Quebec learner's licence: rules, restrictions and renewal
It is the first real document on your road to a driver's licence. It lets you drive, but under precise rules. Here is what the SAAQ requires to get it, what you are allowed to do with it, and what happens when it expires.
The learner's licence is not a formality. It opens the practical phase of the driving course, it starts the waiting periods before the tests, and it puts you under a stricter regime than an experienced driver. Understanding these rules from day one avoids bad surprises and, sometimes, a suspension before you even hold your licence.
Requirements to get it
The minimum age is 16. If you are under 18, written consent from a parent or guardian is mandatory.
You must have passed the first 5 theory modules (Phase 1) at an SAAQ-approved driving school. The school gives you an attestation.
The amount includes the photo. It is paid at the SAAQ service centre, where credit cards are not accepted (cash, debit, cheque).
A vision test is done on site. Bring the required identification documents. You need an appointment: see our appointment guide.
Good to know. No knowledge test is required to get the learner's licence. The SAAQ knowledge test comes later, after at least 10 months on the learner's licence.
What the learner's licence lets you do
With this licence you can drive a passenger vehicle on the road, provided you are accompanied. It is also the licence you use for all your in-car sessions with your instructor in Phases 2, 3 and 4 of the course. It is valid for 18 months, which comfortably covers the normal path: 10 months before the knowledge test, 12 months before the road test.
The restrictions you must follow
The person beside you must have held a valid Class 5 driver's licence for at least 2 years and actively help you. A probationary licence is not enough.
The night-time ban applies to all learners, whatever their age, even with an accompanying driver.
No amount of alcohol is tolerated behind the wheel. A single offence can lead to an immediate suspension.
At 4 points or more, the licence is revoked. One serious offence (for example not stopping for a school bus, 9 points) is enough.
A driver aged 25 or over has 15 points. A learner has only 4. Holding a phone while driving costs 5 points, not stopping for a school bus, 9 points: a single one of these offences exceeds your limit. In practice, one common mistake can end your journey before the test. The 4-point bracket continues with the probationary licence.
Expiry and renewal
The learner's licence is valid for 18 months. If you have not obtained your probationary licence by then, you can apply for a new learner's licence, this time valid for 12 months. Fees apply again. The time already served is not lost: the original issue date still counts toward the 10-month and 12-month waits before the tests.
The best way to avoid a renewal is to follow the course at a steady pace. The 4 phases of the program are designed to run over about a year, right inside the licence's validity window.
What comes next: the probationary licence
Once you pass the road test, the learner's licence is replaced by the probationary licence, valid for 24 months, at a cost of $107.96. The restrictions change: no more accompanying driver, but the 4-point bracket and zero alcohol remain, and night-time passenger limits apply to drivers aged 19 and under. We cover everything in our probationary licence guide and in the steps to a Quebec driver's licence.
Frequently asked questions
No. An accompanying driver who has held a Class 5 licence for at least 2 years must be beside you on every trip.
Yes, the Phase 1 theory can start before 16. The learner's licence itself can only be issued from age 16.
At least 10 months after getting the learner's licence. And at least 12 months for the road test, after completing the course.
The learner's licence is revoked. You will have to wait out the sanction, apply again and pay the fees again.
Start Phase 1 and get your learner's licence
SAAQ-approved driving school, 5 branches from Laval to Saint-Jérôme. Complete Class 5 course for $999 + taxes, payable in 6 instalments.
Register onlineInformation verified in September 2026 on saaq.gouv.qc.ca (requirements, fees, validity, restrictions and renewal of the Class 5 learner's licence). Demerit points: SAAQ official table (PDF, French). Rules can change: check the SAAQ website for the current version.
