Is the driving course mandatory in Quebec? What the SAAQ requires
Can you get your licence without a driving course in Quebec? No, not for a first passenger vehicle licence. Here is exactly what the SAAQ requires, why, and how to recognize a school that meets those requirements.
The question comes up often with parents who got their licence in the 2000s, when the course was not required. The rules have changed. Since January 17, 2010, the driving course is once again mandatory to obtain a passenger vehicle licence, and only SAAQ-approved schools can deliver it. Here is what that means in practice.
What the law requires
The SAAQ is clear: only approved schools offer the mandatory course programs. A course taken anywhere else has no value for your licence.
24 hours of theory in 12 modules and 15 hours of in-car practice, in 4 phases with minimum lengths. The course lasts at least 39 hours.
The school certifies completion of Phase 1 (needed for the learner's licence) and then of the full course (needed for the road test). Without those attestations, the SAAQ goes no further.
The course does not replace the tests. The knowledge test ($13.50) and the road test ($33.75) are still administered by the SAAQ.
Why the course became mandatory again
Quebec was the first Canadian province to require a driving course, in 1983. The requirement was abolished in 1997, then reinstated in 2010 with a new program, the Road Safety Education Program, designed for young drivers: progressive learning, accompanied driving, awareness of risky behaviours. That program, identical in every approved school, is the one you follow today. We describe it phase by phase in the 4 phases of the driving course.
What happens without the course
Without a Phase 1 attestation, the SAAQ does not issue the learner's licence. Without a full-course attestation, it does not register you for the road test. "Courses" offered by individuals, websites or non-approved schools do not count, even if the content looks similar. Always check the school's approval before paying. Our article SAAQ-approved driving school: how to check explains how in two minutes.
Who does not need the course?
The requirement applies to people obtaining a first passenger vehicle licence in Quebec. Someone who already holds a valid licence from another province, or from a country with which Quebec has an exchange agreement, follows a different procedure, without the full course but sometimes with tests. The SAAQ details those cases on its page for newcomers. When in doubt, the rule is simple: first licence, mandatory course.
What the course gives you beyond the obligation
The 12 modules cover the three parts of the SAAQ knowledge test: rules, signs, behaviours.
Highway, complex intersections, parking, varied conditions, with an instructor in a dual-control vehicle.
The course also structures practice with parents, with objectives per phase and evaluations at sessions 5, 10 and 15.
The last session is a summary designed as a dress rehearsal for the SAAQ road test.
How much does it cost?
The course content is set by the SAAQ, but not its price: each school sets its own. At Vision Plus, the complete Class 5 course is $999 + taxes, payable in 6 instalments, with no hidden fees for the 12 modules and 15 sessions. We break down what is included in the $999 driving course: what's included, and explain price differences between schools in how much does a driving course cost in Quebec.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, to obtain a first passenger vehicle licence (Class 5), since January 17, 2010. It must be taken at an SAAQ-approved school.
No. The SAAQ requires the full-course attestation issued by the approved school to register you for the road test.
The SAAQ states that the theory portion is delivered by an instructor in class or online, depending on the school. The 15 in-car sessions are always in person.
You can enrol before 16. The learner's licence itself is only issued from age 16, with a parent's consent if you are under 18.
The mandatory course, at an SAAQ-approved 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, driving course and automobile driving course (program, lengths, in-class or online format). Date the requirement was reinstated (January 17, 2010): Radio-Canada archives (French). Rules can change: check the SAAQ website for the current version.
