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Issue with New Jersey Driver License Exchange in Ontario

SeekerAP

Newbie
Feb 27, 2022
5
1
Solution: Don't stress :) Just keep driving on your US license. Mail the DO-11 form (with required payment and docs) to NJ DMV in Trenton. It will take CAD1.25 stamp to do so. From the day you mail it out, you will receive the response from Trenton in 21-25 calendar days. Thats it!
Hi AJ & Lon Ontario: I need your help here as I have been also rejected to transfer NJ License (valid upto 2025) to Ontario License. Now i Dont have NJ abstract as well. I have tried to generate userID (which is required before I can request Abstract only) multiple time through NJ DMV site every-time it is creating new request however no mail they are sending to my older address or my friends address.
Please guide me :
1>What is email address and what exact form I need to request them to provide.
2>. It can be a Canada Address to should a US one for mail return.
3> How long it takes? I have already spent 60 days in Ontario , I should not drive with US license anymore right?
Please help if there any other step I have to follow.
 

A J

Star Member
May 28, 2017
89
17
Hi AJ & Lon Ontario: I need your help here as I have been also rejected to transfer NJ License (valid upto 2025) to Ontario License. Now i Dont have NJ abstract as well. I have tried to generate userID (which is required before I can request Abstract only) multiple time through NJ DMV site every-time it is creating new request however no mail they are sending to my older address or my friends address.
Please guide me :
1>What is email address and what exact form I need to request them to provide.
2>. It can be a Canada Address to should a US one for mail return.
3> How long it takes? I have already spent 60 days in Ontario , I should not drive with US license anymore right?
Please help if there any other step I have to follow.

Do this - fill the physical form D0-11 form (downloadable from DMV website) and send it to NJ Trenton DMV using postal mail and ask for all the copies of driving license you had over the years. They will mail this to you in 3-4 weeks. They will also mail you copies of the forms you filled to apply for your first/subsequent license in NJ. This is what DriveTest needs. Do heavy lifting now to avoid stress standing in line in their offices and dealing with the most profound robotic idiots ever created by humans - they do not have a soul.
if you need more guidance, call Trenton DMV, someone will eventually pickup and explain. They are aware of this situation.
 

SeekerAP

Newbie
Feb 27, 2022
5
1
Do this - fill the physical form D0-11 form (downloadable from DMV website) and send it to NJ Trenton DMV using postal mail and ask for all the copies of driving license you had over the years. They will mail this to you in 3-4 weeks. They will also mail you copies of the forms you filled to apply for your first/subsequent license in NJ. This is what DriveTest needs. Do heavy lifting now to avoid stress standing in line in their offices and dealing with the most profound robotic idiots ever created by humans - they do not have a soul.
if you need more guidance, call Trenton DMV, someone will eventually pickup and explain. They are aware of this situation.
Thanks much for your guidance, could you confirm which one is required here as per D0-11 form. Also may I drive with US license until then or I should not drive as I have crossed 60 days.

Certified Complete Driver History Abstract $15
Certified 5 Year Driver History Abstract $15
Order of Suspension $15 Date(s):
Schedule of Suspension $15 Date(s):
Restoration Notice $15 Date(s):
Mailing List $15 Date(s):
Summons $15 Date(s):
Accident Report $5
 

A J

Star Member
May 28, 2017
89
17
please call Trenton. it might be a long wait but finally you will get someone to talk to and they will tell you the latest process. dont stress. just follow the process. it is a broken process and there are no shortcuts. this is how the government works. you can do nothing about it. it will take time (max 06 weeks) but it will get you a G and you will save tons of money on insurance. i can guess you are from India (are you?) by your post. i cannot speak to the fact that you shd drive on US license or not. if you gotta to go get milk you gotta go get milk. just remember if pulled over, the cop does not know when you came to Canada, so you might be able to get away by saying ...
 

SeekerAP

Newbie
Feb 27, 2022
5
1
please call Trenton. it might be a long wait but finally you will get someone to talk to and they will tell you the latest process. dont stress. just follow the process. it is a broken process and there are no shortcuts. this is how the government works. you can do nothing about it. it will take time (max 06 weeks) but it will get you a G and you will save tons of money on insurance. i can guess you are from India (are you?) by your post. i cannot speak to the fact that you shd drive on US license or not. if you gotta to go get milk you gotta go get milk. just remember if pulled over, the cop does not know when you came to Canada, so you might be able to get away by saying ...
Big thanks for your valuable response.. It is a great help. you correctly said it is broken process. Anyway will follow the steps you mentioned .. Thanks again.
 

Angela CM

Newbie
Nov 15, 2022
6
2
I just came out from ICBC (the DMV of British Columbia, Canada) and had the exact same issue. I don't know if this only happens with people from NJ, but it was somewhat comforting to find this post knowing that I'm not alone.
I read through the ICBC official website before I came to Canada. The website said I need to provide two years of driving history. For example, a driver license report. So I went on the NJMVC website and got the certified driving history report. Yes, I did realize the different wording, one with “license” the other one without. But I didn’t think that would be a problem because a) they are different countries so different in wordings are understandable, and b) that’s the only thing NJMVC has to offer.
Unfortunately that report did not show the date of when I first got my license. And that date was what ICBC was looking for. I also didn't think it would be an issue since (unfortunately) I got my first ticket in 2015, so it would at least count for a good 7 years (2015-2022) of driving experience. Well, seems like that's not the case.
I was told "you could drive and get a ticket without having a license". They couldn't count that as driving experience because the paper did not show when did I first got my license. I had 10+ years of driving experience, but I just recently renewed my license, so on the NJ license it looks like I've only had a license for less than a year.
So I asked the lady "you do realize people can have a license but do not drive right?". I don't understand how does having a license equal to having driving experience? Honestly, even if I was driving without a license, I was driving, and that's driving experience. Of course the lady had to talk to her supervisor and came back with a "no". Then she suggested me to go back and try to find my previous licenses. So the only thing I can say to her was to suggest they change the wording on their website. What they are looking for was not "two years of driving history", but instead "two years of in possession of a license".
Anyways, I do hope people from NJ who's looking to get a Canadian driver's license read this post. I wish I had read this before I came. The only tip for people who recently renewed your license -- go dig in your drawer and find those expired licenses!
 
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sathish.inst

Newbie
Nov 16, 2023
3
0
I changed my address (online) to my friend's address and the user id was sent there. After I had the user id, I requested the abstract (online) and the abstract was sent to the same (changed) address. But, yeah, I was disappointed to see that no mention of license issue date which was more important to me to prove my actual driving experience and get a better insurance rate. I even destroyed the actual NJ driver's license when I moved to Virginia so I can't produce the actual voided license to show the issue date. Luckily, the Virginia abstract shows the issue date but the insurance rate is still higher than expected. I am hoping to visit a ServiceOntario location, show the abstract and an old photo of my NJ driver's license and see whether they accept it.
I am in the same situation right now, did able to get the license by showing the copies of old NJ Driving license . Please share your experience.
 

sach429

Full Member
Feb 8, 2018
26
9
I am in the same situation right now, did able to get the license by showing the copies of old NJ Driving license . Please share your experience.
My situation was a bit different. I was in NJ and then moved to Virginia. When I moved to Ontario, I surrendered my valid Virginia license in lieu of Ontario license. I also had to show the certified original copy of the abstract from Virginia DMV and based on my experience they gave me a G license. So bottom line, in order to exchange a US license for a Ontario license, your US license need to be a valid one (non-expired) and also provide a certified mailed copy (not a printout) of the abstract. Copies of old license and abstracts from previous states only help past experience to be counted in the total experience. For eg. if you have 1 year driving experience in current state and 4 years in previous states and you provide documentation of the previous state then your total experience is 5 years and you get a G licence. However, if you show only the one for present state you may get a G2 because there's a minimum no. of years of experience you need to have in order to get a G. And even if you have the required years of experience in present state for a G license, you would still benefit from the additional experience because insurance companies would give you a rate based on total experience and not only the license category G2 or G.

P.S. The abstract you get for a NJ license as an online service, is useless. It doesn't show your license issue date and other historic data. As someone else suggested in this thread, the correct way to get one is submit a DO-11 form ( you can do it via a friend in US in case you have already moved to Canada)
When you request through a DO-11 form, you will have to submit one for each time you have renewed the license in order for them to provide record of all the past renewals.
For eg. if you got your license for first time in 2018 and it was valid till 2021. Then you renewed in 2021 and it was valid till 2023. While filling DO-11 form Section C you will see Month Day Year. You may skip month and day and just provide the year you applied for the license (first time or renewal). If you provide 2018, they will only send you the abstract showing your license issue date in 2018 and expiry date as 2021. You will need to submit another DO-11 form and another check of $15, and mention year as 2021 and only then they will provide another record showing license issue date as 2021 and expiry date as 2023
 
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Mr.Blind00

Newbie
Jan 19, 2024
1
0
Thanks for sharing your experience here! I'm in a similar situation here so wondering if it is really the case that if I have all expired driving license I just need the abstract history (ordered online showing no issue date)? Because I see that in your case you submitted all expired driving licenses and date of issue of driver but not the abstract history. Did they tell you you could also do that?

I have all expired NJ licenses, abstract history ordered online as well as all receipts I got when I applied for those old NJ licenses. Do you think these will work?
Hey frankfz, can you pl share an update if any ??

I am in the same situation, I have all my expired licenses and the Drivers History Abstract(DO-21) with me, wondering if I still need Drivers License Record(DO-11) as-well ?
 

DikshaP

Newbie
Feb 20, 2024
1
0
Hey frankfz, can you pl share an update if any ??

I am in the same situation, I have all my expired licenses and the Drivers History Abstract(DO-21) with me, wondering if I still need Drivers License Record(DO-11) as-well ?
Hey please can you share if you it worked for you?
Also, is DO-21 same as complete Driver history (Certified)?