7 criteria for choosing your driving school
The program is imposed by the SAAQ, the price can be compared in two clicks. What really sets one school apart from another lies elsewhere. Here are the 7 criteria that matter, in order.
Choosing a driving school in Quebec is simpler than it looks, provided you compare the right things. The course content is the same everywhere: 24 hours of theory and 15 hours of practical instruction, set by the SAAQ. The real difference lies in the execution, and it can be verified before you pay. Here is how.
Criterion 1: SAAQ recognition, non-negotiable
This is the only eliminating criterion. The mandatory driving course must be taken at a recognized school, otherwise it simply does not count toward your licence. Before any other question, check that the school appears in the official directory. We explained what that recognition involves in our article on SAAQ-recognized driving schools.
Criteria 2 to 7: where schools set themselves apart
The minimum phase durations and the learner's licence delays (10 months before the knowledge test, 12 before the road test) are regulatory. No school can shorten them. A school promising you a licence "faster" is mostly telling you how it handles everything else.
Apply the 7 criteria to your situation
A concrete example: if you live on the North Shore, comparing "a school in Laval" with "a school in Montreal" means little until you have looked at real proximity, evening schedules and who will follow you from one outing to the next. That is exactly why we have five branches rather than one big one: Laval (Fabreville), Laval - Duvernay, Sainte-Thérèse, Mascouche and Saint-Jérôme.
Each branch page shows the team, the schedule and the starting point of practical outings, so you can check criteria 2, 3 and 4 without even calling.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, on content: the Road Safety Education Program is set by the SAAQ, with a 39-hour minimum. The difference lies in execution: guidance, schedules, follow-up.
No, but price transparency should be. An amount that does not spell out what it includes compares poorly, and the bad surprises come after you sign.
It is possible, your progression in the program follows you. It is friction worth avoiding, though: better to choose correctly at the start, with the 7 criteria above.
Put us through the 7-criteria test
A SAAQ-recognized school since 2002. Five branches, one team, follow-up from start to finish.
Register onlineInformation verified on the SAAQ website in August 2026. The program content and regulatory delays are detailed on the official SAAQ page Automobile (passenger vehicle).
