Converting US licence to Ontario

[gprasad.n]

Does anyone has experience in that? Can I easily switch to ON license or should I need a road test. I have more than 8 years of driving experience in US. I have also brought a certified driving record from US when I moved here to prove that I have driving experience. I also have read thru this page : https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange-out-province-drivers-licence
any other input is greatly appreciated. I assume I should go to Service Ontario to get my license, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[CDNPR2014]

you do not need to take a road test to transfer your license. the 2 countries have reciprical agreements, meaning they will honor licenses from eachother. you need to take your current us license and your driving record to a designated "drive test" centre in your area. i believe the drive test centres are the only service ontario locations that can transfer licenses. this information is on the page you linked above. Read the section called "How to apply" and you'll see links for finding a drive test centre near you.

 

[jes_ON]

Does anyone has experience in that? Can I easily switch to ON license or should I need a road test. I have more than 8 years of driving experience in US. I have also brought a certified driving record from US when I moved here to prove that I have driving experience. I also have read thru this page : https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange-out-province-drivers-licence
any other input is greatly appreciated. I assume I should go to Service Ontario to get my license, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Not any Service Ontario location (you can renew there, but not exchange). You'll need to go to either Drive Test Centre (follow the links) or if you ARE in Toronto and can go to that College Park Centre, you can do that too.

They may want to see proof of auto insurance, too (they did for me).

 

[smallwhale]

you do not need to take a road test to transfer your license. the 2 countries have reciprical agreements, meaning they will honor licenses from eachother. you need to take your current us license and your driving record to a designated "drive test" centre in your area. i believe the drive test centres are the only service ontario locations that can transfer licenses. this information is on the page you linked above. Read the section called "How to apply" and you'll see links for finding a drive test centre near you.

How to get the driving record in the USA ?

 

[gprasad.n]

Not any Service Ontario location (you can renew there, but not exchange). You'll need to go to either Drive Test Centre (follow the links) or if you ARE in Toronto and can go to that College Park Centre, you can do that too.

They may want to see proof of auto insurance, too (they did for me).

I currently have a full license with no restrictions? Wondering what category (G / G2 / G1) of license will be given when we exchange the US DL in ON?

 

[CDNPR2014]

I currently have a full license with no restrictions? Wondering what category (G / G2 / G1) of license will be given when we exchange the US DL in ON?

i believe if you can prove driving experience for 2+ years, you get a full G license.

How to get the driving record in the USA ?

go to the website for the DMV/RMV (department or registrar of motor vehicle) in the state you are licensed, and follow the directions. every state does it differently.

 

[gprasad.n]

They may want to see proof of auto insurance, too (they did for me).

Can I get Insurance before getting a DL in ON or the proof of my US insurance would suffice?

 

[CDNPR2014]

Can I get Insurance before getting a DL in ON or the proof of my US insurance would suffice?

in my experience, in order to get insurance in Ontario, the driver must have an ontario license. they will not issue insurance to foreign-licensed drivers.

Also, more than likely the Canadian insurance company is going to want a copy of your insurance record from your US insurance company. this is not to be confused with your driving history from the DMV/RMV in the state you're licensed. The insurance company wants to see how many incidents you've had and how often your insurer has paid out in the past so many years.

 

[gprasad.n]

in my experience, in order to get insurance in Ontario, the driver must have an ontario license. they will not issue insurance to foreign-licensed drivers.

Also, more than likely the Canadian insurance company is going to want a copy of your insurance record from your US insurance company. this is not to be confused with your driving history from the DMV/RMV in the state you're licensed. The insurance company wants to see how many incidents you've had and how often your insurer has paid out in the past so many years.

So, I don't need an insurance to exchange my US license for Ontario license. I only need insurance while registering my car in ON. Can you please clarify on this?

 

[CDNPR2014]

So, I don't need an insurance to exchange my US license for Ontario license. I only need insurance while registering my car in ON. Can you please clarify on this?

correct - insurance has nothing to do with having a license to drive a car. insurance is only needed for driving a specific vehicle owned/leased by a person. if a person doesn't own/lease a vehicle, there is nothing to insure.

A driver's license gives the person the right to drive a vehicle in the province or location they are licensed in. A person can have a driver's license and not own a vehicle, thus making them ineligible for insurance coverage.

A person licensed in the US would certainly know this information. it is exactly the same thing there.

 

[gprasad.n]

correct - insurance has nothing to do with having a license to drive a car. insurance is only needed for driving a specific vehicle owned/leased by a person. if a person doesn't own/lease a vehicle, there is nothing to insure.

A driver's license gives the person the right to drive a vehicle in the province or location they are licensed in. A person can have a driver's license and not own a vehicle, thus making them ineligible for insurance coverage.

A person licensed in the US would certainly know this information. it is exactly the same thing there.

Yes. I know what you are talking about, however the reply from "jes_ON" earlier on this post really confused me.

 

[CDNPR2014]

Yes. I know what you are talking about, however the reply from "jes_ON" earlier on this post really confused me.

i see what you mean. however, i can ensure you, when i exchanged my license in ontario, proof of insurance was not required. it is not even listed on the service ontario website. you can't insure a person for driving. you can only insure an actual vehicle, and owning/leasing a vehicle is not a requirement for obtaining a license. perhaps jes was also registering a car at the same time, and assumed you would too or they are confusing it with something else.

 

[keesio]

I converted my NYS DL to a full Ontario license. I just needed my long form driving record from NY DMV. That + NYS DL + the fact that I have had a license for a long tim was enough to get a full Ontario license

 

[gprasad.n]

My wife and I got full "G" License for our US license.

 

[jes_ON]

i see what you mean. however, i can ensure you, when i exchanged my license in ontario, proof of insurance was not required. it is not even listed on the service ontario website. you can't insure a person for driving. you can only insure an actual vehicle, and owning/leasing a vehicle is not a requirement for obtaining a license. perhaps jes was also registering a car at the same time, and assumed you would too or they are confusing it with something else.

Sorry guys. I got the run-around when I changed my license and registration. Got sent back and forth, they wouldn't give me my license until I had proof of insurance, couldn't get insurance until I had my license, had to go 3 times for my plates (even then they tried to deny me, but a supervisor came to my aid). But I'm in a quasi-hick town, it might have just been people who didn't know what they were doing (or who didn't like yanks). I'll be the first to say it didn't make sense to me, either!