Driving Education

Driving School means a person who offers or provides an Ontario Ministry of Transportation approved course in a prescribed class of driving instruction for which a driving school licence is required by the Highway Traffic Act.

Application requirements

Fees for a new Class “A” Driving School Licence: $225 ($50 application fee plus $175 new licence fee).

To apply for a new Driving School Licence, you must submit the following documents:

• Valid Photo I.D.
• Business Name Registration
• Articles of Incorporation (if applicable)
• Property Ownership or Lease of Premises for your place of business
• Record of Employees - A list of all Driving Instructors on contract with or who work for your Driving School
• Provincial Driving School Licence that is valid and currently in good standing

Renewal requirements

Fees to renew your Driving Education Class “A” Driving School Licence: $150 ($50 application fee plus $100 renewal licence fee).

To renew your Driving Education Class “A” Driving School Licence, you must submit the following documents:

• Record of Employees - A list of all Driving Instructors on contract with or work for your Driving School
• Provincial Driving School Licence that is valid and currently in good standing

Apply for new or renew a Class "A" Driving School Licence 

A Driving Instructor is an individual who provides driving instruction for which a driving instructor licence is required by the Highway Traffic Act.

Application and renewal requirements

Fees for a new or renewal of Class “B” Driving Instructor Licence: $300 ($50 application fee plus $250 licence fee).

To apply for a new or renewal of Class “B” Driving Instructor Licence, you must submit the following documents:

• Valid Photo I.D.
• Vehicle Information and Ownership
• Vehicle Safety Documentation - Ministry of Transportation Safety Standards Certificate and Vehicle Inspection Certificate (dated within 12 months of the application)
• Affiliation Letter - Letter to verify which Driving School you work for
• Ontario Driver's Licence
• Provincial Driving Instructor Licence
• Proof of Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance with a limit of not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per accident for bodily injury and property damage with OPCF 6D Driver Training School Endorsement

Apply for new or renew a Class "B" Driving Instructor Licence 

In June 2017, City Council directed staff to investigate and create a licensing system for driving schools and instructors operating in Oshawa. The result of this investigation is Report CORP-17-80. 

Development of the City's Driving School Licensing System included municipal comparator research, and community input and complaints. The licensing system:

• addresses the issue of intensified use of local roads by driving school instructors and related safety issues for the public and Oshawa neighbourhoods,
• aligns with and supports the provincial Driving School and Instructor Licensing System.

All Driving Schools with a physical business location within Oshawa must be licensed under Schedule "E" of the Licensing By-law. If a Driving School's storefront is not located in Oshawa, a Driving School Licence is not required. However, their Instructors must have valid Oshawa licences if they enter Oshawa to provide instruction and services.

All Driving Instructors who operate in Oshawa need a licence, even if their driving school is located outside of the City.

For example:
Suppose a Driving Instructor and their vehicle enter Oshawa to bring students to the DriveTest Centre to complete a road test. In that case the Driving Instructor is operating in Oshawa and does require a licence.

Yes. Licensed Driving Instructors cannot operate on Municipal property or within the Prohibited Area for Driving School Instructors.

Your Driving Instructor can still pick you up at the start of your lesson and drop you off at home at the end. The only change is that you must wait until the vehicle is outside of the Prohibited Area to start driving instruction. Streets within the prohibited area, as shown in the Prohibited Area for Driving School Instructors Map, have No Driving School Instruction Prohibited Signs posted.

Driving Instructors can still pick up and drop off their students who live in the Prohibited Area; however, no driving instruction can occur within the area. Driving instruction cannot happen until the vehicle has left the Prohibited Area. 

The DriveTest Centre can still run its road tests in this area. The Prohibited Area does not apply to people actively engaged in an official road test.

The Prohibited Area only applies to Driving Schools and Driving Instructors.

For example:
Parents teaching their children to drive is not driving instruction by a Driving School and therefore no licence is required and the Prohibited Area restrictions do not apply.

Yes. Driving Instructors may provide instruction on the boundary roads (Ritson Road, Adelaide Ave, Bloor Street and Thornton Road).

Yes. A licence is required any time a Driving Instructor and their vehicle enter Oshawa while engaged in driving school or instruction services, such as taking a student to the DriveTest Centre and using the driving school vehicle for a road test.

No. The Driving School licensing program only applies to Driving Schools involved in the administration of Class G instruction.

Please contact Service Oshawa to file a complaint.