How do I get a probationary licence in Québec and what are its conditions?

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For a car (class 5), the probationary licence comes after the learner's licence. To get it, you must have held your learner's licence for at least 12 months, have passed the theory exam and a driving course, then pass the SAAQ road exam. If you pass, you pay for the probationary licence. To keep it, you must have fewer than 4 demerit points, follow the zero-alcohol rule and the rule on passengers aged 19 or under between midnight and 5 a.m., if it applies to you. With a good driving record, you can get the class 5 licence after 2 years.

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Key facts

Fees (per the page consulted on October 6, 2026): Road exam: $33.75. Probationary licence: $107.96 (amount for 24 months). Amounts to be reconfirmed on the official page.
Road exam length: About 30 minutes; allow about 1 hour for the whole appointment.
Passengers aged 19 or under (between midnight and 5 a.m.): If you are 19 or under and have held a probationary licence for less than 12 months: 1 passenger with 6 months of experience or less, 3 passengers after that. Your immediate family members are excluded from the count. The rule also does not apply if an accompanying driver who has held a licence for at least 2 years sits in front and can advise you.
Demerit points: To keep your probationary licence, you must have fewer than 4 points. The 4-point regime applies to holders of a learner's or probationary licence.
Learner's licence: Valid for 18 months. If you have not obtained your probationary licence within that time, you can apply for a new learner's licence, valid this time for 12 months.
Supervising a learner: The holder of a probationary licence cannot supervise a person who is learning to drive.

Your procedure, step by step

Start the official procedure Official page: Getting a car licence, class 5 (SAAQ) (opens in a new tab)https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/permis-conduire/obtenir-permis/auto-classe-5

Check the prerequisites: you must have held a learner's licence for at least 12 months at the time of the road exam, have passed the SAAQ theory exam and have passed a driving course taken at a SAAQ-recognized school.
Book the road exam in SAAQclic.
Prepare your vehicle: the SAAQ does not provide one. It must be safe and in good mechanical condition, otherwise the exam cannot take place.
On exam day, bring your learner's licence, the valid signed registration certificate of the vehicle, the paper copy of your proof of liability insurance and the certificate showing you passed your driving course. Pay the exam fee.
Take the road exam.
If you pass, pay the fee for the probationary licence.
To keep your probationary licence, follow the rules: fewer than 4 demerit points, zero alcohol and the rule on passengers aged 19 or under between midnight and 5 a.m., if it applies to you.
With a good driving record, you can get the class 5 licence after 2 years.

Start the official procedure Official page: Getting a car licence, class 5 (SAAQ) (opens in a new tab)https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/permis-conduire/obtenir-permis/auto-classe-5

Your progress is kept on this device only: nothing is sent to Demande au Québec. Some steps only apply in certain situations: skip the ones that do not concern you.

Sources

Obtenir le permis auto (classe 5) (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ))
Points d'inaptitude (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ))

Checked on October 6, 2026. Rules, deadlines and fees can change: always confirm on the official page above. Demande au Québec is an independent website, not a government site.

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