Ontario G1 Driving Restrictions: Highway, Curfew, Passenger and BAC Rules (2026)

A G1 licence bars you from driving on 400-series highways (unless with a licensed driving instructor), driving between midnight and 5 a.m., having any blood alcohol above 0.00%, carrying more passengers than working seatbelts, and driving without a qualified supervisor sitting in the front passenger seat. Prepare with Ontario G1 practice tests.

An Ontario G1 licence is a learner's permit with strict rules. You cannot drive alone. You must follow all driving restrictions or face fines and licence suspension.

Supervision and Driving Alone Rules

You cannot drive alone with a G1 licence. A qualified supervising driver must be in the front passenger seat at all times.

• Supervisor: You must have a qualified accompanying driver under Ontario's G1 rules. Detailed licence-class, experience, BAC and out-of-province rules belong to the Supervisor Requirements guide.
• Driving to School: You can drive to school only if a qualified supervisor is with you.

Does the G1 supervisor have to be the only other person in the front seat? Yes. Ontario's G1 rules allow only the learner and the accompanying driver in the front seats.

Do Ontario G1 restrictions apply in a private parking lot or driveway?

Ontario's G1 licence conditions are written for driving on a highway under the Highway Traffic Act. A private residential driveway is not automatically a highway. Privately owned roads or parking areas can raise different legal and insurance questions depending on public access and use, so do not assume that being on private property removes every driving rule.

G1 Passenger and Front-Seat Rules

You can drive with friends in the car, but with specific passenger restrictions.

• Front Seat: Only your supervising driver can sit there. No friends or family.
• Back Seat: You can carry passengers only where each person has a working seatbelt or required child restraint.
• Drive-Thru: You can drive through a drive-thru. Your supervisor does not need to order.

Can a G1 driver carry a baby or young child as a passenger?

Yes, but the normal child-restraint and seatbelt laws still apply. The driver must make sure a child who requires a car seat or booster seat is properly secured, and the qualified supervisor must remain the only other person in the front seat.

A G1 driver in Kitchener was ticketed for having a friend in the front seat, which invalidated the supervision requirement, leading to a 30-day suspension.

Night Driving and Time Curfews

You cannot drive at night between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Driving is prohibited during these hours, even with a supervisor.

See the Ontario learner's permit guide for complete requirements.

Full Ontario permit rules are at the Ontario learner's permit guide.

• You can drive at night from 5:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. with your supervisor.
• There are no exceptions for work, school, or emergencies.

Highway and Freeway Restrictions

You cannot drive on freeways, known as 400-series highways, with a G1 licence.

• Prohibited Roads: All 400-series highways (401, 400, 407, etc.), the QEW, Don Valley Parkway (DVP), and Gardiner Expressway.
• Exception: You can drive on these highways only if your supervising driver is a licensed Ontario driving instructor.

A driver from Brampton heading to a driving lesson in Vaughan accidentally entered Highway 427 with her mother supervising. Police issued a ticket and suspended her licence for 30 days.

Phone, Alcohol and Drug Rules for G1 Drivers

G1 drivers cannot use hand-held devices while driving and are also subject to novice-driver alcohol and drug rules.

• Cell Phones: You cannot hold or use a hand-held communication or entertainment device while driving. A first novice-driver distracted-driving conviction can bring the same fine as a fully licensed driver plus a 30-day suspension, but no demerit points are added for this offence.
• Supervisor on Phone: A passenger who is supervising is not automatically committing the driver's hand-held-device offence merely by using a phone. The supervisor should still remain alert and able to assist the learner.
• Alcohol/Drugs: A G1 driver must follow novice zero-tolerance rules. The current roadside suspension for a zero-tolerance occurrence is 7 days for a first occurrence, 14 days for a second and 30 days for a third or later occurrence, with additional consequences possible.

Can an Ontario G1 driver use hands-free GPS or Bluetooth?

Yes, within Ontario's distracted-driving rules. Hands-free Bluetooth is allowed, and a securely mounted phone or GPS can be used in limited ways. Do not hold the device or program a hand-held GPS while driving; set the route before moving or use permitted voice commands.

Set your GPS before starting the trip and keep your phone out of your hands while driving.

Penalties for Violating G1 Restrictions

A roadside ticket and a novice-driver suspension are not the same step. For G1 licence-condition offences, the ticket can be issued at the stop, while a qualifying conviction can later trigger Novice Driver Escalating Sanctions.

Suspension periods do not count toward the mandatory 12-month waiting period before you can take your G2 road test, causing significant delays.

When you become eligible for the G1 exit road test, use the dedicated road-test and waiting-period guides for booking and location details rather than relying on fixed wait-time estimates.