In Canada, a driver’s education course is mandatory for anyone who wants to get their driver’s license. Drivers ed consists of two parts: classroom training and on the road training. Classroom training is done online and consists of instruction in traffic law, vehicle safety and operation, and learner driver expectations. On the road training is completed on real roads by an approved driving school instructor or testing facility with a qualified supervisor present. The driver must also take a written exam with a minimum grade of 70% or higher.
The cost of taking drivers ed depends on whether you attend the course online or at an approved driving school. The Ministry of Transportation sets the fee that schools charge for this training and it is $185 in Ontario, $195 in British Columbia, and $120 in Quebec. That is a total of $570.[1] This amount goes towards the driving test fee, which is $105 in Ontario, $90 in British Columbia, and $85 in Quebec. At present, there are no standardized test-taking costs for the road test.
The course is a minimum of 17 hours. The rest of the time is taken up by classroom and on-road driving training. There is no limit on how many hours your instructor has to teach you but he or she must teach you all the rules of the road before you take a road test.
In the past, drivers ed was done primarily on a one-to-one basis. Today, it is more common to have students learn in a small group. Classrooms are equipped with computers and video screens.
Drivers ed costs in BC, Ontario and Quebec have been going up steadily over the last five years while they have come down slightly in Nova Scotia.[2] In each province except Quebec, drivers ed is mandatory for getting your license; however, a license is not required to take drivers ed courses. To see the cost of getting your driver’s license on its own see this article. It should be noted that some provinces charge extra if you want an ID or by mail if you live outside the province.
