that time occurring at night and in varied weather conditions.
Spread your practice across the entire waiting period rather than cramming it into the final weeks. Skills develop better with consistent practice over time than with intensive sessions compressed into a short window.
Drive in different conditions. Sunny afternoon drives on quiet streets build basic skills, but the G2 test and real-world driving involve much more. Practice in rain, at night, in heavy traffic, on highways (once you have a G2, though your supervising driver can take you on highways they then drive), and in unfamiliar areas.
Practice specific maneuvers. The G2 road test evaluates particular skills including parallel parking, three-point turns, lane changes, and highway merging (at some test locations). Practice these maneuvers repeatedly until they feel routine rather than stressful.
Learn from your supervising driver. The person in your passenger seat has years of driving experience. Ask them to explain their decision-making as they drive. Have them point out hazards they notice and situations they handle automatically. Their experience becomes your education.
Consider professional lessons. Even if you did not take a full driver education course, individual lessons with a driving instructor can address specific weaknesses. An hour or two with a professional often identifies and corrects problems that you and your regular supervisor have not noticed.
When you feel ready and your eligibility date is approaching, book your G2 road test through the DriveTest website or by phone.
The booking process requires information about your license, including your license number and the date you obtained your G1. The system verifies your eligibility before allowing you to complete the booking.
Choose a DriveTest centre for your test. Consider both convenience and test characteristics. Some centres are known for easier routes while others have more challenging conditions. Online forums and local knowledge can provide insight, though ultimately you need to be able to pass regardless of location.
Test availability varies by centre and time of year. Summer months see high demand as students and young people pursue licensing during school breaks. Booking well in advance secures your preferred date, while last-minute booking might mean taking whatever slots remain available.
If you completed an approved driver education course, have your completion certificate information available when booking. You may need to enter certificate details to verify your eligibility for the 8-month timeline.
Understanding what the G2 test evaluates helps you prepare effectively during your waiting period.
The G2 road test is a practical driving evaluation lasting approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You drive a vehicle with an examiner in the passenger seat. The examiner gives you directions and evaluates your performance.
You must provide a vehicle for the test. The vehicle needs to be in safe operating condition, properly insured, and registered. Most people use a family member's car or a vehicle from a driving school.
The test evaluates your ability to control the vehicle, obey traffic laws, observe your surroundings, and handle various driving situations safely. Skills tested include starting and stopping smoothly, steering, turning, lane changes, parking, approaching intersections, and following road signs and signals.
At some test locations, the evaluation includes highway driving. This portion tests your ability to enter and exit highways safely and maintain appropriate speeds in highway traffic.
Errors during the test are classified by severity. Minor errors add up but may not cause failure if your overall performance is solid. Major errors involving safety violations or dangerous actions typically result in automatic failure.
Passing the G2 road test removes most G1 restrictions. You can drive alone, drive on any road including 400-series highways, and drive at any time of day or night.
Some restrictions remain with the G2 license. The zero blood alcohol requirement continues for all G1 and G2 drivers regardless of age. Young G2 drivers (under 20) face passenger restrictions during the first six months.
Your G2 is not your final license. After holding a G2 for 12 months, you become eligible for the full G road test. Passing that test earns your unrestricted G license, completing Ontario's graduated licensing process.
Many people drive for years with a G2 license without pursuing the full G. The G2 allows normal driving for most purposes. The main benefits of the full G license are removing the remaining restrictions and having a license that never expires as long as you renew it.
The path from G1 to G2 has a defined minimum timeline, but how you use that time determines your outcome.
Someone who waits 12 months while barely driving ends up unprepared for the road test and at higher risk of failing. Someone who waits 8 months while practicing consistently and building genuine skills arrives at the test ready to pass.
The waiting period is not an obstacle to endure. It is an opportunity to become a competent driver. Use it well.
Start driving as soon as you get your G1. Find a patient supervising driver willing to take you out regularly. Build your skills progressively from basics to complex situations. By the time your eligibility date arrives, passing the G2 test should feel like a formality confirming skills you have already developed.
Ready to make sure your G1 knowledge stays sharp while you practice for the road test ahead? G1 Ready CA offers practice materials that reinforce traffic laws and road signs. For a detailed look at how the G1 and G2 tests differ and what each one requires, check out the G1 written test vs road test guide to understand exactly what comes next in your licensing journey.
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